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Funky oil pressure gauge?

To: mgs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Funky oil pressure gauge?
From: "Scott Gardner" <gardner@lwcomm.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 22:37:34 +0000
Well, I'm going to have to ask this again, because even with the 
complete rebuild, the gauge is still acting up.
        I have a 72 'B', and when I'm cruising along with the oil pressure 
reading about 55 psi, if I step on the gas, the oil pressure will 
momentarily "snap" down to 50 or so, and then pop right back up.  
Today, it actually did it while idling.  I sat there and watched the 
needle snap back and forth between 50 and 55, about once per second.  
I guess I never noticed this at idle before because prior to the 
rebuild, the engine would never idle at 50 psi (more like 15).  I 
could explain the needle snapping up or down if the needle got stuck 
and suddenly broke free, but cycling back and forth at idle has me 
puzzled.  The engine tone never changes, and this phenomenon always 
occurs right around 50-55 psi.  Before the rebuild, it would happen 
most often as I accelerated.  The oil pressure would rise to 55, and 
then drop like a stone to 50.
        Since everything in the engine except the rocker shaft, rods, and 
pistons are new, am I looking at a bad gauge?  There are no oil 
leaks (at least external ones), and oil consumption has always been 
very low.  I'm half tempted to buy one of the Sunpro $12 oil presure 
gauges and hook it up.  Is the oil fitting in the block a standard 
fitting?

Scott Gardner
gardner@lwcomm.com
www.lwcomm.com/~gardner

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