Oil pressure gauge is reading low

Z

Zacc

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2023
Messages
35
Location
United States
My cousin just bought my 97 wrangler.
150k miles
The guy he bought it from said that when he’d run regular 5w-30 or 10w-30 in it, the oil pressure gauge was saying it was a little low so he began running straight 30 weight oil, he told him it could be the sensor being bad but he doesn’t know so he just ran thicker oil, any ideas whether he should continue doing the same thing or what should he do? He also said that he’s been doing that for a few years now and has never had a problem.
 
My '97 did that at warm idle when I bought it at about 150K also. Mech gauge pressure was never less than 12 PSI. No rod knock or other obvious issue. My solution was a new stroker :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: SouthernTJ2000
Woodrow said:
My '97 did that at warm idle when I bought it at about 150K also. Mech gauge pressure was never less than 12 PSI. No rod knock or other obvious issue. My solution was a new stroker :)
Click to expand...

I'm on the same page!
Stuff happens so my stroker I had planned ain't happening in 3 months.....
Still gonna happen though!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Woodrow
Woodrow said:
My '97 did that at warm idle when I bought it at about 150K also. Mech gauge pressure was never less than 12 PSI. No rod knock or other obvious issue. My solution was a new stroker :)
Click to expand...

I was freaking out when i first built my stroker and had the gauge drop/dash beep until i tried a real gauge. New mopar sender didn't solve it.
I really need to figure out the issue in the circuit,it's still unnerving when it happens
 
  • Like
Reactions: Woodrow
Zacc said:
My cousin just bought my 97 wrangler.
150k miles
The guy he bought it from said that when he’d run regular 5w-30 or 10w-30 in it, the oil pressure gauge was saying it was a little low so he began running straight 30 weight oil, he told him it could be the sensor being bad but he doesn’t know so he just ran thicker oil, any ideas whether he should continue doing the same thing or what should he do? He also said that he’s been doing that for a few years now and has never had a problem.
Click to expand...

As suggested for peace of mind pull the sensor and temp a mechanical gage to the 1/8" port near the distributor. FYI if your relying on an aftermarket oil pressure sensor don't, it's a waste of time since they are commonly crap in a box.
 
Rickyd said:
I was freaking out when i first built my stroker and had the gauge drop/dash beep until i tried a real gauge. New mopar sender didn't solve it.
I really need to figure out the issue in the circuit,it's still unnerving when it happens
Click to expand...

Golen uses a std volume Melling pump in their strokers. My dash gauge (the same gauge and sender that showed 0 and triggered warning light with the stock motor) shows 40 PSI at warm idle and nearly 60 with cruise RPM. What does the mechanical gauge show for yours?
 
Woodrow said:
Golen uses a std volume Melling pump in their strokers. My dash gauge (the same gauge and sender that showed 0 and triggered warning light with the stock motor) shows 40 PSI at warm idle and nearly 60 with cruise RPM. What does the mechanical gauge show for yours?
Click to expand...

I used a standard melling pump as well. My dash reads 30-40 psi cold or hot, but will drop to zero occasionally . I've been too lazy to chase the wires.

I don't remember what the mechanical gauge read anymore,i think it was around 20psi hot. Next time it decides to beep at me i want to get another reading now that it has close to 30k miles on it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Woodrow
Rickyd said:
I used a standard melling pump as well. My dash reads 30-40 psi cold or hot, but will drop to zero occasionally . I've been too lazy to chase the wires.

I don't remember what the mechanical gauge read anymore,i think it was around 20psi hot. Next time it decides to beep at me i want to get another reading now that it has close to 30k miles on it.
Click to expand...

Interestingly, on sustained steep descents in Moab a couple of weeks ago, I did get 0 on the gauge and the light. Though startling, I wasn't too concerned about that, but it does suggest the gauge and pump are working as they should.
 
Woodrow said:
Interestingly, on sustained steep descents in Moab a couple of weeks ago, I did get 0 on the gauge and the light. Though startling, I wasn't too concerned about that, but it does suggest the gauge and pump are working as they should.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't think you'd get low pressure if the rpms were up on compression braking. I'm assuming it is using resistance to feed the gauge and a bad wire or connector is putting it out of range?
 
Rickyd said:
I wouldn't think you'd get low pressure if the rpms were up on compression braking. I'm assuming it is using resistance to feed the gauge and a bad wire or connector is putting it out of range?
Click to expand...

I thought it was actually oil starvation because the inclines are so steep that all the oil in the low part of the pan where the sump is, moves forward.
 
Woodrow said:
not that I’m aware of. Maybe I should be more concerned 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...

The stock pan has a baffle at the front of the sump to keep oil in it. I guess you could get a mechanical gauge teed in and try to recreate the low pressure situation?

Maybe ask golen if their pans have it?
 
Woodrow said:
not that I’m aware of. Maybe I should be more concerned 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...

No, I believe you were the only one.

However, a couple years ago @NashvilleTJ and I both took our jeeps over the fall on Steelbender. I went first and check gauges came on and I think an alarm went off but once leveled out it was fine. I believe Jeff had the same issue when he did it. That's considerably steeper than the descents where you had your issue.
 
Apparition said:
No, I believe you were the only one.

However, a couple years ago @NashvilleTJ and I both took our jeeps over the fall on Steelbender. I went first and check gauges came on and I think an alarm went off but once leveled out it was fine. I believe Jeff had the same issue when he did it. That's considerably steeper than the descents where you had your issue.
Click to expand...

I haven’t had the pan off that motor. Maybe the pick up is more toward the back or higher off the bottom of the pan than normal. I should call Golen and see if they have any insight. But it certainly seemed like that’s what it was doing as it went back to normal as soon as we were more level.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Apparition
Top Bottom
Back