Oil pressure gauge
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles CA
Oil pressure gauge
Hi folks, I've got a 1998 C5 Convertible Automatic, the oil pressure gauge is reading max whenever the ignition key is on. If the key is off, the gauge falls to zero, but as soon as I turn it on, the gauge pegs. I think the problem is the oil pressure switch, which I'm told on this vehicle is located at the top rear of the block.
Any one know the easiest way to access this sender unit? Do I have to yank off the intake manifold for access, or is there another way?
thanks
Any one know the easiest way to access this sender unit? Do I have to yank off the intake manifold for access, or is there another way?
thanks
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,795
Likes: 62
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
The forum is really slow right now or i'd do the search for you...
The intake needs to come off.
There is a good overview article written by Evil-Twin in C5 tech tips. there is a more recent write up with detailed steps and step by step photos by Vectorz.
Search by his ID and keywords oil pressure sensor.
The best place to buy it is from supporting vendor Fred Beans... give Gene Culley a call....
The intake needs to come off.
There is a good overview article written by Evil-Twin in C5 tech tips. there is a more recent write up with detailed steps and step by step photos by Vectorz.
Search by his ID and keywords oil pressure sensor.
The best place to buy it is from supporting vendor Fred Beans... give Gene Culley a call....
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Asheboro NC
This is a common occurrence on these cars and there is some really good info on the forum to take care of it. Mine still works OK (42K) but I noticed every car I looked at before buying had this same problem. They all had 60-80K miles. 
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Here
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$350 to have mine done...easy to DIY I understand but....if you see my setup you will know why I paid 
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,550
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From: Now in God's Country, the Big Sky, Montana!
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Yea, they go bad because it's an easy $80 the dealer can make. 
Make sure when you do it you pick the intake up when you pull it out. Don't drag it forward. There is A LOT of dirt underneath it that you can push into the heads.
Other than that, it is not a hard swap.
Make sure when you do it you pick the intake up when you pull it out. Don't drag it forward. There is A LOT of dirt underneath it that you can push into the heads.
Other than that, it is not a hard swap.
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Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,398
Likes: 1
From: Kingsport TN
Here you go:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...um_id=1&arch=1
I did this myself 2 months ago. I also bought a new intake manifold gasket kit from Fred Beans since I had 68K miles on it. It was a good move as mine looked beaten up anyway. Beware of the little metal "straw" in the back of the intake area. If u don't reconnect it to the rubber elbow on the back of the intake, your hvac modes won't switch (it's a vacuum line). This can be a real pain to reconnect as it's so short, so I took the advice of some fellow forum folks and bought the smallest size tubing and a vacu-tite kit from Advanced auto which helped to extend the straw into the the elbow. Made it much easier to reconnect. Enjoy!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...um_id=1&arch=1
I did this myself 2 months ago. I also bought a new intake manifold gasket kit from Fred Beans since I had 68K miles on it. It was a good move as mine looked beaten up anyway. Beware of the little metal "straw" in the back of the intake area. If u don't reconnect it to the rubber elbow on the back of the intake, your hvac modes won't switch (it's a vacuum line). This can be a real pain to reconnect as it's so short, so I took the advice of some fellow forum folks and bought the smallest size tubing and a vacu-tite kit from Advanced auto which helped to extend the straw into the the elbow. Made it much easier to reconnect. Enjoy!
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 1
From: Littleton Colorado
I was told to pick up the borg warner sensor, I only put it in this weekend, so do not know how it will last. The one previously lasted almost two weeks 
I liked the photos in this write up:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=958008
But the LS1howto write up gave some needed tips on some of the connectors, thought the write up is for a F-body and can get confusing becasue the photos do not match the C5 and there are some differences that cause you to do stuff a little different on the C5. I would follow the corvetteforum write up but read the ls1howto when you need to know how to undo some of the connectors.
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=5
I liked the photos in this write up:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=958008
But the LS1howto write up gave some needed tips on some of the connectors, thought the write up is for a F-body and can get confusing becasue the photos do not match the C5 and there are some differences that cause you to do stuff a little different on the C5. I would follow the corvetteforum write up but read the ls1howto when you need to know how to undo some of the connectors.
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=5
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles CA
Many thanks
Hey folks, I really appreciate all the wonderful replies to my question. I dont have the time to get into taking the manifold off right now, so I am having a local independent vette specialist do the job.
thanks for the info, you guys are great.
thanks for the info, you guys are great.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
I just replaced mine two months ago and yesterday it quit working again, pegging out on the gauge and the DIC. It didn't even make it 1,000 miles. Apparantly the Delco unit is a piece of crap. I will try the Borg Warner unit. Anybody know the proper torque for the sender? Perhaps I over torgued it when I installed it and caused it to fail prematurely. I did all my own work.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 265
Likes: 1
From: OKC OK
you got burned on the 350 charge...my dealer wanted 200.00 ..i did it myself for 23.00 for the part....its VERY easy...as there are no gaskets to clean or replace and the intake just needs to move over a few inches not taken off............other guys...dont be afraid of this..i aint no mechanic and it was very easy due to the ls1 rubber o-ring style gasket on intake very easy 2 hours from start to tool clean up..or less if you know what you are doing......a special thanks to evil twin and his step by step instructions on this forum...a personal email from him w/encouragement made me go for it ...and i was glad i did it myself
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 265
Likes: 1
From: OKC OK
15 lbs or 180 inch pounds.....i truly dont believe torque can cause this to go out......mine has threads large as my thumb ??? some dummy light gauges have threads about size of in pencil.....those could colapse under heavy torque......but.....to be on the safe side i will torque at the spec 15lbs....delco stinks on this part....use anyone elses
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 21
From: Waldorf MD
Originally Posted by DanFPilot
I just replaced mine two months ago and yesterday it quit working again, pegging out on the gauge and the DIC. It didn't even make it 1,000 miles. Apparantly the Delco unit is a piece of crap. I will try the Borg Warner unit. Anybody know the proper torque for the sender? Perhaps I over torgued it when I installed it and caused it to fail prematurely. I did all my own work.
Here is what Muncie21 told me about the sensors:
I got my sensors from GM. There's been allot of talk about the GM quality, here's the readers's digest version. GM transfered production of the OP sensors to Mexico. The first batches (several thousands, perhaps 100's of thousands) had QA issues. Supposedly these have been fixed. If I remember the original and first replacement had brass base, the second replacement looked aluminium or something like that. I'd go with the GM one and be done with it. The part is about $30 from GM Parts direct.
Last edited by Oldvetter; Aug 2, 2006 at 09:34 AM.