boogerschnot

The guage will "work" but may not be correct. These old guages dont work that well sometimes. That why I suggest that you get a mechanical guage and just mount it on/under your dash or anywhere that you can keep an eye on it in the car. And if it does start dropping like that again I would think that the problem is more your main,rod, or camshaft bearings. You can change the bearings from under the car,, if you do the work yourself and decide to change the pump you may as well change the bearings while your down there. You jack up the car drain the fluids,, pull the crossmember, drop the oil pan, change out your oil pump and the bearings by pulling once main cap at a time and pushing the old bearings out with new ones. You will have to pull one bearing first though to find out what size you need, or if they are stock. Size will be stamped on the bearing.

michaeldoggrell

Its a stock engine so it will be stock size i guess. Can you just pull those bearings out ? Are they hard to replace ?

michaeldoggrell

How do you install such a mechnical gauge by the way ? Where does it hook up?

Colorado_Mustang

To install the gauge, you either need to replace the stock sender with the aftermarket sender or install a tee so both can be used. Just follow the oil pressure gauge wire down the left side of the engine by the fuel pump and you'll find the sending unit.

Most likely, the bearings are worn, which means the crank will need some work as well. You'll be best off pulling the engine and replacing all the bearings and gaskets, along with the piston rings. It'd be best to machine the cylinder walls, but you will get a few miles out of a good hone job and new rings. The crank will likely need a little machine work. I've rebuilt a few engines on the cheap and they run very well. Generally spend about $300 for this type of rebuild.

The stalling issue is a tune-up problem and not oil pressure related.

boogerschnot

Look at the block just above the oil filter, there is a brass or metal tube with flat sides, and the oil sending unit, its round and about half the size of an aluminum can with a wire coming off the end of it. Just unscrew that can (sending unit) off of the sending tube, and screw in the brass fitting that your mechanical guage comes with onto where the sending unit screwed in,, run the plastic tubing from the fitting through the firewall into the car.. and attach it to your guage. Mount the guage somewhere that you can see it. And start her up..

For the bearings, get a haynes manual for your car, or something of the sort so you can see how they go in. It shouldnt be too bad to pull them out from under the car.. There are a couple of guys that have donw it on this forum. But if you have the time and means to, just pull the engnine and change the bearings with it out of the car.. ( IF you need to..) Im sure some other people may give you some better suggestions..

Starfury

If you've got to the point where your bearing clearances are shot, it's time for a rebuild or a new engine. Sure, you can toss in new rod/main bearings if you're on a budgetand it may work for a while, but it's not going to eliminate the problem. At that point you've likely worn the crank journals down enough to where they'd need to be machined for oversize bearings to get proper clearance. And this is all assuming that it's not your cam bearings that are shot.

michaeldoggrell

Ok thanks for all thesuggestions. I will put in a mechanical gauge and en new oil pressure sending unit. If this doesnt resolve the problem, then i will change the oil pump and the bearings. I am indeed on a budget so pulling the engine and doing the cilinders isnt an option right now.

ford65stang

once you have installed the new sending unit and gauge. Give us an update on the readings of thegauge

michaeldoggrell

I will. I hope that the engine will still run when she's cold. Otherwise i'm going to have problem testing it. She stalls when starting hot. I hope the problem isnt there when she is cold. This could be a carburator problem too right ?

Is there a minimum oil pressure when key is in the ACC position, it dont think so ...

ford65stang

I dont think it is the carb at this moment,

Have you checked the oil level in the car recently? and what wieght of oil did you put in the car?