Now that I've got my cylinder head back after valve job and replacement valve, I figured I should fix the dead oil pressure guage while I'm putting things back together.
It worked fine until a catastrophic electrical "event" a couple months ago. A garage put my radiator back in such a way that it eventually rubbed or melted it's way through a wiring harness, and shorted 12V to just about everything. After replacing the vaporized 18" section of the harness, a handfull of fuses and bulbs, and paying the owner of the car parked in front of mine at the time to get her broken license plate holder fixed, the OPG is the only thing left not working. (Yes, "everything" included the starter motor - it was quite an event. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" /> )
So at the time I checked for voltage at the guage connector, and I think there was about 1-2V. I connected a 6V lantern battery to the guage and it moved all the way to the right. Both of those would make me think it should work, yet it doesn't move at all. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" /> Does anyone know what voltage corresponds to what pressure? I don't want to go spend $70 or whatever it is for a new sending unit and then end up finding out I really needed the guage cluster, or vice versa. Anyone got any hints to better my chances of replacing the right part first?
Thanks,
-Ben

To check the sender, I'd extend the wires outside the engine compartment ( <img border="0" alt="[Shiner]" title="" src="graemlins/shiner.gif" /> ) and check the voltage and resistance with and without the engine running.

If the values don't change, then the sender's toast, if they do, the sender should be OK.

Sounds like you already tested the gauge, so if the sender tests OK, there may still be a wiring problem.

Good Luck, Jay

<small>[ May 29, 2003, 06:47 PM: Message edited by: Pyro4117 ]</small>

Hey Griffith, I have the same problem in my '85. Where is the sender located? I just got carb rebuilt and figured this would be my next project. Keep me posted, I will do the same.

Jay,
Thanks, I'll try extending the wires out and checking it that way. I probably should have figured all this out before taking the engine apart, but I wasn't sure what I'd find when I got it apart, so I didn't want to put too much effort into it.

Jakebs,
On mine there are 2 sensors, one for the guage and one for the light. Without the book in front of me I don't remember which is which. One is right above the oil filter, and the other is behind that, in the area below the starter. Your '85 might have a different engine than my '86 though. I've got the 2.3. I think it's fairly common for the wires to get knocked loose from the sensors, but in my case it isn't that simple.
I won't be putting things back together until a week from tomorrow because I'm doing the work 1.5 hours away from where I live. I'll post back what I find though.

Oh, I found out AutoZone has the sensor for $38, so it isn't as pricey as I thought.