Thread: Oil pressure gauge on my 52 F-1

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During the process of rewiring my old truck, I've encountered quite a few obstacles and with the help of old manuals, schematics and some of you folks; I've managed to overcome them but now this is the latest. As some of you know, the oil pressure sender on a flathead is in a spot where only a triple jointed, three fingered anexoric with 2" diameter arms can reach. It has a plastic tube (covering) over the wire from the sender that's about 10"-12" long. I left this for last when re-wiring because I thought I'd dream up a way to get to the screw on the sender and completly replace the old wire. Actually, I think the only way I could reach it would be to take the oil filter canaster off and so I decided to splice into the wire as close as I could. Here's the question.....I seem to remember when I was checking other stuff and the gauge was disconnected, it was pinned on the high side. Now that it's hooked up, it shows no oil pressure. In reving up the engine, it makes no difference, and stays on zero. My thoughts are that the gauge is naturally at zero and that would mean the sender is bad. In looking at the old manual, I see I'll need a special tool to remove and replacethe sender along with the help of that 3 fingered anexoric. Can anyone help shine a little light on this problem? Is there a way I can test the sender? Is there a way I can be sure I have oil pressure? If the sender is bad, is there a way I can hook up a different sender is a more accessable place and still use my old gauge?
Thanks,
Jeff

You should be able to check the gauge/sender by removing the wire at the sender and grounding it. When you turn the key on the gauge should go to full scale. If not the guage/witing is bad, if it does then the sender is bad.

As I recall, the sender can be removed with a crows foot wrench and an extension.

Thanks,
Is there any way I can be sure that I have oil pressure without the gauge working? Does anyone know what size the nut is on the sender so i don't have to buy a whole set of crows foot wrenches?

Thanks Mike,
OK so I'm an idiot. While re-wiring, I inadvertently terminated the temperature wire to the pressure sender. The proper (oil pressure) wire was left wound up waiting for new sensors. Grounding didn't do a thing since I was testing the wrong wire. Fixed now 40# at a fast idle. BTW, I think it's best to know swear words in at least 4 different languages when putting the lead under the (pressure) terminal.
Jeff