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Stock 4.0 oil pressure

chetney

Active Member
Joined
October 14, 2004
Messages
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City, State
Flint,mi
Year, Model & Trim Level
2002
I got a 1992 explorer with the 4.0 Unknown miles
The Oil pressure gauge reads a little below the (n) on Normal. Should i trust the stock gauge or install an after market one?Is it safe to drive on, as long as it doesn't fall below normal range?


How much oil pressure is that at?
 



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I would check it with an aftermarket gauge for peace of mind.Don't automatically assume that it is the pump or bearings.My Bronco II had low oil pressure, it turned out to be the sender was bad.I had another vehicle that had a plugged oil filter and was showing low pressure and was fine after an oil change.
 






the stock gauge is an idiot light. Basically the sending unit is just a pressure activated switch. If the pressure is above a certain level, the gauge on your dash displays something in the normal range. It is not displaying actual oil pressure. Your oil pressure could be high, low or anything in between.

If you search on here for "Fake Oil Gauge" you will find more information as well as a way to make it into a real oil gauge.
 






the stock gauge is an idiot light. Basically the sending unit is just a pressure activated switch. If the pressure is above a certain level, the gauge on your dash displays something in the normal range. It is not displaying actual oil pressure. Your oil pressure could be high, low or anything in between.

If you search on here for "Fake Oil Gauge" you will find more information as well as a way to make it into a real oil gauge.

Can i take out the old unit thats on the block and replace it with a new electrical OIL PSI gauge?
 






As pointed out, the factory guage is just an analog idiot light. If its reading in the normal range you have at least 5psi of pressure.

As to you last question....Yes, you could put a real oil pressure sending unit (or manual gauge) into the block where the factory sending unit is..

OR...

You can convert the factory gauge to a real gauge (no numbers) by changing the sending unit and bypassing 1 resistor on the back of the cluster.

Here is the link to the conversion thread (through useful threads).
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65575&highlight=oil

~Mark
 






As pointed out, the factory guage is just an analog idiot light. If its reading in the normal range you have at least 5psi of pressure.

As to you last question....Yes, you could put a real oil pressure sending unit (or manual gauge) into the block where the factory sending unit is..

OR...

You can convert the factory gauge to a real gauge (no numbers) by changing the sending unit and bypassing 1 resistor on the back of the cluster.

Here is the link to the conversion thread (through useful threads).
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65575&highlight=oil

~Mark
I can get a manual gauge from Napa for under $20 so i will probably go that route.. Were is the sending unit(front of the block on driver side)?

Thanks for the help guys
 






Its drivers side, towards the front, sort of between the power steering pump and the block. The sending unit is actually on a bar/manifold looking thing that is connected to the block, not the block itself.

~Mark
 






Its drivers side, towards the front, sort of between the power steering pump and the block. The sending unit is actually on a bar/manifold looking thing that is connected to the block, not the block itself.

~Mark

Thanks for the help, looks like i will be install one next weekend.
 






NP.

If you feel adventuresome, you can actually get a 1/8 npt y adapter (block) and run the factory sending unit and the new mechanical one. At least then you don't have a gauge reading 0.

Actually, now that I think about it, if you ground the wire you have now for the stock sending unit it will read in the middle all the time.. Course that may be bad if you do lose pressure and don't notice the other gauge.

~Mark
 






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