1969 Oil Pressure Gauge

[Salvatore I.]

Being fairly new to the hobby, I have just a quick question re: the oil pressure gauge on my 69 427/390....When the car is not running, the gauge does not drop to zero but appears to be "stuck" at about 10psi. When the car is running, the pressure reading increases to beyond the mid-point of gauge, but it doesn't fluctuate as the car warms up to full operating temperature. It does not fluctuate with engine speed either.

My questions are:

1.Is this typical for a BB that there is such minimal oil pressure change from cold to hot and why wouldn't the gauge move based on engine speed; and
2. Why doesn't the gauge drop to zero when the engine stops? Is it possessed?
Should I replace the gauge?

Thanks....

[Jim T.]

Re: 1969 Oil Pressure Gauge

Sal a relative easy thing to do is first change the plastic oil pressure line. If you had another guage you could test out how the line is delivering pressure by disconnecting it at your 69's guage and connecting a test guage. I don't know if the oil line is still available from GM or not. Have the part number at home and not available now.

[Salvatore I.]

Re: 1969 Oil Pressure Gauge

Jim

Rather than taking the dash apart to get to the gauge, what do you think of my disconnecting the oil pressure tube and using a vacuum pump to pull the contents out of the tube? Do you think I am going to create a problem with the oil pressure gauge doing this?

Not being totally familiar with it, I assume that on the 1969 427, the oil pressure line is located on the driver's side at the oil pan?

Thanks for the feedback!
Sal

[Dick W.]

Re: 1969 Oil Pressure Gauge

Bourdon tube guages such as these are prone to sticking. Usually a little light weight oil on the pivots will repair the sticking guage. I have reservations that the line is having any effect on the guage. If the lubrication does not correct the readings, the guage will have to be removed and repaired

[Klaus Friedrich #33362]

Re: 1969 Oil Pressure Gauge

Hi Sal,

got nearly the same problem two years ago.
The axis of the gage was corroded, so the hand didn't move much.
I had to replace the gage.

greetings from Germany
Klaus #33362