I have a huge problem.

My oil pressure gauge is either toast or my oil pump has gone for a crap.

The problem is when I first fire up the motor the gauge works fine and reads 320kpa but after maybe 30 seconds it just droops to zero. When you mash on the gas hard it moves a bit but nothing huge.

What do you guys think. Could it be the sending units, the gauge, or the oil pump.

Also is there anyway to test the gauge and sending units. My neighbour told me there was a tool kind of like a compression tester that you could screw into the intake where the sending unit is but every shop I have been to say they don't have one.

Any help would be greatly appriciated.

 

Usually the easiest way to figure out if the gauge in your car is accurate or not is to just go buy one of those cheap aftermarket mechanical oil pressure gauges they sell at auto parts stores (usually Autogage).

You can just hook it up on the back of the motor, so you won't have to mess with the oil pressure switch. There should be a small square-headed plug on the rear "china wall" right behind the distributor and rear of the intake manifold. You can remove it, and then hook up the oil pressure line in there, and then hook up the line to the gauge (hole has 1/8" NPT threads, IIRC). Compare the readings of the aftermarket gauge to the stock gauge, and let us know what you find.

 

Thanks I will try that.

 

Please get back to us for I have the same exact problem.