Oil pan gasket and oil pump

[White96k2500]

That sounds normal to me then. The actual mech. guage pressure is likely higher than what dash tells you.

My other truck has the 5.7 and it idles at "20 psi" at the cluster.

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Sorry for the noob question but how can you hook up a mechanical gauge?

 

[Erik the Awful]

Permanent or temporary? For temporary, pull the oil pressure sending unit under the distributor and put the gauge fitting in the port. For permanent you can install a tee.

 

[stutaeng]

Yes, oil pressure sender. There's a special socket and it is a bit tricky to get to: https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-13250-Pressure-Switch-Socket/dp/B0002SR2RY

This is the little kit I bought: https://www.harborfreight.com/Engine-Oil-Pressure-Test-Kit-62621.html

The minimum pressure readings per the Haynes manual lists it as:

1,000 RPM = 6 psi

2,000 RPM = 18 psi

4,000 RPM = 24 psi

I don't recall seeing an "idle" minimum pressure. When I did my 4.3 I had 6 psi at idle, then 11, 27, 40 psi at 1k, 2k, and 4k, respectively. I changed to higher viscosity oil and pressure went up like 8 psi at idle. Not a solution to go to higher viscosity oil, but just wanted to get through the Summer, LOL.

 

[evilunclegrimace]

GM allows for 6 PSI at idle

 

[White96k2500]

Permanent or temporary? For temporary, pull the oil pressure sending unit under the distributor and put the gauge fitting in the port. For permanent you can install a tee.

Well really I’m not sure if i wanna do it permanently or temporarily i do have plans in the future to drop a built motor in it so temporary would probably be the way i went, how long could i keep it like that?
Edit: the more i think about it i kinda wanna just do it permanently because i feel i could trust a mechanical gauge more so how would you do it permanently?

 

[White96k2500]

Yes, oil pressure sender. There's a special socket and it is a bit tricky to get to: https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-13250-Pressure-Switch-Socket/dp/B0002SR2RY

This is the little kit I bought: https://www.harborfreight.com/Engine-Oil-Pressure-Test-Kit-62621.html

The minimum pressure readings per the Haynes manual lists it as:

1,000 RPM = 6 psi

2,000 RPM = 18 psi

4,000 RPM = 24 psi

I don't recall seeing an "idle" minimum pressure. When I did my 4.3 I had 6 psi at idle, then 11, 27, 40 psi at 1k, 2k, and 4k, respectively. I changed to higher viscosity oil and pressure went up like 8 psi at idle. Not a solution to go to higher viscosity oil, but just wanted to get through the Summer, LOL.

Could you just use a wrench to get it off? And i was thinking of just buying this and throwing it on there
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...pressure-gauge-black-face-fst-8216/10717230-P

 

[stutaeng]

Could you just use a wrench to get it off? And i was thinking of just buying this and throwing it on there
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...pressure-gauge-black-face-fst-8216/10717230-P

No, a wrench would not fit in there. The sender is behind/below distributer and tight to the firewall.

I bought a cheap socket for oil sender at the parts store and the inside was machined too small. I turned on it and broke the switch! I returned and got the Lisle. Make sure your socket bottoms out into the hex portion of the switch. You'll be doing this by feel rather than sight.

As for the aftermarket pressure guage: That would be nice, but before you go through the trouble, check the real pressure first. I suppose your sender could be going bad too. Checking pressure will eliminate that possibility too.

 

[White96k2500]

No, a wrench would not fit in there. The sender is behind/below distributer and tight to the firewall.

I bought a cheap socket for oil sender at the parts store and the inside was machined too small. I turned on it and broke the switch! I returned and got the Lisle. Make sure your socket bottoms out into the hex portion of the switch. You'll be doing this by feel rather than sight.

As for the aftermarket pressure guage: That would be nice, but before you go through the trouble, check the real pressure first. I suppose your sender could be going bad too. Checking pressure will eliminate that possibility too.

I think i may order the socket tonight, do you have to drain the oil before taking the sender out?

 

[evilunclegrimace]

I think i may order the socket tonight, do you have to drain the oil before taking the sender out?

No

 

[evilunclegrimace]

There is another oil port that you can use to hook up a manual pressure gauge. Look right above the oil filter on the block. There is a plug that is in the oil gallery that can be used for a sender oil line.