Mechanical Oil Pressure Gage
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 680
Likes: 5
From: Denham Springs LA
Mechanical Oil Pressure Gage
I'm putting a 454 in my 76 vette. I will be running the car at the drag strip a few times a year.
I have a mechanical oil pressure Gage from a 71 vette that I am thinking of installing in place of the electric one. Are these older ones accurate and sensitive enough or should install an after market brand.
My oil pressure. Runs between 70 and 50 psig.
Thanks
Roger
I have a mechanical oil pressure Gage from a 71 vette that I am thinking of installing in place of the electric one. Are these older ones accurate and sensitive enough or should install an after market brand.
My oil pressure. Runs between 70 and 50 psig.
Thanks
Roger
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,200
Likes: 3
From: Lehigh county Pennsylvania
The OEM gauge should be fine if your pressure never goes above 70 psi as that pegs the needle on my '69.
The problem I found concerned the tiny brass ferrules to tighten the nylon oil line...the ones in the replacement oil line kit were a different angle than the original and leaked. I ended up chucking them in a lathe and running a file over them, changing the 'V' angle through trial and error until they finally sealed.
I would hook up the gauge inside the engine compartment just to see if the 40 year old gauge and line are not clogged with hardened 40 year old oil like mine was.
The problem I found concerned the tiny brass ferrules to tighten the nylon oil line...the ones in the replacement oil line kit were a different angle than the original and leaked. I ended up chucking them in a lathe and running a file over them, changing the 'V' angle through trial and error until they finally sealed.
I would hook up the gauge inside the engine compartment just to see if the 40 year old gauge and line are not clogged with hardened 40 year old oil like mine was.
Last edited by 69 Chevy; Jun 5, 2011 at 12:59 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
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From: Gulf of America
2023 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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My local NHRA dragstrip would always make an issue with the nylon oil line to my gauge insisting next time I had better have it switched over to metal. I always promised I would. 
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 680
Likes: 5
From: Denham Springs LA
Yeah our local track asks for metal lines too.
Do the nylon kits from the corvette vendors (zip, ecklers, etc) have the correct ferrules to seat in the stock Gage?
Thinking I can use the ferrules from the corvette vendors nylon kit with a metal line from my local auto parts store.
Do the nylon kits from the corvette vendors (zip, ecklers, etc) have the correct ferrules to seat in the stock Gage?
Thinking I can use the ferrules from the corvette vendors nylon kit with a metal line from my local auto parts store.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
As long as you can find the correct fitting to connect to the back of the gauge and to the pipe plug fitting on the block, you can use any metal line you want. Use small copper line, if you want, with standard compression fittings.
