...except I'm using a AC Delco filter. Just finishing up winter work, changed oil with Mobil 1 Synthetic 10W-30 and new AC Delco filter. My oil indicator light came on twice last year when the oil heated up and I resolved the issue by replacing the sender switch. It didn't come on again. Now I just installed console gauges and it's dropping to zero. I tested another gauge and it got 10psi. This is a mechanical gauge so it should be fairly accurate.

I was hoping it was the Fram filter issue. Any chance AC Delco could do this?

Any other ideas?

Let me restate my situation and ask some more direct questions.
I did some major winter work (added: 200r4 trans, MSD 6AL, coil, distrib, starter, column to floor shift, gauges, new spark plugs) I decided to change the oil in the process and I'm getting low oil pressure at idle (zero). I have no audible symptoms of engine damage. This is also the first time I'm actually reading the pressure with factory console gauge.

Do you think I always had low pressure and now I can actually read it?
Could it be the AC Delco filter? I think it's the PF1218 (it's blue if that means anything).
Why would the sender show a different reading than a manual gauge? We hooked a manual gauge and it was showing 10 at idle.
Is it possible this is just a break in period, since the car was sitting for a month?

Thanks.

I've had less than 10# at idle for many years in my 406, no problems at all.

What does the pressure go up to when you accelerate? My engine used to sit @10-12psi hot @ idle before I installed the windage tray. Yesterday it sat at 50psi WARM @ idle and went up to 60-70psi @ 2000rpm WARM. I haven't had a chance to see what it does HOT yet. Rule of thumb, 10psi per 1000rpm. 10psi at idle is nothing to worry about. It's what it does driving HOT that you need to be concerned about.

I actually haven't seen it myself, so I don't know for sure. The guy doing work for me took it down off the jack stands and drove it for the first time yesterday and informed me of it. I'm pretty sure he said it would drop to zero at idle. He put a tester on it and got 10 psi reading.

Why would mechanical gauge give a different reading? It's just strange that I didn't do anything to the engine except change the oil. Used the same brand oil, but different filter. If I had an oil pressure issue prior and didn't know it because I didn't have a gauge, wouldn't something else have let me know, like some engine knock.

Charlie, best wishes for you and your Mom.

I have seen alot of small block chevys run on alot less then 10 psi at idle. I swear ive even seen specs in chiltons as low as 6 psi at idle, but dont quote me on that. Electrical guages are very inaccurate for pressures. And if not wired correctly, to much resistance in the wiring can mess up the readings easily. I would personally check this with a mechanical gauge like your shop did. It may be that your concole gauge needs to be recalibrated, and im not sure if or who can do that.

Boo, thanks for the wishes. As far as the pressure, the console gauges use an electric sender for oil pressure and the sender can go bad. The mechanical gauge has nothing besides the gauge and the plastic hose. Most people don't like to run mechanical oil pressure gauges because hot oil runs into the passenger compartment, but I haven't had any issues. Some people even go so far as the replace the plastic tubing with copper tubing. The electric sender is just another thing that can go bad,but if your hell bent on running the console gauges that are the OEM type, you are stuck with the electric style. If you are not too concerned with the OEM design, Autometer makes a pod that looks almost 100% identical to the OEM pod and they have mechanical oil gauges. 10psi @ idle is perfectly fine. It's what the pressure goes up to(or lack there-of) @ cruising rpm that you need to concern yourself with. I, and most everyone on here go by the same rule of thumb. 10psi for every 1000rpm. One thing to take note of is if the guy used a mechanical gauge and got 10psi, then your sending unit or the gauge is bad. More than likely, the sender. I run the same exact AC Delco PF1218 filter and I have had zero complaints with it. I guess it's always possible to have gotten a bad filter, but with the mechanic getting a reading of 10psi with another gauge, I don't feel that the filter is the problem. Did you buy the console gauges new or used? Did they come with the senders or did you buy them separate? I

Ok, the good news is I don't have low oil pressure. The bad news is I don't know why it's reporting it. These console gauges are brand new. I bought an autometer mechanical gauge copper tubing kit and connected the gauge. As I stated earlier, after the engine reaches operating temperature it drops to zero at idle. My mechanic hooked a gauge to the block and the pressure is fine.

He's going to run a braided hose to see if it had any better results. I'm real close to ripping these factory console gauges out and putting in some autometers.

isn't a factory 68 console oil pressure gauge mechanical, complete with an oil line into the back of it?

isn't a factory 68 console oil pressure gauge mechanical, complete with an oil line into the back of it?

It is a mechanical gauge, but I wouldn't call it complete. The console gauges arrived with no wiring or instructions. Just the gauges in a box.

Do you think using a stainless steel braided cable will make a difference
over the copper tubing?

Do you think the gauge is reading faulty would more indicative of a sender or gauge problem?

I'm > < this close to ripping these things out.

You say the gauges didn't come with a tubing kit to install it? Where did you get the first kit you used to install the oil gauge? Was it a 1/8" tubing? I have seen some kits that use 3/16" tubing and that will show low pressure do to the larger size tubing. It would need more flow to read at idle. Copper tubing is perfectly fine. No need for braided stainless hose. Just money thrown away. I see 68 Camaro SS clone. Big block or small block? If it's a small block, then it should only have the tubing running to the gauge port right by the dizzy. If it's a big block, then it's down by the filter(I think). Only an electric oil gauge would have a sender. If it were me, I would replace the factory gauges and gauge mount with the cluster from Autometer and run ALL Autometer gauges. More accurate(in my opinion).

It's a sbc engine (350). I got the console gauges from Ground Up. They came bare bones. I saw the ones from Rick's come with instructions and a proper oil line.

I believed I used the 1/8" tubing, since that's the smaller.

I've made the decision to box up those POC console gauges and ship them back to Ground Up.

I am going to buy Autometer Phantom gauges for oil, fuel and temp so they match the voltmeter I already installed.

What mods to the console gauge harness will I need to make to get fuel and temp to work with Autometer? Oil is mechanical, so it's a non issue.

Thanks.

Ok, here's an update. I installed new replacement factory console gauges with a braided hose and it reads zero at idle when it gets to operating temperature. I am going to try a Autometer gauge on Monday.

Did anyone order these from Ground Up and what did they use for a line? How about another vendor? Did they send the line with the gauges?

Thanks!

Update #2: I installed the Autometer gauge today using the existing braided hose and it appears to have remedied the problem. I'm now getting 8-10 psi at idle, which is aligned with what others have reported.

So in summary Ground Up has delivered me TWO faulty console gauges or they aren't compatible with the braided hose I'm using.

What's next? I guess I could order the line that Rick's and others sell or I could buy the Autometer fuel and water temp gauges and modify the console harness to work with them.

What do y'all think?

Thanks!

Where does the tube connect to on the engine block?

Where does the tube connect to on the engine block?


Problems already been isolated to the guage.


Based on your winter mods your not going for a perfectly restored car. Id go with the matching Autometer guages and call it a day. I have more faith in them vs. what youve been dealing with anyway.


Good luck! :beers:


Chris:cool:

I agree with Chris. Get the matching Autometer gauges and call it a day. Most OEM gauges were more of a reference than a gosple anyway. I think Painless and American Auto Wire offer a wiring harness especially for the Autometer gauge cluster conversion install.

Yep, I'm going to finish up installing the Autometer gauges this week. I will post pics of all my winter work next week.