oil pressure

[Down Yonder]

I installed a new oil pressure sending unit recently. It appears to work fine giving me hot engine idle pressure just under 40psi. However around 60mph it it shows 75psi and over 65 it is pegged at 80psi. Bad to have high pressure? (360 with 55k)

[scotty1998]

It's doubtful your pressure's actually that high although I guess it's possible. If you put a real gauge on it to determine what it is exactly it will probably show a vast improvement. I had the same "issues" until I replaced the sender which I see that you already did. Not impossible to have a bad one or to have something lodged in the orifice like a piece of teflon tape or something either. Take the sender off and inspect it and then reinstall. You gauge could be faulty too.

Cruising altitude usually has a reading somewhere in the 40 - 55 psi range with idle around 15-20.

[J10_Jimbo]

Sounds like your bypass is stuck, be careful I have blown an oil filter apart, makes a BIG mess.

Jimbo

[Down Yonder]

my pressure does fluctuate with the new unit...35 idle to -80 going 65mph. Before I replaced the sending unit it was just pegged at 80 all the time. I take it my new readings are faulty.

So first thing is to remove the sending unit, blow it out a bit and re-install.

If that doesn't work, you are saying it could be my bypass? I have no idea what/where that is and how to fix it...assistance please? Thanks!!

[tgreese]

Buy an inexpensive mechanical oil pressure gauge and connect it where your OP sender is now. Autozone or Pep Boys should have one for ca $20 or less. That will tell you if you have too much pressure, or if the sender or gauge is inaccurate.

It seems unlikely that you would have 40 psi of hot idle oil pressure. Even if the bypass were stuck, I don't think it would change the idle OP. With the bypass working properly, the OP should rise with engine RPM and top out at some fixed pressure, say 60 psi, when the bypass opens.

[J10_Jimbo]

The by pass is located in the oil pump plate, same plate the filter mounts to, there is a bolt head that holds in a spring and piston. If this piston sticks, due to trash, or build up it will cause overly high pressure at high RPM's. Of course you are much better off connecting a mechanical gauge to verify there is a pressure problem to start with.
Jimbo

[djongeward]

ditto on above. I just wouldn't trust an OEM oil sender. Mine pegs at 60 psi., and I know this because I also installed a mechanical. I have the cheapy sunpro mini three and they are way more accurate (as in exact) than the dash gages. For peace of mind, I would back them up with a mechanical gage.

[JeepMods]

Sounds like your bypass is stuck, be careful I have blown an oil filter apart, makes a BIG mess.

Jimbo

Hehehe and yes it does.... It makes a HUGE mess!!!! :eek: :eek: when I fired up my first 360 after the build it pegged my oil pressure gauge and separated 2/3rds of the can from the top... when I fixed that I noticed my oil pressure gauge was tweaked and sat at 20 psi when the engine was off... I can only imagine what kind pressure I hit...

[Down Yonder]

Off to buy a gauge to connect up where the sending unit is located.

If I still show overly high pressure I'll come back to the brain trust for more direction...thanks to all!!