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oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???
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Author:  DadTruck [ Wed Sep 12, 2018 7:29 pm ]
Post subject:  oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

Ever had an three pin oil pressure sender fail and allow all the crankcase oil to blow out?

About 30 miles SE of Indy, cruseing back home on I74, notice a haze behind me in the rear view mirror,
saw low oil pressure on the dash gauge then the motor shut off. I was going at a good clip, shifted to neutral
and was able to coast up the next exit, make a slow right turn and coast into an Indiana town named appropriately, Pleasantville.


Cranked the motor, nothing, got out an popped the hood, noticed a lot of oil on the side of the block around the oil pump,
pulled the dip stick, the crank case was empty.
About that instant a local in a jeep, later I found out his name was Justin, stopped, complimented the 83 D150 and asked if I needed help.
Yes, I said I could use some motor oil, he said he had just bought a gallon, lived close and would be right back. In moments he returned with
a 5 qt gallon of full synthetic motor oil, I gave him 20 bucks for that.

Put the oil in, the motor started, I went under the truck to see a steady stream of oil shooting from the 3 prong oil pressure sensor. I have an electric
in tank fuel pump and that sensor is the trigger for the relay that sends power to the electric fuel pump.

I got under the truck removed the 3 prong sensor. I could run the truck with out the sensor as I have a swith installed to bypass the oil pressure sensor
for starts after the truck has been sitting for a while.

I needed a 1/4 pipe plug, I did not have one of those loose, but I do carry a fuel pressure gauge and it screws into a test port on the fuel system that has a 1/4 pipe plug.
Installed the test gauge into the fuel pressure test port, installed the 1/4 inch pipe plug where the oil pressure sensor was, and with the oil in the crankcase
that Justin delivered, got back home..

Justin stayed there the complete time, turned on the overhead light bar on his Jeep, light up the whole area.
He has an 89 D150 with a 360 that he is reworking.

crazy but true. Out of the blue I got the help I needed and I figured out that I had the part that I needed.

Attachments:
opsensor.jpg
opsensor.jpg [ 161.79 KiB | Viewed 6593 times ]

Author:  Charrlie_S [ Thu Sep 13, 2018 5:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

Not on a slant, that I can recall. I have seen many OP switch failures, but not that drastic. Usually just a drip type leak.

Author:  Dart270 [ Thu Sep 13, 2018 5:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

Great story, John. There are still some helpful folks around! What else is life but the accumulation of a bunch of good stories...

Lou

Author:  Rick Covalt [ Thu Sep 13, 2018 6:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

Another reason I use a Low oil pressure cut off! :D Hope yours shut down in time and did not harm anything.

Author:  Exner Geek [ Thu Sep 13, 2018 6:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

In 1967 we were moving back to Minneapolis from Detroit. I was driving a U Haul truck and my wife was driving our 64 Valiant with the 2 kids. The oil pressure sender cracked and all the oil leaked out, the red light went on but she kept driving it because she wanted to keep up with me. Bad idea.

Author:  Badvert65 [ Thu Sep 13, 2018 7:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

The original slant in my 65 Belvedere died because the wire came off the oil pressure sender (before I had a gauge).
When I would slow down or accelerate, the oil light would flicker, apparently from swinging around and touching ground.
I thought the oil was low. When I stopped to check, I discovered that I had no oil at all due to a substantial valve cover leak.
I filled it with oil but the damage was already done. Lost 3 rods and wiped the crank.

It's nice to know that there are still people out there that are willing to stop and offer assistance.

Author:  MJF [ Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

I had same kind of failure with my Aspen. Oil light came on, I shut engine down and rolled to bus stop. Luckily nothing else damaged.

Author:  slantzilla [ Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

Sorry to hear that John, hopefully it didn't hurt the bearings.

Glad Justin helped. Stories like this renew my faith in the human race. :D

Author:  Dart270 [ Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

I had the idiot light sender crack in high school in my 68 Dart about a month after I rebuilt the engine (1989). That motor is still in the car and running. I noticed the leak (short city drives) before it puked out all the oil. I have had at least 3 other times when a leak (pressure gauge hose) drained the sump and the oil pressure came down, but luckily I caught it each time before it did damage. One was on our honeymoon driving across Ontario in 1995, one was 6 blocks from my house last year...

On our honeymoon, a passing motorist gave me a ride to and from a gas station where I bought 4-5 qts of oil.

Lou

Author:  dirtyd100 [ Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

Just went out today during school (I teach welding) to show some students the basics of car care. Popped the hood on the pickup and pulled the dipstick and I had just enough to wet the end of the dipstick. Feeling kind of embarrassed with all the newer cars in the group, I quickly moved on to other sensitive areas to keep an eye on under the hood. Had to help 4 HS seniors on how to open their hoods of vehicles that they drive everyday, 2 of which had absolutely no oil on their dipstick. They were all driving $20000 dollar cars and I am driving a $500 pickup that is almost as old as I am. The throw away generation at its best.

Author:  wjajr [ Fri Sep 14, 2018 8:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

Two days ago oil idiot came on while rolling up to an intersection with a convenience store on the other corner. I got across and coasted into their lot, checked oil level an it was good. I did not hear any unusual low oil noise from engine, and wondered if the leftover old pressure switch from before rebuild crapped out. So I drove a mile and half to transmission shop that rebuilt the trans this winter to pick up new tail-shaft seal to replace the leaking one they installed. Still no clatter or knocking so continued two more miles to Walmart. When starting engine to leave Walmart the light came on for 15 seconds, and than went out. Half a mile down the road it came back on still a nice quiet engine, so I drove home the last ten miles.

I replaced the oil pressure switch, pulled out the pressure relief spring and cylinder looking for crud, was none, and put it all back together. Light is now out when engine runs. This was a new Melling oil pump.

Author:  wjajr [ Sun Sep 16, 2018 2:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

This is getting weird, my son's 2014 dodge minivan oil pressure switch bit the dust the other day. Apparently this a common problem on newer Mopars these days. That baby was one PIA to get to and remove & replace.

Author:  DadTruck [ Sun Sep 16, 2018 7:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

I have driven the 83 D150 for several days since the oil pressure sensor failure.
Oil pressure via the dash gauge is 100% normal, no unusual noises,,,
It seems that as the oil pressure went away the fuel pump powered down and
the motor shut off.
With the exception of the sensor failing catastrophically, everything worked as it should.
I put in a NAPA Echlin sensor, hopefully it is more durable than the Standard Motor Products
sensor that failed.

Author:  slantzilla [ Mon Sep 17, 2018 12:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

Glad your safety worked and didn't hurt the motor. :D

Author:  SpaceFrank [ Tue Sep 25, 2018 3:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: oil pressure sendor failure, blew out engine oil???

Badvert65 wrote:
The original slant in my 65 Belvedere died because the wire came off the oil pressure sender (before I had a gauge).
When I would slow down or accelerate, the oil light would flicker, apparently from swinging around and touching ground.
I thought the oil was low. When I stopped to check, I discovered that I had no oil at all due to a substantial valve cover leak.
I filled it with oil but the damage was already done. Lost 3 rods and wiped the crank.

It's nice to know that there are still people out there that are willing to stop and offer assistance.

In the early days of owning my Dart, I noticed the idiot light would flicker on hard corners. I got really worried until we took a look under the hood and found the previous owner had wrapped the wire around the heater hoses, and it was occasionally grounding itself on the valve cover. The sender was broken, but luckily there was no leak.

I installed a cheesy mechanical gauge that stayed on the car until I was in college. One day the plastic hose started leaking and spraying oil all over the engine compartment. I removed the hose, filled the compression fitting with JB Weld, and drove with a nonfunctional gauge for years. We eventually installed an electric gauge when it became a Lemons racer.

I wonder if that mechanical gauge is the one I still have? I know I bought new plastic line at one point, but I'm not sure if I bought a new gauge or not.

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