Pez

My 1976 280 5 speed has never had fantastic indicated oil pressure. I have cleaned all the electrical contacts on the sending unit, then replaced the sending unit itself, and no difference.

Some of you may have been reading my pasts posts know that this motor has had some old oil in it before, given the nastiness I found on the cam and inside the valve cover.

So it leaves the gauge, the pump, or the strainer. I'm thinking I will wait a bit until it gets warmer and then drop the pan and see what the strainer looks like. I recently replaced the PCV hose and valve and both were filthy.

That leads me to believe it's the strainer. It seems like the pump is somewhat bullet proof, and that seems like it would deal more with oil volume and not as much with oil pressure. Plus its hard to get to and therefore less likely to be the problem

So one it gets warmer I will drop the pan, clean the strainer (more seafoam I guess) and then get the inevitable gunk out of the pan itself. If that still doesn't solve it, I will at least have a clean strainer before I tear into the pump.

Any opinions?

Steve260Z74

Test with a mechanical gauge before you start tearing everything down.

Pez

So something like this:

Engine Oil Pressure Test Kit

and use the adaptors to attach it where the sender goes?

Skully

That should work, just remember the thread is 1/8 in-28 BSPT, not 1/8 npt.