1988 K1500 Low Oil Pressure: PROBLEM SOLVED

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AuroraGirl

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I have no inside insight. I have a working theory with no evidence.
i love those. Sometimes people want evidence and its like god what do you want from me LOL

maybe the tendancy of the Lo5 to be lesser applied in 1989 except for the Alternate use of the RPO with C6P, F44, K4Y(whatever the Oil cooler one is) and the other stuff that I saw on the heritage center PDF I saw looking it up. basically using the same RPO for 2 engines wasnt wise it seems, GM. one is a higher HP, less HD use, and the other is low HP, above certain GVW and C6P uses.

i saw some reference to camshaft and manifold differences but no idea about the intake manifold or drivetrain other than manual being standard I think
 

Schurkey

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Essentially, manifold differences and GVW differences make no difference. Body configuration might--B/D/F/Y vs. C/K. I don't know; and I'm too lazy to confirm.

For the C/K (and probably the SUVs and Vans)
The oil sending unit screws into a stub-pipe on the side of the block, just above the oil filter pad.

So even the design of the oil filter mount--straight down for 2WD or angled for 4WD; oil cooler hoses or not...no difference.

The block castings would be different for 305 vs. 350; but the position of the oil gallery isn't.

Whatever oil sending unit works on the LO3 should work on the LO5, and vice-versa. The parts diagram attached to the first post is even labeled for 305 and 350.
 

someotherguy

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its possible the intake is different in those? The LO5 im not sure what it was, but if its possibly the one in the buick roadmaster/b bodies or is itself a HO intended motor, im hinting at possible rise in the intake or possibility of a different placement in the engine bay because of frame, engine mounting/ trans selection, possible oil cooler assembly, etc..

so i looked into it, apparently lo5 is the 350 and lo3 is the 30nope(5) but the LO5/L05 whatever is also pretty undesireable and it had 2 variants. an HD for larger trucks gvw wise and lower normal trucks but still bigger than 305. im guessing this means torque so possibly manifold changes? And also the L05 i would think has a higher chance of having teh sandwich under it with a smaller filter. not sure how that would affect, but maybe something about that being there somehow change its placement. Orrr, you said interfere with manifold. maybe the exhaust is shaped and position different

also i just realized the optional larger gas tank is a thing, and I just realized my dad has complained and been happy about the fact the truck holds somehwhere close to 40 gallons, does my C1500 have a larger gas tank?
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I didnt post these for any reason, but those toolboxes are off a 67-72 F100/F250 contractor special. never thought an ad for an old ass F series would show where my dads toolboxes are from lol
If it's a longbed (hard to tell from the pics but seems it is) then the tank is 34 gallons. Any extra would need to be investigated. There are aux tanks available on these trucks but typically only seen on chassis cab models. There's generally no tank switch like you'd see on a squarebody as the typical arrangement has a lift pump style setup that feeds the aux tank into the regular tank.

Richad
 

thinger2

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No. As said, it is a bypass for the fuel pump relay. It will keep the pump RUNNING if the fuel pump relay or it's associated wiring fails. It will NOT shut off the fuel pump unless the fuel pump relay has already failed.


A high-failure item. My truck has been through three of 'em, currently on the fourth. They can fail showing low oil pressure; they can fail showing erratic/fluctuating oil pressure--high or low. They can have a leaking/spraying sort of failure. Sometimes, when you unscrew the sensor, it's heavy and sloshes because the seal has failed and it's filled-up with engine oil.

BE CAREFUL with the part number. PS269 hasn't come up in my parts searches, but you didn't say what brand you were using. When I look up PS269 at O'Reillys, the photo and description appear to be incorrect for this application. PS 269 appears to be the same as NAPA OP6649. You will "have fun" getting the OEM heat shield to fit this extra-large sending unit.

I've seen several parts stores list the WRONG sending unit for this vehicle; and I think that's what happened to you.
(O'Reilly's and NAPA are two.) The one you want typically has a green paint-stripe on it. Far as I can tell, it's made by one company then re-boxed to suit whatever brand-name is sold by that particular parts-store. It's smaller than the common "incorrect" unit; it actually fits the heat shield and doesn't interfere with either the exhaust or the block.

BWD S4320 seems to be the correct one.
O'Reillys (Standard) PS410
The NAPA / Echlin number is OP6729. (NOT OP6649)
AutoZone sells it as PS150.
CarQuest 57013 (years ago--doesn't seem to be a current part number.)


The heat shield for that sensor might be CarQuest P/N S4049S; but since that CarQuest web page has no photo, I can't confirm. OTOH, it crosses to O'Reillys (Standard) PS381 which looks reasonably close--it's just missing the spring tabs at the big end that the OEM shield has for secure fitment.


Old, defective sender (green stripe) with OEM heat shield, compared to new, incorrect sending unit
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Old, defective sending unit on OEM pipe-thread adapter; compared to WRONG sending unit on home-made pipe thread adapter. No combination of available adapter angles could prevent larger sending unit from interfering with either the block or the exhaust.
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I think the source of this entire fuel pump shutoff debate is in fact due to a combined failure of the fuel pump relay circuit and a failure of the oil pressure sensor.
The op sensor does not cut the fuel pump off to save you from low oil pressure.
What happens is you have an issue with the pump relay circuit failing and the backup oil pressure sensor failing.
That is why the engine shuts off and you get a code for low voltage in the fuel pump circuit and a check gauges light
The pump relay has failed and the path is now through the OP sensor.
So now you only have one path to the pump.
If that oil sensor fails, you have no path to the pump.
Thus the stall with the low voltage check guages light.
In my case I had the full meal deal.
Cheap fuel pump relay, bad grounds at the fuel pump.
Cheap aftermarket oil pressure switch.
And the brass fitting for the OP switch was spewing oil.
The fuel pump relay looked okay from the outside.
But it was internally melted and the contacts were welding together when hot.
Yet they would pop apart when they cooled just a bit.
The brass fitting in the manifold was bone stock and puking oil pressure.
And, if it leaks oil out, it also sucks dirt and water back in.
That fitting is installed with thread sealant.
Not thread locker.
They are not the same thing.
If that fitting is not glued in the right place, it will suck crud into the OP sensor and cause a failure.
In other words, The OP sensor does not shut off the engine because of low oil pressure.
That is accidental and not a designed feature.
A shutoff due to low volts in the circuit is a combined and quite possibly an intermittant failure of both circuits.
This is also why you can get a seemingly random shutoff and ten minutes later it starts right up and then does it again.
The relay may pop loose after just a bit and start working again.
Then it re-arcs and doesnt make contact.
So the OP switch has taken over.
But it looses contact and the relay has also lost contact.
Random stall.
A few minutes later, it starts again.
That random stall is a duelling intermittant loss of voltage between the fuel pump relay circuit and the oil pressure sensor circuit.
And its a real ******* to diagnose because its just odd.
 

JS-89C2500

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OMG. Thanks for the in depth explanation of why I have low oil pressure guage readings. 5 mechanics here in western KY couldn't diagnose/fix this.
 

Schurkey

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I assume they already verified that the oil pressure is acceptable; there's no wiring problems, and the gauge actually works properly.

Yup, try a new sensor. Make sure it fits the heat-shield.
 

arrg

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If you're down for a little re-wiring, you can move that single wire up to where the other sensor is near the distributor. Wire in a new plug, and use the later sensor that combines the gauge/fuel pump functions. I did that on my truck. Works great.
 
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