Horney's 'James Shead' 1988 BTCC Golf GTI replica build.

[Stu.750]

Can you aquire another gauge to possibly connect both in place just temporarily ,compaire the 2 readings ? 

[Horney]

I'll see if I can borrow a pucka garage tester from the local garage.

Nick

[Diamond Hell]

You should be measuring the oil pressure on the filter housing, where it has pressure direct from the pump.

Why do you think the low pressure warning is in the head and the high pressure warning is in the filter housing? 

[Horney]

Well a new pump and oil change won't do any harm and I'll have another look at fitting the gauge back on the filter housing but with the t piece it was looking like a tight squeeze against the water pipes from the front head flange. The tapped hole for the sender is in a different location to the original filter housing and is directly under the water flange which is a right bummer!

Nick

[VeeDubGTI16v]

i shouldn't worry too much, it would sound horrible if there was no oil pressure!

did you drop the sump in the end? might be worth looking at the old oil pump first, check the strainer isn't full of crap

[Horney]

Yeah I thought it would sound like a bag of spanners if it was that ill. Decided blowing money on the pump was best left till after investigation so I'm going to do the following.

1) Try and get the gauge back on the filter housing and see what results that produces.
2) Drop the sump and check the strainer.
3) If the pressure is still low and the strainer clear I'll change the pump.

Going to try and swap the pick up for the pressure gauge tonight but I always struggle working on the car in the week after being at work all day and then getting home and cooking dinner etc.

Nick

[VeeDubGTI16v]

Yeah I thought it would sound like a bag of spanners if it was that ill.

is the polo ill then? 

[Horney]

Cheeky!

[Horney]

Oil Pressure gauge refitted to filter housing, it's tight but it just fits although I'm going to see if I can find a shorter T-piece as it is up against one of the coolant hoses. Anyhoo, to the pressure. It's reading what it was at that location before the oil cooler was fitted. So approx 15psi @ idle and then once on the power 10psi above the rpm, I.E 3Krmp = 40psi 4Krmp = 50psi then leveling off when nearing the limiter.

So I am less paranoid about the pressure now as those readings, while not being great, aren't horrific. The choice now is to try and hook up another gauge to check whether mine rust reads a bit low or just chuck another pump on there and see what changes.

Nick

[VeeDubGTI16v]

just a thought, it might be worth checking the copper pipe isn't kinked at all going to the gauge