Maybe the PO didn't keep up on there oil changes and there is a little sludge blocking the pickup. Check around the pump and clean the pan good as long as you have it off. I would find someone that has experience come check it out with you, like a buddy or friend.

 

Dropping the pan is more work than it looks like, especially in a 4WD D. The front diff has to be dropped to get enogh room to drop the pan. The oil pickup assembly bolts to the pump, I'd suspect that it either has a crack in it that is above the oil pickup line, or as others have said the pump is on it's way out.

By all means, use a mechanical gauge and check your *real* oil pressure first. You may very well find that you don't really have a problem after all.

Regarding replacing the oil pump, it's not *that* bad of a job, but you need to pull the front of the motor (harmonic balancer, water pump, timing cover / chains, etc.) as the oil pump wraps around the crank. It's time consuming and takes a couple of special tools to do.

Good luck!

Bob

 

I didn't have a chance to get mechanical gauges on the D this wekend. But I have been putting some careful miles on her. Always checking the dipstick, I noticed the color is getting miserable. So I did an oil change. This is what 300, yes 300, not 3000, miles did to the 5w30 synthetic that I put in. Pretty sure that's no bueno.

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dis you figure out what was wrong seems I am having the same issues. Would like to know what you found. The help will be appreciated thanks.

 

Having the same issue myself! For me just getting the engine 1-200 RPM above idle makes the gage jump from nothing to normal. Usually at idle the needle sits to the right of the low side , a little to the left of where Shrpshtr's is in the picture, but now once its warm, when the needles gets close to that spot, it just drops t the red suddenly, almost as if the pressure won't register below a certain point. More details about my truck and the issue in the thread I posted...