"Idiot light" vs. Oil Pressure Gauge

-
hotrod swinger

hotrod swinger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2020
Messages
688
Reaction score
518
Location
Sooke
Good day everyone and happy Friday!

I've been running my small block with the so called "idiot light" for a couple of years now with no oil pressure gauge. My engine is a hi-po 360 LA that I had professionally built in 2020. I ran a mechanical oil pressure gauge for awhile just to ensure everything was ok, then removed it along with my other aftermarket gauges when I fixed up all my factory gauges a few months later.

I know I could run both but I kind of like the look of my dash without gauges hanging underneath and I'm wondering, do you really need an oil pressure gauge for a street car when you have a functioning oil warning light? Every single time I start the car I turn the key to run to ensure my oil light is working before cranking.

What do you say, leave well enough alone?
 
i'd maybe fit a higher pressure warning light sender. i know they're available here in the uk so there's no reason you should have issues sourcing one in the states. with a stock sender by the time the light comes on it's usually too late, unless you're just idling in traffic. and that assumes you notice it as soon as it comes on, lol.
neil.
 
I had just the oil light on Vixen for the longest time. I got curious just what kind of oil pressure she had, so I plumbed in a manual gauge and mounted it under the hood. She idles on the relief valve cold at about 75PSI. Hot she idles about 50 and as soon as the throttle is blipped, you can see the needle stop like a STONE on the relief valve at about 75. I'm like you. I don't like the clutter inside so I mounted mine under the hood. If the light works, use it and don't worry about it.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I had just the oil light on Vixen for the longest time. I got curious just what kind of oil pressure she had, so I plumbed in a manual gauge and mounted it under the hood. She idles on the relief valve cold at about 75PSI. Hot she idles about 50 and as soon as the throttle is blipped, you can see the needle stop like a STONE on the relief valve at about 75. I'm like you. I don't like the clutter inside so I mounted mine under the hood. If the light works, use it and don't worry about it.
Click to expand...
I like the idea of mounting it under the hood, I was actually thinking about mounting gauges under the hood. It would be nice to have a voltmeter, water temp gauge and oil pressure gauge in there.
 
I know that these cars came with pretty basic instrumentation but unless you're running a fairly stock engine, I wouldn't feel comfortable not knowing about the oil pressure. All of the A and B body cars I've owned had temperature and alternator gauges anyway.
 
My solution on my Duster was install Voltage and Oil Pressure gauges in a custom mounting bezel that I made to fit in the uncut radio hole in my dash. I am not running the dash oil light and have bypassed the ammeter.

IMG_0379.jpeg
 
RustyRatRod said:
I had just the oil light on Vixen for the longest time. I got curious just what kind of oil pressure she had, so I plumbed in a manual gauge and mounted it under the hood. She idles on the relief valve cold at about 75PSI. Hot she idles about 50 and as soon as the throttle is blipped, you can see the needle stop like a STONE on the relief valve at about 75. I'm like you. I don't like the clutter inside so I mounted mine under the hood. If the light works, use it and don't worry about it.
Click to expand...
I have to say that you guys crack me up when you say that your car is a "she". I've only nicked named 2 of my cars and the dart I called a bumble bee because it was yellow and black and my 2010 Colorado lil red because it was red.
 
Here is an oil pressure gauge Plumbed in along with the working electric dash gauge and idiot light. So that is actually showing 3 ways to see oil pressure.

Always like a gauge to be able to see the real pressure.

20240927_143017.jpg


'89 D100, 318


☆☆☆☆☆
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top