I have a 1994 Dodge ram 4x4 truck that has had two oil pumps in it and the rod bearings replaced once that still has intermittent oil pressure loss . My now ex-wife drove it for 2 years after I replaced the first oil pump and the rod bearings after I had a problem with the oil pressure suddenly falling from 45 psi to 0 psi . I assumed that the oil I had been using was no good because that Quaker state oil did sludge up the pump pick up strainer and the pan was full of sludge. The truck ran ok for me for awhile untill my ex-wife started driving it to her work after my old military injuries made me disabled. I got the truck after the divorce and kept it for my son to use when he was old enough, which he is now. My buddies next door put a new oil pump in it and cleaned out sludge from the pan from my ex-wife not changing the oil much while she had the truck, but it will not pump consistantly even after making sure the drain back wholes in the heads are clean.

Have any of you had problems with oil pressure in 318 motors. ??????????

 

check the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge to make sure it's not the gauge or the sending unit that's messed up. If you use the search feature, you'll find that MAAAAANY people have had problems like yours with these trucks.

 

If the main bearings have been replaced, you're sure the sludge is gone, and the oil sending unit checks out, you should check the cam bearings and the cam tunnel to see if it's cracked open. The oil sender is right down there toward the end of the tunnel and if the tunnel the cam sits in is cracked, the oil won't stay to register with the sending unit or oil the appropriate parts. This is usually the result of over torquing the intake manifold down onto the heads and block.