Low Oil Pressure (oil pump or pressure sender??)
 

Car: 84 GSL
Kms: 250,580 (just reached 250,000 this weekend :D )

Yesterday i was in Banff, and i noticed my oil pressure was lower than usual. So i checked it and topped it up.
After doing so, i noticed that the pressure was still low. (below 0 low) so i got really worried. I checked the oil level again, and it was fine. And i have no major leaks (only the usual little bit from the oil cooler) Now, in my opinion, it can only be 2 things: oil pressure sender or oil pump.... please correct me if i'm wrong.
The car still seems to run like it always has. I didn't notice anything different. But you can see how this is worrying me. I dont want to damage my engine by driving it.
I don't have the money or the space to fix this right now.
If it is the pressure sender, fuck it! i will fix that later and just keep a watchful eye on my oil level.
If it is the oil pump, what damage will this cause to my engine driving it???
If any of you guys has had this problem before, what are my options??
I need to go to Saskatchewan this saturday and sunday. (approx. 1600 Kms)
I don't want to go if this is going to fuck up my engine!!!

Any and all help is appricated!

Vince

it was reading ZERO???? :(
check and clean the connection for the gauge. if that doesn't work, then it's probably the sending unit.

if the pump were gone, chances are you'd know it because there would be no engine to worry about, just 350 lb lump of metal in the engine bay ...

at any rate, the first thing that comes to mind is take of the filter and keep cranking the car ... but DO NOT START IT!!!! ... the oil should shoot up through the hole. it's messy, but it works. i'd say wait to get better ideas from someone else before trying that method though.

Well, i did drive over 650k this weekend.
Approx. 300k after i noticed the low oil pressure.
Would 300k on a fucked oil pump, kill my motor???

More than likely :p

How much would a new/reconditioned OP run anyway?

Its an important part :D . Might as well replace it too. Better safe than sorry!

When I got mine, I drove it from St. Louis to Farmington...about 99mi and have drove it around on the back roads while I collect parts to get it to pass a Missouri inspection. At least they don't do emissions testing down here yet :D

Anyways, the oil meter was reading pegged above the high mark. I finally got a parts car and decided the other day to yank its pressure sender and replace mine. I cleaned the connection and screwed it in. Unfortunately it didn't tighten so I think this piece has been replaced before since it seems like the hole is stripped :( After replacing the part and restarting, the pressure is now below zero like yours. Not sure which was better ;) I'm thinking of cleaning the old unit and putting it back in. Maybe it was just shorting out from all of the caked on oil? The position of the oil filter has got to be the worst place though it sure is easy to change.