First off, let me say this: I have not verified the loss in oil pressure because I'm quit sure how to do it. I have a Craftsmen Vacuum gauge. Tell me how to use it to verify the loss of oil pressure please?

Second this is my work horse, fire wood hauler, quad hauler. I will run it until the box/body rots the hell off.

Okay, it's a 96 318 2x4 ram, auto 171k miles. When the engine is warm, at idle the oil light flickers a bit sometimes, and sometimes stays on solid. As soon as you give it gas, it goes away. This happens both in gear and sometimes in neutral/park. If you turn the wheel (put a load on the engine), the oil pressure gauge drops to zero, give it gas, comes back up to 40. When the light flickers the gauge is at about 30-35. When running the oil gauge on the dash never goes above 40. As long as the RPM's are above basically 600, it's got 40 psi.
Also, when the engine is cold, this problem does not happen. When the engine is at operating temp then it starts to happen.

Okay, so here's what's throwing me off. When the oil pressure "disappears", there is no sounds coming from the engine at all. No knocks, no pings, no ticks, nothing. The engine does not sound like it's loosing pressure. It NEVER knocks, pings, ticks or anything. So, my thought is the oil pressure sending unit. However, I need to confirm that the engine is in fact, NOT losing pressure. I know an oil pressure sending unit only costs $25, but I don't want to throw parts at it and hope. Oil pressure is a big issue.

Can anyone teach me how to use this vacuum gauge to check the oil pressure and where the best place to check it is? Or do I need to get an oil pressure gauge from advance or something to check it?

 

With a vacuum gauge? That'd be a fine trick indeed. You need a pressure gauge.

 

Well, the reason I asked is because my vacuum gauge measures both vacuum and pressure in PSI.

How do I check the oil pressure with a borrowed gauge from advance?

 

No other thoughts?

 

well....to tell you the truth, this is a common problem....id say the oil sending unit is bad, or the pickup tube is getting clogged.


have you done your plenum? it could be that bad that its causing these issues.

 

Honestly completely forgot about the plenum problems.... Have a 4.7 Dak that doesn't have that issue and I haven't put hardly anything into this ram. She's being real good to me.

I think I'll take a look at that, and then swap the sending unit. Friend gave me a known good sending unit to see if thats the problem.

Its right by the oil filter right? Little round thing with a two prong plug on the end?
Just looked at a picture, looks like it's by the firewall... That'll be fun.

 

nah, its not to bad, do you have a haynes or chilton manual?

 

nope. usually learn by doing.

I do have access to all data however.

 

but first before anything check that plenum, the hughes kit is only $86 +ship, but you need new intake gaskets and bolts, the stock bolts are TTY (Torque to yeild)

 

Yeah i'll take a look at the plenum. I looked at the Hughes site.

I can't find the post on the plenum repairs though... I searched, but couldn't find it. I thought it was a sticky.... It used to be when I had my old 96 360 a couple years ago...