oil pressure sensing system conversion?
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Joined: Feb 2000
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From: Oklahoma City OK
oil pressure sensing system conversion?
I had written in over the weekend about my oil pressure gauge leaking into the interior of the car. Thanks for the responses.
I pulled out enough of the surrounding panels to feel the back of the gauge. The back of the gauge is wet with oil. The retaining bolt is tight. The leak doesn't APPEAR to be coming from the wire, but is dripping down the back of the center gauge cluster from the gauge itself.
This is not the original engine. Talking to you guys, and my local vette shop (who I went to see today), an 80 is supposed to have a sensing unit in the block, and an electric wire sending the pressure signal to the gauge. My current setup has the oil running through a line, into the interior, and being read at the gauge, itself.
My thought is..... if I'm already pulling the dash, don't know exactly which part to replace, and the system is not set up the way it "should" be.... Why not replace the system?
How expensive and difficult would it be to put in a sensing unit at the block? If I can't find the original electric wire, how difficult would it be to run the wiring? Could my current gauge work, would I have to convert it somehow, or would I need a new gauge?
Just looking at my options.
Thanks for you help, guys!
Matt :crazy:
I pulled out enough of the surrounding panels to feel the back of the gauge. The back of the gauge is wet with oil. The retaining bolt is tight. The leak doesn't APPEAR to be coming from the wire, but is dripping down the back of the center gauge cluster from the gauge itself.
This is not the original engine. Talking to you guys, and my local vette shop (who I went to see today), an 80 is supposed to have a sensing unit in the block, and an electric wire sending the pressure signal to the gauge. My current setup has the oil running through a line, into the interior, and being read at the gauge, itself.
My thought is..... if I'm already pulling the dash, don't know exactly which part to replace, and the system is not set up the way it "should" be.... Why not replace the system?
How expensive and difficult would it be to put in a sensing unit at the block? If I can't find the original electric wire, how difficult would it be to run the wiring? Could my current gauge work, would I have to convert it somehow, or would I need a new gauge?
Just looking at my options.
Thanks for you help, guys!
Matt :crazy:
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Re: oil pressure sensing system conversion? (80Matt)
You'll need a sending unit, wiring, and the correct gauge.
I just don't know how hacked your wiring is for the gauge though. Not sure how many wires acutally in the factory harness to the gauge but they'll be in a plug that should plug into the back of the gauge itself.
I just don't know how hacked your wiring is for the gauge though. Not sure how many wires acutally in the factory harness to the gauge but they'll be in a plug that should plug into the back of the gauge itself.
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Joined: May 2002
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From: Calgary Alberta
Re: oil pressure sensing system conversion? (80Matt)
It's not that hard of a job to convert it back to the factory setup. You'll need the oil prsure sending unit around 15 to twenty bucks and the proper factory style gauge or suitable aftermarket unit around $70 bucks or so. The Naynes manual shows the oil presure wire from the engine as a tan colored wire for your year. The sensor on my car is behind the distributor on the top of the block. LIke yours, mine is also not the original engine. Who ever owned the car before you may have had problems with the original gauge and swapped it out. Sometimes the PC board contact cracks and the gauge quits working..Good Luck..Let us know how you make out..
:thumbs: :steering:
[Modified by WhyFly, 4:58 PM 10/27/2003]
:thumbs: :steering:
[Modified by WhyFly, 4:58 PM 10/27/2003]
