Wedge Oil pressure
Discussion
Hi All,
Just looking for a little advice please if anyone can help. Just got my first Wedge (1988, 350i) and loving every minute of it. Have done about 1k miles in a week and car is ruuning fine and sounding awesome. On Sunday the oil pressure dropped to zero and hasn't budged. Car drives perfectly, not losing any oil, power or anything. I'm guessing it's the actual guage/electrics that have packed up or should I be more concerned ?? (TVR mate of mine said it may be the oil pump). Any advice gratefully received. Mnay Thanks.
Just looking for a little advice please if anyone can help. Just got my first Wedge (1988, 350i) and loving every minute of it. Have done about 1k miles in a week and car is ruuning fine and sounding awesome. On Sunday the oil pressure dropped to zero and hasn't budged. Car drives perfectly, not losing any oil, power or anything. I'm guessing it's the actual guage/electrics that have packed up or should I be more concerned ?? (TVR mate of mine said it may be the oil pump). Any advice gratefully received. Mnay Thanks.
If both the oil light AND the gauge indicate zero pressure, chances are you have a problem - DONT START IT.
Could be a stuck open pressure relief valve. Could be that the oil pump drive has broken - the cam drives the distributor via a skew gear. The end of the distributor drives the oil pump. If the coupling on the end of the dizzy breaks, no oil pressure.
It is **really** well worth checking whats wrong before starting the engine again.
A way of testing the oil pump is to remove the dizzy, turn the ignition on but dont start the engine. Then with the ditributor removed, you will be able to see the oil pump drive spigot in the bottom of the distributor hole. You can either make or buy a tool that fits in your drill. Use the drill to spin the oil pump drive clockwise. If the oil pump etc is working, your mate (you'll need one of those to watch the dash lights whilst youre working away!) will see the gauge jump up and the light go out.
It is likely that either the valve has stuck open or the pump drive has broken.
If the drive coupling has broken, you'll be wanting to acount for every piece of metal...
That said, it might just be a dodgy sensor!
Hope this helps!
Ed.
Could be a stuck open pressure relief valve. Could be that the oil pump drive has broken - the cam drives the distributor via a skew gear. The end of the distributor drives the oil pump. If the coupling on the end of the dizzy breaks, no oil pressure.
It is **really** well worth checking whats wrong before starting the engine again.
A way of testing the oil pump is to remove the dizzy, turn the ignition on but dont start the engine. Then with the ditributor removed, you will be able to see the oil pump drive spigot in the bottom of the distributor hole. You can either make or buy a tool that fits in your drill. Use the drill to spin the oil pump drive clockwise. If the oil pump etc is working, your mate (you'll need one of those to watch the dash lights whilst youre working away!) will see the gauge jump up and the light go out.
It is likely that either the valve has stuck open or the pump drive has broken.
If the drive coupling has broken, you'll be wanting to acount for every piece of metal...
That said, it might just be a dodgy sensor!
Hope this helps!
Ed.
same happend to me last year. oil-pressure gauge showed zero during driving...and as my ford powered wedge does not has any warning light i first thought about the worst case...but as the engine behaved well...i kept on driving (i know--> a big risk)...it turned out to be a faulty (electrical) oil-gauge sender!!
I've had pretty much the same problem with my 350i.
Turned out to be the pressure sender (I replaced the pressure relief valve - no effect).
Took the sender off and cleaned it up. Made sure all electrical connections were OK.
Re-fitted it and now it shows 50lbs at startup, dropping to around 30lbs at idle.
Turned out to be the pressure sender (I replaced the pressure relief valve - no effect).
Took the sender off and cleaned it up. Made sure all electrical connections were OK.
Re-fitted it and now it shows 50lbs at startup, dropping to around 30lbs at idle.
Gixamora said:
Thanks to all for your replies, I really appreciate the feedback. I also had a chat with a TVR specialist this morning and from what I have told them they think its most likely the sender. I will check it out and get it fixed. Thanks for all the quick replies.
Should be correct but note what ed said. Unlike most of the posters here, if the guage is faulty it usually shoots up and stays stuck at maximum. I'd be wary about starting the engine at the moment.All the Wedges should have a low pressure light as well as a sender. if you have zero on the gauge and the light on, then you have a problem with the engine, if the lights goes out. then it's just an electrical fault.
Depends if the sender or connection to the sender goes open or short circuit, on if it will show zero or full pressure on the gauge.
Depends if the sender or connection to the sender goes open or short circuit, on if it will show zero or full pressure on the gauge.
TVRleigh_BBWR said:
All the Wedges should have a low pressure light as well as a sender. if you have zero on the gauge and the light on, then you have a problem with the engine, if the lights goes out. then it's just an electrical fault.
Unless you earlier had a problem a fault with the low pressure light which you didn't fix. Switching the ignition on would tell you I suppose.Gixamora said:
Thanks lads, the amount of help is brilliant. The dash light doesnt come on, car runs brilliantly and the gauge stays at zero. Will take on board all this help and get it sorted. Will let you know the outcome. Thanks again, David.
Does the dash light come on when the engine is not running. if so it's 100% the sender or gauge. 90% its the sender (as they are known to fail), if the gauge showing zero. take it off the wire of the sender and connect to earth. the gauge should read full, if so it's the sender. if not it's the wiring or gauge.Hi
Had a similar problem with my 350i last weekend. Started it after a lay up of the engine for 6 months and the low pressure light goes out, but gauge shows no presure. Now my gauge is not electric, it has a plastic tube up to it from the pump. I am going to bleed that this weekend to see if I get pressure showing on the gauge. I know I have good oil pressure as the hydraulic tappets are not rattling!
Andy
Had a similar problem with my 350i last weekend. Started it after a lay up of the engine for 6 months and the low pressure light goes out, but gauge shows no presure. Now my gauge is not electric, it has a plastic tube up to it from the pump. I am going to bleed that this weekend to see if I get pressure showing on the gauge. I know I have good oil pressure as the hydraulic tappets are not rattling!
Andy
ed_crouch said:
If youve got a faulty capillary gauge, it could potentially be because the capillary has fractured.
If the capillary has fractured, the engine will pump oil out through the fracture, and eventually the engine will run dry. BAD.
The Esprit used a capillary gauge. Of course with the engine behind you, the tube had to get to the dashboard so Lotus ran it along the centre console. I recall talking to a guy who had just screwed a fire extinguisher bracket in and wondered why his carpets had turned black when he started the engine...If the capillary has fractured, the engine will pump oil out through the fracture, and eventually the engine will run dry. BAD.
Hi
Well I know mine is not a capillary tube as its just a hollow plastic tube which screws on to the top of the pump and then screws to back of the gauge! This has been off the engine/car while I rebuilt the car, it all worked OK before it was removed, but now no pressure showing on the gauge (Plenty of pressure in the engine)so I hope its just an air lock.
Find out on Sunday!
Andy
Well I know mine is not a capillary tube as its just a hollow plastic tube which screws on to the top of the pump and then screws to back of the gauge! This has been off the engine/car while I rebuilt the car, it all worked OK before it was removed, but now no pressure showing on the gauge (Plenty of pressure in the engine)so I hope its just an air lock.
Find out on Sunday!
Andy
While on the subject of oil pressure , my guage has been reading very high ie near top of guage sometimes and then about normal at other times , was like this when I bought her , previous owner told me it did the same with him , so I presume its the guage thats faulty ? Or what else ? Where do I get one if its that ?
combine said:
While on the subject of oil pressure , my guage has been reading very high ie near top of guage sometimes and then about normal at other times , was like this when I bought her , previous owner told me it did the same with him , so I presume its the guage thats faulty ? Or what else ? Where do I get one if its that ?
maybe worth taking somewhere they can compare your gauge reading with an digital calibrated gauge, to see if it's the car or gauge.Or see if you can find someone who can do a temp swap.
as you could have a sticking valve.
TVRleigh_BBWR said:
combine said:
While on the subject of oil pressure , my guage has been reading very high ie near top of guage sometimes and then about normal at other times , was like this when I bought her , previous owner told me it did the same with him , so I presume its the guage thats faulty ? Or what else ? Where do I get one if its that ?
maybe worth taking somewhere they can compare your gauge reading with an digital calibrated gauge, to see if it's the car or gauge.Or see if you can find someone who can do a temp swap.
as you could have a sticking valve.
Gixamora said:
Thanks to all for your replies, I really appreciate the feedback. I also had a chat with a TVR specialist this morning and from what I have told them they think its most likely the sender. I will check it out and get it fixed. Thanks for all the quick replies.
Spot on...! All too often you will get a negative diagnosis when the problem is a simple one. Check the sender and you may find its nothing more than a dodgy earth connection...Gassing Station | Wedges | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff