I just swapped in my rebuilt 383 and cannot want to feel the results. However, my oil pressure gauge is pegged with the key on. I really need to know the oil pressure when I am breaking in the motor/ always... How can I test the gauge to see if its bad?

I tested for continuity on the wire that plugs into the sender. I unplugged it from the sender, pushed a lean into the connector, then touched the other lead to a body ground. got OL, so not shorting.

Also, for the past year or so, when I turn my dash lights on, oil pressure, tach, and volt-meter drop to 0. My right blinker also stays lit. This is ONLY when the dash light are on.

I really really need to figure this out since it is the last thing holding me back. Already fired the motor for a few seconds.

 

Oil pressure gauge works on a ground if you disconnect the wire and it stays pinned the wire may be pinched and grounded make sure you have the right wire pluged in. Your other problem sounds like a bad ground in the lighting harness check the black wires that come out to ground it happy hunting.

 

If the wire was pinched and grounded, it would have shown continuity to ground right?

 

groud to ground would not short if you have a test light hook up the lead to positive and probe the wire to the gauge if it lights you have ground. if not when you unplug the wire the gauge should drop to 0.

 

Hmm, okay could I do that with a multimeter on resistance? I should see OL without that wire connected to the sender correct? Also, that wire has a strange connector that I think may be a fusible link? But when I pulled it apart there was no fuse just a bare prong-like wire that sticks into this hole. Any idea of what this is?

So just to clarify. When that gauge sees no ground from the sending unit wire it should read 0?

 

For others having the same problem... when the oil pressure gauge is pegged, the wire is either broken or not connected. If it always reads 0, it is grounding somewhere. However, a faulty gauge could cause similar problems.

 

Ok thank you Brody. Now..one more question. Mine is pegged way over, and when I try o manually push it back she simply goes right back up. So that tells me the wire is NOT hooeked up right? Well, where the heck do i hook it up! I have swapped in a 350 and been using a aftermarket oil gauge myself. The one I use is mechanical. But would LOVE for teh stock gauge to work.

 

It only shoots up when the key is on right? I could move my dial down and it would stay there, but as soon as my key turned it would shoot right up. If yours is doing this, the "sending unit wire" is not hooked up. I believe you can install the sending unit in more than one spot. Mine is in the back of the intake manifold next to the distributor. One thing you could do is find the wire that should be going to the sending unit and try to connect it to a ground with a piece of wire or something. When you do this the gauge should go to 0. If it doesn't you have to start looking in that line for a break somewhere.

Now I am a novice at electrical stuff especially, but thats the best I can do for you. I hope it helps. Post up what you figure out.

 

Sorry, I must have either had a brain fart or just posted the wrong thing. Mine pegs at out when I hit the key, then goes back to zero and stays there. that's it. And I don't recall even knowing wth the sender looks like! LOL Have a pic or link to it somewhere? I have a eldebrock performer intake, so I have that same little hole by the dist.

 

If it pegs with the key on, engine off, then the sender is bad