Analog rally gauges question...

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AlBreland

Apprentice
Oct 7, 2014
57
19
8
Palm Harbor, Florida
I switched my idiot lights in my 85 pontiac dash (in my 86 el camino) for factory analog gauges. The oil pressure guage has never read more than 20 pounds and I am wondering if it is just a bad gauge (I've seen replacements on ebay) or if something else might be going on. I had someone at Oriley's look up the sending units for both a 4.3 and a V8 and they are the same part number. My new 5.7 engine should be at least 65 pounds of oil pressure. Any thoughts?
 

airboatgreg

Comic Book Super Hero
Oct 2, 2016
2,863
3,112
113
My first guess is a bad sender and it has to be the right one as there is a 60PSI and an 80 PSI so look at your gauge. There may also be a thread difference
 

Gpdreamer

Apprentice
Mar 22, 2018
50
82
18
I believe the sending units for analog and idiot light are different (l checked with OReilly’s) and in my shop manual they are different. Should be two wires for idiot light and one wire for analog, but l can’t tell you which wire works. I switch to mechanical with a little modification to the idiot light cluster.
 

One More Pontiac...

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Feb 26, 2019
23
59
13
CT
Try cleaning the sender and wire connection...the one in my GP barely worked it was so dirty. Now it reads around 40 at idle.
 
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DRIVEN

Geezer
Apr 25, 2009
8,062
14,479
113
*CENSORED*
Ground the sender and see what the gauge does
 
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airboatgreg

Comic Book Super Hero
Oct 2, 2016
2,863
3,112
113
Be careful with a direct ground from the sensor wire. Use a test ight instead. Gauges and cluster not designed for a direct ground. Test light has some resistance
 
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