Help! Oil pressure sender just broke off!

[hefftone]

1990 TBI

While replacing the distributor cap and wires, I decided to replace the oil pressure sender that is below the dizzy.

For whatever reason the sender was threaded into some sort of copper or brass 90º elbow. While unscrewing the oil sender, the elbow snapped off in the block.

Now i'm pretty much f**ked.

Is the sender supposed to be attached via an elbow? How can I get this thing out?

 

[great white]

Easy out.

 

[hefftone]

I picked up a 1/4" irwin extractor from Ace Hardware for $5.....put it in a 5/16" socket with some electrical tap. Came right out.

Plugged it with a 1/8" NPT male hex plug ($2.79)

 

[someotherguy]

Good that you got it out, but now what you gonna do for your oil pressure switch?

1990 is right around the time when GM switched from a two switch setup - one up top (the one you were working on) for the fuel pump redundant circuit, and one down low by the filter for the dash gauge...then they went to a combination one up top, that does both jobs. I forget exactly when they made this change. Either way you need that sucker in there and working.

Richard

 

[burkey05]

Good that you got it out, but now what you gonna do for your oil pressure switch?

1990 is right around the time when GM switched from a two switch setup - one up top (the one you were working on) for the fuel pump redundant circuit, and one down low by the filter for the dash gauge...then they went to a combination one up top, that does both jobs. I forget exactly when they made this change. Either way you need that sucker in there and working.

Richard

^^x2

you definitely need it in there



looks like 1990 was the first year for the combo switch

 

[hefftone]

I don't really know that I need it. First off my dash oil pressure gauge is always pegged (useless). And the engine starts and runs without it.
Honestly....what's it worth? Whatever function it serves, this truck seems to be doing without. I'm not saying that a good way to go but....what to do?


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[superdave]

I don't really know that I need it. First off my dash oil pressure gauge is always pegged (useless). And the engine starts and runs without it.
Honestly....what's it worth? Whatever function it serves, this truck seems to be doing without. I'm not saying that a good way to go but....what to do?

Then why were you messing with the sender if it is useless?

You need it working to alert you to a low oil pressure situation (really bad) that the engine may have. It's highly possible that you would never need it just as you may never need a temp gauge, but if you do, it's very important. Just replace the fitting and the sender. If your gauge is still pegged, then you have a wiring or gauge issue. Whatever you do, do something.

 

[someotherguy]

It will allow your engine to start or continue to run, if the fuel pump relay fails.

Also, the pegged pressure gauge was likely due to the bad sensor. Oil pressure gauge is a pretty critical item to have, you might wanna look into getting that working.

Richard

 

[hefftone]

I was replacing the sender hoping that would fix my gauge issue. In the mornings lately, the check gauges light has been coming on for a few seconds to a few minutes. But its doing the same thing without any sensor installed.

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[hefftone]

Karma....

Could not start engine until I jumped out the FP relay. Then conked out at a traffic signal, and had to do it again.

As I am understanding, the oil pressure switch/sender would have kept it running...if this is a dying FP relay.

The engine in my truck actually came out of an earlier model suburban, (which was a GM Goodwrench 350.) So there is actually the second oil pressure sender that is down by the oil filter. The switch that I removed (from near the Distributor) was a 2 pin.

Problem is that the oil pressure switch/sender that I bought at Autozne (which is a 3 pin, as is the harness on my truck) will not fit directly into the block....I will have to get some sort of adapter......but reinstalling a 90º elbow like the one that broke is gonna be tough. And the sensors threaded end is probably 1/4" NPT versus the block at 1/8" NPT.

Will somebody with a 1990-1994 tbi truck please look by the distributor and see if there oil pressure switch/sender has a an elbow?