[roger_27]

1977 chrysler cordoba 360 44bl.

My oil pressure gauge often reads nothing.. or zero.. or bottom of gauge. (there is no numbers on the gauge)

The car runs like a top. never has problems since I have done the timing chain, water pump, thermostat, alternator, rebuilt carb, edelbrock performer intake, recent tune up.

Eventually, it gets to 1/4 and pretty much stays there. occasionally it drops back to zero, I think it happens at red lights and low RPM's

Is this normal for this car? What is "normal" oil pressure? There is no ideal markings to indicate what is normal.

I do know one thing: it has never gone over 50% of the gauge. if that means anything.

Again the car runs great. no ticking, grinding, anything. and it's been this way pretty much since I got the car.

any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bob Lincoln]

Does the low oil pressure warning light ever come on?

Quite often, as oil pressure sending units age, their readings drift lower and lower. For maybe $20, you can replace the sensor, and it might cure the problem.

 

[valiant67]

I believe there's just a gauge without a warning light on these cars. The rule of thumb is you want a minimum of 10 psi for every 1000 rpm. The gauges were cheap, they are marked because they really aren't that accurate and would vary from car to car where "normal" was on the gauge. Probably 40-60 psi was a normal range for these cars. Though if the gauge is dropping and you aren't hearing strange noises from the motor it's most likely you have a bad sending unit.

 

[roger_27]

I messed with the connector on the sending unit and I think all is good now. it seems to read "1 line" most of the time now, and goes up when I give it gas. I think I will replace the unit in time.

Thanks!