ok so i have a 97 2500 4x4 149,000 miles the last week now every once in a while i noticed my oil pressure gauge drop to zero when i stop at lights and normally it only happens after i get the motor all warmed up after a good 30 min drive or so. when i hit the gas to go the needle pops back up to 40 and sits there no movement while i drive at all untill i hit the next light. when i stop my oil light periodically will come on but goes away when i start to move?
iv noticed when i sit at the light if i give just a slight pedal the gauge will pop back up and be just fine but if i let off it drops. im worried i could be gettin ready to loose my oil pump does this sound like it? or could it just be the sending unit and the gauge? i really need to find out im gettin ready to make the drive back home to colorado and dont want me and my kids stranded on the side of the road cause i blew the motor.

 

Hook up a mechanical guage and see what the actual reading is. Really only way to know. I hope it's just the sending unit for your guage on the fritz. I would do this sooner than later. If it's really dropping to Zero on you wont take much to cook that engine.

 

Have you checked the oil level?

 

Mine is doing the exact same thing, but my oil level is fine and the engine isn't making a wrapping noise so that is a plus. I'm glad I found this post. Hopefully someone can help

 

Mine is a 97 1/2 ton and it was doing that exact same thing just a couple of weeks ago.. I posted on here about and a few guys told me to hook up a mechanical gauge and I did.. I was kind of concerend at first.. When first started truck the gauge would reald 650lbs.. then after about 20min. it would read about 25lbs. then when I would stop and let the thing idle it would be down around the 10lb. mark on the mechanical gauge.. I posted about this , and had someone reply back telling me that from the factory these engines only have about 7-10lbs. of pressure at idle..

 

1997 5.2L here and it does this as well. No worries.

 

ya i checked the oil level and it was good and like muscle car guy i have no funny noises either it acts just fine but definitely has me spooked. ill hook up a gauge and see what it says is the pressure readings that keith said right? id like to know before i do it

 

That 7 lbs. is the minimum given by the factory. Personally I have never seen one that low. To me it sounds like time for a rebuild.