so i recently read a few threads on oil pumps and what not. and ever since i have had my d the oil pressure gauge has read slightly below the 40 mark. and every now and then when i start it it will run between 40 and the far right mark. so what im asking is my oil pump bad or is my gauge messed up? also when its running under the 40 mark it seems slugish but has spurts of power. i just always assumed it was hitting a power band of something like that.
so if my oil pump is going bad, is it difficult to replace? i have never replaced one on a dodge. i have on my 460 in my 93 stang. it was easy drop the oil pan and unbolt the oil pump pull it out and install the one.
is that how you replace the oil pump on the 5.2?

 

i just did the oil pump in my 99 "Zombie Killer" i put a mellings high volume oil pump 40$ at advance auto.

if its 4x4 you'll have to drop the front axle to make clearance for the oil pan to drop down its not difficult at all i did it in my dads garage with normal tools and about 1hour of time. makes a world of a difference make sure to take the screen off soak and clean that while preping the new pump for installation, what ive read is the Valve covers on the 5 series motors were painted with some paint that chips off over time and the screen plugs up causing a loss of oil pressure ( i suggest doing it now instead of waiting to have 0 oil pressure like i did luckily i changed it before it started tapping.

any other questions let me know

 

yes i do have another question. i live in western ny. where we get hammered hard all winter with lake effect snow from lake erie. so we get alot of salt and and sand on the roads. to make a long story short. most of all the bolts on this thing are rusty. and i immagine will be difficult.
my question to you is, did you use impact tools or just wrenches? and if your vehicle is like mine did you run into alot of rusty ceased bolts. and did you have to take your front suspension appart to get at it? or did you just unbolt the front half shafts, and the front drive axle from the transfre case? if im going to do this i would appreciate whatever info you got for me.
thank you.

 

your going to have to drop the whole front axle to get the pan off you can use an impact wrench or the skid plates and front axle , but not on the pan ( you'll break the bolts or ruin the pan ) , i didnt have to many rusted bolts but i still used AeroKroil 2 days before i did the job sprayed everything under the truck , then day prior, then day of the job itself, and i used an impact wrench on front axle and skid plates came off with ease with the impact, the front axle is held up just by the bolts ( you'll see the bolts when you get under the truck , Remember to usse jack stands and remember to support the front axle with a jack to lower it , the longest part of the job was taking the front axle down everything else was smooth sailing after that

P.S. - I attached a picture of the oil pump filter that i cleaned after i took it off ( Its not new even though it looks like it ) that is attached to the oil pump

any other questions just let me know

 

40psi at idle is fine, its unlikely that you have a problem with your pump

straight from the 98 FSM

for the 5.2
for the 5.9
if i were you i wouldnt bother with replacing the pump your pressure seems to be fine to me, if you really doubt it then you should hook up a mechanical gage to determine what actual pressure is.

 

my only thing is with the oil pump is that normally it will run below the 40psi mark continuously, even when im driving around. and when i throttle up shouldnt the pressure rise? cuz it doesnt. and every now and then on a cold start, it will run abouve the 40psi mark, and when i throttle up it will rise with the motor reving and drop when i let off the gas. and i notice it runs better to when it reads a higher psi.
and i think its odd i have a noise like a "wosh" sound like a loud fan blowing when i hit the throttle when it reads below the 40psi mark, and not when it reads above the 40psi mark.
i know thats kinda of a vague discription but i dont know how to describe it better.
if it is my oil pump which i beleive it may be going bad, i just might as well change it out

 

from your origional post i did not get all of that information, yes it should rise as you rev the engine, i have 25-30 PSI at idle with a hot engine, and 75-80 cruising down the highway with a warm engine, if it doesnt it would be a weak oil pump (as you suspected) or a blockage in the filter causing the pressure to drop (the sensor is after the filter) however if this has been going on for longer than an oil change that rules out the filter.

 

since i have owned the truck i have changed the oil on it twice. the first time it got its oil changed was 2 days after i got the poor thing. and i changed the oil a few weeks ago when i did the sea foam treatment. and when i removed the old oil filter from the mechanics, it was sizeably smaller. and the one i put on a few weeks ago was from the dealership so i know its the right size. and new. but as far as the oil pump goes thats fine it sounds like a job i can do in an afternoon. now you said theres a oil pressure sensor? after the filter? where is that located? cuz if im going to change out the pump i might as well change the sensor also.
and as i said befor when the oil pressure reads low, it makes a loud wosh sound like a turbo fan constantly blowing loudly from under the hood. and it gets louder as i excelerate. but it only does it when i step on the gas to take off or if im driving up a hill. it doesnt do it when im crusing. do you have any idea what that could be? obviously its because of the oil pump. and hopefully when i change out the oil pump it wont do it any more, but what is making that noise?
thanks.

 

i actually have no clue how anything related to the oil pump would cause a noise like that.

as for the location of the sensor im not sure on your engine, however on the 4.7 it is in the block just above the filter so i would suggest looking in that area, although i would hook up a mechanical gage to get true oil pressure if i were you.

 

i dont know either, but it only happens when my oil pressure reads below 40psi. may be something else that is effected by the low oil pressure. we will see. ill be doing it this week sometime.