How difficult is to change the oil pressure sending unit?
I felt that SOB right by the distributor, seems like a PITA to do it.
BTW, what size socket should I use to remove it?
I'm going to do mechanical oil pressure gauge and remove one in the dash.

 

It's a complete pain in the ***. Make some witness marks, set to Top Dead Center on #1, and remove the distributor. Luckily the computer controls the timing so it doesn't have to be exact like on older engines.

Even if you add a mechanical for reference...might keep the stock gauge in place for a second opinion and in case the next owner wants it that way.

 

Remove the dizzy what for?? there is more than enough room to do this job without taking out the dizzy. A 3/8 drive ratchet, 12" extension and a swivel joint and socket that's all you need. It's tight but not that bad, mostly blind handed work.

 

Do NOT remove or loosen the distributor. Get the new oil sender and get a deep 1 1/16 12 point socket IIRC and make sure it fits the new sender first. Remove the air cleaner and you'll be able to see much better.

 

no, no, no a thousand times no. do not remove the distributor unless you or a buddy have a hi-tech scanner that can reset the fuel sync.

find another way.

 

That's what the witness mark is for. A couple thousandths difference isn't going to upset the sync.

I thought I should add more detail. I have done this several times for various reasons and never had to re-sync.

As is practice whenever pulling a distributor, set the engine to Top Dead Center on #1. This will point the distributor rotor to #1. Use a long flat head screw driver or chisel and a whack from a hammer and put a witness mark that hits on both the distributor flange and the block. This way that mark tells you the orientation of the distributor body. As long as the mark is on both, you can line it up spot on every time.

When the distributor goes back in, as long as the mark lines up and the rotor lines up...meaning you're in the same tooth on the cam gear, the truck will never know the distributor was removed.

Heck, even using a witness mark for setting it up, there's less variance than the slop that exists in most older timing chains.

 

Thing is, the dist isn't in the way of the OPS.....

 

+1000, NO good reason at all to deal with the dizzy when replacing the oil sender.

 

dont move the dist. you can get to it with and extenion and ratchet, with a socker. they make a socket exactly for it at autozone. its on the isle with the tools

 

I replaced mine without removing the distributor. It wasn't the easiest to get to and I worked blind, but not a huge deal. The connector was probably the most hassle.