d_eagz13

I noticed a leak in oil on my 80 RX7, my mechanic friend did a nice engine clean on it to discover the Oil pressure switch is why it's leaking. Where the **** do I find one?

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

is this ur first car? sounds like u've never had to buy auto parts before. try one of ur local auto parts stores.

Sgt Fox

iTrader: (3)

Oil pressure switch? I assume you mean the oil pressure sensor. If this is what is leaking, you can try cleaning the threads well and adding a sealant or teflon to them. I suspect that your leak may be coming from the oil pedestal or beehive orings as they would drip onto that area and are more likely to have gone than the brass threads of the pressure sensor.

Edit: Missed that it was a '80. Those won't have an oil pressure sensor.

DivinDriver

iTrader: (15)

The stock 80 SA does not have an oil pressure sensor of any kind; neither switch nor guage. The rear iron isn't even drilled for one. They only have the oil level sensor, down on the pan.

If your mechanic truly said the "oil pressure switch," either you have an aftermarket one, or you need a new mechanic. Or he's looking at the #1 water temp switch, which better not be leaking oil.

(SA's also don't have a beehive, Sarge; they have a front mounted oil cooler.)

d_eagz13

He really only works on american cars.... But he told me there is a sensor under the oil filter with 1 wire coming out of it that is leaking, and he called it an oil pressure sensor I just didn't hear him correctly. Possibly my engine is from a different year since it was a flood car and then completely restored in the early 90's. Anyways I found one special order coming in monday. thanks.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

it could still be leaking from under the oil filter pedestal and this sensor the mechanic is talking about is actually the temp sensor.

DivinDriver

iTrader: (15)

Yep. Unless your car has an oil pressure guage, there'd be no wire to connect an oil sensor on an SA harness, even if the engine was newer.

You can eliminate all doubt, though, by posting a picture of the afflicted area.

d_eagz13

The car is at his house at the moment, but he said when he unplugs the wire from the sensor the oil light comes on. It is probably only a half inch in diameter. When it starts up oil drips out of it pretty quickly. If I can get over there for a picture I will but I still haven't found the part anywhere, the one that I ordered i cancelled because it wasn't correct.

Sgt Fox

iTrader: (3)

True, true, true. I missed that it was an '80.

d_eagz13

Basically if the water temp sensor is leaking oil, then an engine seal is blown somewhere....

rwatson5651

iTrader: (5)

Yea, my bet is that the oil pedestal is leaking ONTO the water temp sensor.

ChasRX

Well, since we are speculating, I agree with DD, and my thought is that it may be leaking from the the oil level sensor, down on the pan. A photo would help determine, as some previous owner may have tapped threads for mounting one.

I put an '80 12A in my '81 chassis/electrical and then realized that, sure enough, the '80 SA didn't have a tap for the oil pressure bell sensor. So, I bought another (oil cooler hose) banjo-bolt and tapped the head of it for threads for the oil pressure sensor. Works great, too.

DivinDriver

iTrader: (15)

What you might have, is an FB motor swapped into the SA by somebody who also re-wired the oil LEVEL light to a sourced-elsewhere oil PRESSURE switch they installed in the tapped hole for the FB's oil pressure sensor, which is under the oil filter pedestal.

In a stock SA, that light indicates critically-low oil levels. It triggers off a long thin sensor bolted into the side of the oil pan, near the very bottom.

A few good pictures of the area under & around the oil pedestal would clear a lot up; it's one of the easiest areas to spot differences is SA vs FB engine kegs, due to the oil cooler plumbing & sensors.

The oil level sensor down on the pan isn't under pressure, so it's unlikely that it would start leaking more severely just because the engine's running.

74RX4

iTrader: (10)

Looks like this on a 84.

DivinDriver

iTrader: (15)

And looks like this on a stock 79 or 80:



The rear casting on an SA engine has cast positions for the oil pres sensor, but they are not drilled or tapped from the factory.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

^looks like a plug in there u can take out with an allen wrench. that's what i have in mine since i'm using the block under the oil filter for a mechanical gauge.

DivinDriver

iTrader: (15)

Looks like it, but no... Here's a shot of the rear iron from another angle:



Cast in, but not drilled/tapped.

d_eagz13

I will have to go get pictures.... as of right now I don't know. Like I said he works on american cars 90% of the time. It definitely looks like the 79-80 setup but that doesn't explain why the oil light comes on when it is removed.