No Oil Pressure 89 f-250

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ncrocket - 14 Feb 2006 16:09 GMT

The other day my oil pressure game went to low. and you can tell it's
not getting oil because you an here it in the motor. Sometimes when i
first start up the truck it had oil pressure just fine. After driving
for 10 or so minutes it drops to nothing. But if i shut off the truck
and start it back up it goes right back to normal.

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Backyard Mechanic - 14 Feb 2006 18:47 GMT

> The other day my oil pressure game went to low. and you can tell it's
> not getting oil because you an here it in the motor. Sometimes when i
> first start up the truck it had oil pressure just fine. After driving
> for 10 or so minutes it drops to nothing. But if i shut off the truck
> and start it back up it goes right back to normal.

Less time lookin for nookie, more time on maintenance?!
;)

Clues may exist on dipstick and oil filler cap.

Foamy light chocolate? Black Sludge?

Signature

Yeh, I'm a Krusty old Geezer, putting up with my 'smartass' is the price
you pay..DEAL with it!

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Sharon K.Cooke - 14 Feb 2006 19:32 GMT

I'm not sure just when Ford went from a "real" oil pressure gauge to a idiot
light with an analog readout, but it probably was late 80s for the truck lines.
If there's a button type sender at the oil pressure output port, it's a fake
gauge that closes a switch around 7 psi and then reopens it at say, 5 psi. Put a
mechanical gauge on the oil pressure port and see if the readings are consistent
with the factory "gauge". If so, you have problems, ranging from a dirty sump
(oil pickup screen gets clogged) to worn main bearings or crankshaft. If not,
it's the gauge itself, the sender, or the sender wiring.

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351CJ - 14 Feb 2006 20:54 GMT

>> The other day my oil pressure game went to low. and you can tell it's
>> not getting oil because you an here it in the motor. Sometimes when i
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> not,
> it's the gauge itself, the sender, or the sender wiring.

Since the late 60's at least, '71 for sure.

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Sharon K.Cooke - 15 Feb 2006 04:10 GMT

> >> The other day my oil pressure game went to low. and you can tell it's
> >> not getting oil because you an here it in the motor. Sometimes when i
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> Since the late 60's at least, '71 for sure.

No, they had idiot lights back in 1949 or so; I'm talking about the fake gauge
that's driven by an on-off switch like the idiot light, but appears to be an
actual needle-type gauge. That piece of trickery didn't happen until the late
1980s on Ford trucks, and Ford-made cars with apparent gauges in the early
1990s.

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351CJ - 15 Feb 2006 07:06 GMT

>> >> The other day my oil pressure game went to low. and you can tell it's
>> >> not getting oil because you an here it in the motor. Sometimes when i
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
> 1980s on Ford trucks, and Ford-made cars with apparent gauges in the early
> 1990s.

Well I have an '82 pickup or bronco, or an 89 pickup, take your pick, with a
factory idiot GAUGE, not the light! If you need a picture the gauge and
it's sending unit, I'll gladly post if on a binary Usenet group for you. I
don't have my 71 truck anymore, The oil pressure gauge in that one may have
been after market.

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Sharon K.Cooke - 15 Feb 2006 16:05 GMT

> >> >> The other day my oil pressure game went to low. and you can tell it's
> >> >> not getting oil because you an here it in the motor. Sometimes when i
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
> don't have my 71 truck anymore, The oil pressure gauge in that one may have
> been after market.

Check the sender on the '89. It's most likely the button-type, and the "gauge"
in the cab is a fake. If it is a button (snap-switch) sender, look at one of the
Ford truck websites for a how-to conversion to a real gauge, or if it doesn't
bother you, do nothing.

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trainfan1 - 14 Feb 2006 21:22 GMT

Oil pickup screen is plugged.

For some reason, quite common on the 5.8/351.

I'll bet that's your engine...?

Rob

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sdlomi2 - 16 Feb 2006 18:49 GMT

With the audible noise, likely the gauge is NOT lying to you. As
another poster told you, probably sludge is being sucked up to the oil pump
pickup screen & causing engine to starve. Shutting off engine allows sludge
to 'fall away' from the screen & let pressure go back up when you next start
it--then the cycle repeats.
Some will say to have pan removed, remove & clean/replace screen/oil
pump/oil pan. Much quicker, cheaper, and quite effective procedure would be
to drain oil on Friday evening. Replace plug. Pour in 4-5-6 qts.--equal
amount to # of qts of oil it takes-- of carb cleaner (the kind that is used
to soak entire carbs in). On Monday evening, drain oil pan COMPLETELY.
This brings out now-diluted sludge along with the carb cleaner which has now
washed the pan & oil-pump screen and to some degree, the pickup tube.
Replace plug & refill with oil and change oil filter too--just to say
you did. Drive truck for few minutes until it reaches full operating
temperature, bring it back and change oil & filter again IMMEDIATELY WHILE
STILL HOT.
Problem solved! It works, I know, 'cause I've done it several times!
Donate $ saved to your local church/charity. s

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