Fluctuating Oil Pressure

Jspafford · Aug 7, 2007

I am just beginning to notice what I hope to be nothing. My mechanical oil pressure guage is starting to bounce around a lot. Not so much when under load, but when running at a constant engine speed it starts bobbing around within 5psi up and down. It seemed to start after I had done some work and partially kinked the plastic line, but now it seems to be getting worse, and I straightened the line back out.

Sound like a guage or engine problem.

Wicked_Sludge · Aug 7, 2007

being a mechanical gauge, i doubt its your gauge.

you might pull your oil filter off an check it to make sure the drainback valve isnt torn or something

only other thing i can suggest is running an engine flush next oil change. as long as the pressure doesnt fluctuate down to below 20 or so, your probably not in any immediate danger (you wont cause damage to your engine until below 10 PSI)

Jspafford · Aug 7, 2007

Wicked_Sludge said:
being a mechanical gauge, i doubt its your gauge.

you might pull your oil filter off an check it to make sure the drainback valve isnt torn or something

only other thing i can suggest is running an engine flush next oil change. as long as the pressure doesnt fluctuate down to below 20 or so, your probably not in any immediate danger (you wont cause damage to your engine until below 10 PSI)

Naw, It never gets below 20, even at very warm idle. It stays smooth when in the lower numbers and upper numbers, but is all OVER the board between 30 and 50PSI. When it's at 60 (first started) and in the 20's (warm idle) it stays normal.

Weird.

Wicked_Sludge · Aug 7, 2007

i wonder if your oil filter is bypassing?

what brand of filter is it?

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 8, 2007

Does it do it relative to bumps? Maybe the plastic tube is kinking and unkinking when you hit a bump and giving you the odd reading.

BobR · Aug 8, 2007

it could also be a piece od garbage on your pick up screen. old sealant or bit of a gasket.

Bob

Jspafford · Aug 9, 2007

The filter is whatever the ford dealer put on it about 2500 miles ago. I tried tapping on the guage to no avail. One thing I noticed which makes me think its the guage is before on very hot days like today 99 degress with the A/C on, the oil pressure would always drop down to just below the 20PSI mark. Recently since its been acting up though, it never drops below, and always stays at about 22-24PSI. I don't think it is reading right.

The work I did to it when I first noticed it was changing the valve cover gaskets. Right after I did that (when I kinked the line) it started being odd, but at first it was moving so little I had to stare to see it, now it is obvious. But not all the time..

We need a "pull your hair out" smiley

Wicked_Sludge · Aug 9, 2007

id definitely verify what your gauge is saying before going any further.

i still dont think its the problem...but its better to try it and find out it isnt the problem now, than to find out it is after you have the engine half apart.

IMenriched · Aug 10, 2007

"The work I did to it when I first noticed it was changing the valve cover gaskets. Right after I did that (when I kinked the line) it started being odd, but at first it was moving so little I had to stare to see it, now it is obvious. But not all the time.."

Well I think that is your problem when you kinked the line going to the oil pressure gage...( & that what I understood you to say), you may have created a tiny pin hole which can suck air into the line. Air compresses ...fuilds don't, so with every pulse of the oil pump...you're seeing a flutuation on the gage. the tiny pin hole in your line most-likely isn't big enough to let the oil out because of surface tention...or has a very minimal weep there. In other words, it isn't leaveing puddles of oil on the ground to send a clear signal that tells you have a leak.... or is burning off because it is hitting the exhuast. A number of possibilities .

Now thru engine vibration and so on the tiny pin hole mabe getting larger....
Hence larger flucuations.
RECHECK the line feeding your oil pressure gage .

But i would also check as others mentioned to check the oil filter...what the Ford shop has done...etc

hope this helps

Wicked_Sludge · Aug 10, 2007

pressure is pressure. air in the line to the oil gauge would not matter as the air would be compressed to the same pressure as the oil.

MAKG · Aug 10, 2007

Yup, and if it's leaking, that would be, well, kinda obvious. It's under pressure, not vacuum.

I suspect the oil may be getting a bit hot. This makes it thinner. Even multigrades. The effect is very substantial in oil pressure.

Generally, if the oil isn't burning up or getting fouled (e.g., from a miss), and the pressure isn't getting low enough to cause high RPM valve clatter, there is probably nothing to worry about. If it IS burning up, switch to synthetic.

brendank · Aug 10, 2007

I would try to verify the oil pressure with a different gauge. Around here you can buy a cheap gauge for about $20. To me it's a small price to pay for something that can potentially be very serious. However, I agree that there is most likely no problem.

BobR · Aug 10, 2007

IMenriched said:
"The work I did to it when I first noticed it was changing the valve cover gaskets. Right after I did that (when I kinked the line) it started being odd, but at first it was moving so little I had to stare to see it, now it is obvious. But not all the time.."

are you sure you didn't leave a pieces of that gasket in there to foul your pickup screen?

RTV used on an engine can also work its way loose.

Bob

Fluctuating Oil Pressure

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