PWB Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Greetings My '67 oil pressure gauge is almost pegged on high (H) thru all RPM. This normal? (Newer owner) Oil level is normal. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZRIV Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Normal is about needle at 3/4 gauge driving down the highway. Idle somewhere between 1/8 and 1/3. Most of my 67s would idle with needle around 1/4 or slightly below when hot. You probably have a sending unit problem. Check the wiring to the unit. There should be a test procedure in the manual. The gauges themselves seem to be pretty reliable. Always good to hook up a mechanical gauge temporarily just to see exactly where its running and get a baseline in the event something might change in future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 I had an aftermarket electrical gauge that always read HOT but the factory idiot light never came on except during starting (normal.) I found that the gauge wire got too close to the headers, burnt off the insulation, and was grounding out. Grounding the wire made the gauge read incorrectly. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted June 16, 2016 Author Share Posted June 16, 2016 Having trouble finding direct match. Big chains don't carry a sending unit. Found one for a '67 Firebird and one for a '67 Olds on the 'net. My car has a terminal at about 45 degrees. These are straight. Bet they both work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 As long as they're designed for the same pressure reading and they'll thread into the block, you could just bend the terminal to 45 degrees. Or someone before you could have bent the one that on your car now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 An informative article describing GM electric gauge and sender diagnosis: http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=25339.0 I'll wager that the sender resistance values listed in the article (0 to 60 Ohms) are the same as on the '67 Riviera. I will take sender resistance measurements on Goldie (my '67) and report back what I find. She runs about 3/4 full-scale when driving (hot) with 10W-30 Castrol GTX. When cold, she'll peg the gauge. Hot iidle is about 1/2 full-scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 Thanks all. Heres my sender. Its not bent to 45'. Do other '67's share this style? Thank again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Mine looks similar, also has the terminal at 45 deg. I didn't get those measurements done this weekend, but will try for tomorrow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 (edited) My gosh I've exhausted the internet. No one has these oil pressure senders. Edited June 26, 2016 by PWB (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Well, it took longer than I had hoped to get to this, but I finally made the resistance measurements on the sending unit in my '67 Riviera. I checked resistance between the stud on the sender and ground (engine block). I started with the engine cold, at fast idle to get the highest reading and then let it warm 5 ~ 10 minutes and checked the reading at idle in gear once it was warm and the choke had opened. Readings summarized below: 1. Engine OFF = 0 Ohms 2. Engine Cold, fast idle = 185 Ohms 3. Engine warm (~5 mins.) in PARK = 142 Ohms 4. Engine warm (5~10 mins.) in DRIVE = 112 Ohms Note that with the sender disconnected (infinite resistance/open connection) the oil pressure gauge reads full scale (HIGH) with the key on. These readings seem to align with what I see on my gauge. At startup (cold) it reads almost fully at "H", then about 3/4 scale at idle (PARK) and finally just past 1/2 idling in DRIVE. So, it seems that the correct sending unit must have a maximum resistance of approximately 200 Ohms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Hey thanks EmTee! Great reference data. I'll meter on it as soon as I get back in state. I still cant find a sender. I might soak it in a sonic cleaner. I know the port is very small. Maybe its coked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZRIV Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Try pulling the wire to sender and grounding it. If removing wire as EmTee stated sends needle to max, grounding it should send it to zero. This will help confirm not a gauge or wiring problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoadShark Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Here's what mine looks like if it's any help. Looks like previous owner messed with it some... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Hey - glad to see I'm not the only one with a caked up block I was gonna re-paint the oil pan but it appears I'd have to lift the motor? Yikes. Would like to see those Stepsides, RoadShark! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoadShark Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Just put the cab on the '67. The '66 was my "learn to paint" project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 That's a HUGE set of salt and pepper shakers! Nice work. First car I painted was a '73 Riviera. UGH what a beast, never again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 5 hours ago, JZRIV said: Try pulling the wire to sender and grounding it. If removing wire as EmTee stated sends needle to max, grounding it should send it to zero. This will help confirm not a gauge or wiring problem. Yes -- grounding the sender wire should set the gauge all the way to"L" (low). I have a couple of used senders from other vehicles in my garage that I'll check using compressed air to see how much resistance they have full scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoLo Posted June 5, 2023 Share Posted June 5, 2023 On 6/16/2016 at 4:15 PM, PWB said: Having trouble finding direct match. Big chains don't carry a sending unit. Found one for a '67 Firebird and one for a '67 Olds on the 'net. My car has a terminal at about 45 degrees. These are straight. Bet they both work? Did any of these work im looking to change mine out my 66 doesn’t have the light only guages so I’m looking to change cause these pics below don’t seem accurate if it’s says light and I don’t have the light does it still work 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoLo Posted June 5, 2023 Share Posted June 5, 2023 On 6/16/2016 at 4:15 PM, PWB said: Having trouble finding direct match. Big chains don't carry a sending unit. Found one for a '67 Firebird and one for a '67 Olds on the 'net. My car has a terminal at about 45 degrees. These are straight. Bet they both work? Even though nothing says Buick. It’s only Pontiac an Oldsmobile and some C10’s did this sending unit work on your riv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted June 5, 2023 Share Posted June 5, 2023 6 hours ago, BoLo said: Even though nothing says Buick. It’s only Pontiac an Oldsmobile and some C10’s did this sending unit work on your riv That's a "switch" for an idiot light, not a sender for a gauge. Tom Mooney 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted June 5, 2023 Share Posted June 5, 2023 The Ames (Pontiac) catalog has this one that looks like it might work... https://secure.amesperf.com/qilan/Search_Web;jsessionid=9745866794AD928C57C818E247885965 They also have P/N PM354 which is zero to 80 psi. I don't have my '67 shop manual in front of me, so I'm not sure which one it is (i.e., 60 or 80 psi). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 (edited) Scrolling back this looks a bit contradictory. To be clear, this picture from an earlier post is the one that is just a switch, and *not* for any sort of a gauge. The big bell shaped units are the ones for a gauge. Beyond that, the outward appearance and which way the terminal points won't tell you much. The range of resistance and how it relates to pressure is what matters. I think @EmTee is on the right track with the Pontiac units, because they are GM and likely the Buick originals were from the same source. The 60PSI vs 80PSI detail deserves a close look though. Edited June 6, 2023 by Bloo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 The '66-'67 Riviera gauge is labeled "L" to "H", so it isn't obvious what "H" means. I'll have to look in my shop manual to see whether it say anything about the range in psi... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoLo Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, 1965rivgs said: That's a "switch" for an idiot light, not a sender for a gauge. Tom Mooney I have one wire that attaches to it you’re saying it doesn’t lead to the gauge it’s strictly for the idiot light ?? If so I need to test it and make sure it works cause I’ve never seen the light come on Edited June 6, 2023 by BoLo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoLo Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 1 hour ago, EmTee said: The '66-'67 Riviera gauge is labeled "L" to "H", so it isn't obvious what "H" means. I'll have to look in my shop manual to see whether it say anything about the range in psi... Right that’s all I got and most of the time it’s on L with me just driving around it’s rare it moves to H I need to driver further I suppose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoLo Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 This one also came up no light I almost pulled the trigger I was under the assumption that it’s what I needed cause I thought the 66-67 didn’t have a idiot light cause I only have gauges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 (edited) The little teeny things made partially of black bakelite are switches. They belong in the ground circuit of an idiot light. When the oil reaches a certain pressure, the switch opens and the light goes out. 7PSI is typical, though I don't know for sure Buick followed the 7PSI custom. The larger units with a bell-shaped metal covers are for gauges. They vary resistance based on pressure. They do need to match the gauge. If it's just "L" and "H" then it might not need to match that close, but it would need to be sort of close. Also the resistance would need to go in the correct direction with a change in pressure. A backwards reading gauge is a real possibility with the wrong sender. Edited June 6, 2023 by Bloo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 9 hours ago, BoLo said: This one also came up no light I almost pulled the trigger I was under the assumption that it’s what I needed cause I thought the 66-67 didn’t have a idiot light cause I only have gauges This is another SWITCH...you need a "sender" for a gauge Tom Mooney 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 (edited) This pressure switch is the style you’re looking for. I’ve had it for quite a while and now have no need for it. Here’s one of those ROA deals. If you’re an ROA member, I’ll make you a deal. Send me $5 for shipping via PayPal and I’ll send it to you. IF it works, then you’ll owe me another $15. If you’re game, send me PM with your shipping info and I’ll give you my PayPal info. Going to Kalamazoo? I’ll bring it with me. Not an ROA member, it’s time to join.😁. Ed Edited June 6, 2023 by RivNut Added photo (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoLo Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 (edited) 49 minutes ago, RivNut said: This pressure switch is the style you’re looking for. I’ve had it for quite a while and now have no need for it. Here’s one of those ROA deals. If you’re an ROA member, I’ll make you a deal. Send me $5 for shipping via PayPal and I’ll send it to you. IF it works, then you’ll owe me another $15. If you’re game, send me PM with your shipping info and I’ll give you my PayPal info. Going to Kalamazoo? I’ll bring it with me. Not an ROA member, it’s time to join.😁. Ed I am #16603 ok I’ll pm u that’s exactly it lol Edited June 6, 2023 by BoLo Missed words (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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