No oil pressure at gauge

[ericcarr2000]

Ok, as some of you know I just got done installing an electric fuel pump on my 90 250 sundancer. My oil pressure gauge worked just fine before, however after I installed my t fitting where my oil pressure sensor goes and then hooked up my sensor again, now I don't get a reading on my gauge at all. I checked to make sure that the pressure was good so I hooked up my oil pressure test kit to the port and it worked fine. I guess my question is, is there supposed to be more than just that one wire hooked up to the pressure sensor?

 

[GA_Boater]

Put a piece of wire from the metal body of the sender to the block to see if the gauge moves. The sender body needs to be grounded. Did you use teflon pipe tape?

 

[ericcarr2000]

You bet I used Teflon tape. So do I need to do this with that wire hooked up to the sender?

 

[GA_Boater]

Take the tape off.

 

[ericcarr2000]

Oh gotcha, so the thing needs to be grounded, so no tape.... Duh....

 

[GA_Boater]

Yep. On a good note, the switch must be working or the fuel pump would shut off when you release the key.

 

[gm280]

^^^^+1000 GA nailed this one... The threads for most oil sensors are not straight threaded but tapered and therefore needs no tape or sealer. And if you used tape, you now have a sensor that has no grounding point of the engine casing. And that IS the reason for only one wire hookup. The return IS the ground of the engine...

 

[ericcarr2000]

You learn something new everyday I guess. I'm the first one to admit that I am pretty stupid when it comes to electrical stuff.

 

[ericcarr2000]

Well I just got done taking the Teflon tape off if it and reinstalling it and still nothing.... Any suggestions? I checked the wires at the gauge itself and they seem fine....

 

[Bondo]

Well I just got done taking the Teflon tape off if it and reinstalling it and still nothing.... Any suggestions? I checked the wires at the gauge itself and they seem fine....

Ayuh,.... Ground the wire on the sender's brass body, the gauge should Peg,...

If not, ground the same wire to the block, 'n the gauge should Peg,....

If not, do the same at the gauge,....

 

[ericcarr2000]

Ok this is what I got. When I ran a wire from the tip of the sender to a bolt on the motor it pegged all the way to 80 psi. When I ran a wire The sender body to that same bolt it registered at zero.

 

[achris]

Sounds like you might have a dead sender.

 

[ericcarr2000]

The darn thing worked fine before I attempted to install this "t" fitting...

 

[achris]

How did you remove it? Grab the body and turn or get a spanner on the hex behind the body?

 

[ericcarr2000]

Yeah I actually began by grabbing the stinking body and twisting it, that's probably where I ruined it at. I installed a new sender and everything works fine now. Thanks guys

 

[GA_Boater]

Thanks for the follow-up. Go boating.

 

[ericcarr2000]

As soon as we drop her in the slip for the year, we will. Thanks again