Oil pressure dilemma!

[Dirky]

My buddy sent me this video. 94' F150 with a 302. Fair mileage, around 195,000 miles.

Now, this came out of nowhere. Truck isn't used for much more than running errands and driving to the country to shoot birds once in a while.

Engine is started, shows normal oil pressure, doesn't tick. Rev the engine and the oil pressure gauge dies, then the top end valvetrain noise makes its entrance... Revving the engine brings oil pressure up as it should, but sometimes the pressure stays for a while, sometimes the gauge dies.. It always flickers once revved.

Now, based on the video, I see a potential fault in the sending unit, which there might be, though that doesn't explain why the ticking would return when the gauge dies, and it's too consistent to be coincidence.

This came out of nowhere, so it's not a noticably progressive wear issue.

My best guess right now is an air leak before the pump somewhere, trash (gasket material, broken valve stem seals, etc..) in the pickup tube, or a weak pump. Bearing failure would have different symptoms in my opinion. Oil has been changed since with no changes.

I think we need to hook up a good MECHANICAL gauge to this puppy.


What do you guys think?

Derek.

 

[JBFab]

The oil pressure gauge in these trucks is nothing more then a dummy gauge. The sender only reads anything above 6psi. It can however be converted to a real gauge simply get a sender from a early 80's truck or bronco and install. Then remove your cluster and solder on a jumper wire to bypass the resistor on the backside. Walla a working OPG.

Chances are the one in the truck is dieing out. Another alternative is a good aftermarket gauge and sender. I like autometer ultralite 2's myself.