Help! No oil pressure!

[Don Bradner]

I never do a cold start. Cranks too long, blows too much smoke. I typically turn
the block heater on as soon as I'm up on a travel morning, and since we aren't
quick starters that means a couple of hours of heat, with an engine at or above
100 degrees at start. I always have pressure at start. That's sort of a
non-answer, but it sounds like you are in a position to test the theory - start
it warm, start it cold.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Posting today by park WiFi near Marion, NC
My location: http://www.bbirdmaps.com/user2.cfm?user=1

On 10/12/2008 at 5:31 PM Ryan Wright wrote:

>Thanks for the replies, folks. I pulled the coach forward about 30
>feet Friday afternoon and the gauge began reading. I don't think it
>was a loose wire, maybe the oil just needed to warm up? I don't ever
>remember seeing 0psi on the gauge when cold, though, I'm sure it would
>have alarmed me in the past and I'd have asked here if it were
>supposed to be this way. Other 8V92 owners, what's your oil pressure
>gauge do upon a cold start?
>
>Other than showing 0psi for a few minutes after a cold start (repeated
>after starting on Saturday & Sunday mornings, too), everything seemed
>OK. Ran @ ~30psi on the freeway, high idled @ ~15psi. idle @ ~5psi.
>Engine sounds beautiful... but I'm going to have to dig into this,
>anyway, because it seems abnormal to me.
>
>Appreciate the replies.
>
>-Ryan
>'86 PT-40 8V92
>
>On Sat, Oct 11, 2008 at 8:10 AM, Pete Masterson wrote:
>> About the only thing you can do is to install a mechanical oil
>> pressure gauge on (or near) the engine. (I'd have to know a lot more
>> about an 8v92 to tell you exactly where to install it -- but a diesel
>> mechanic familiar with that engine could probably advise you.)
>>
>> My guess was that the oil was so cold that it didn't registers much
>> pressure -- but if/when you revved up, then some pressure should have
>> shown if the gauge was working. At idle, the 8v92 has a very low oil
>> pressure.
>>
>> Ground straps work loose all the time due to vibration and are often
>> a source of problems. Partial or intermittent contact can make it
>> difficult to run down loose straps.
>>
>> Pete Masterson
>> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
>> aeonix1@...
>> On the road near Lancaster, PA
>>
>> On Oct 10, 2008, at 6:03 PM, Ryan Wright wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Mike,
>>>
>>> Nope, no gauge in the engine compartment, unfortunately.
>>>
>>> Pete: It's cold-cold... I turned the engine pre-heat on about half an
>>> hour ago, so we'll see if that changes anything. She did start a bit
>>> hard due to the cold. Maybe that's just it, oil is too cold to
>>> register much pressure? I'll check the ground straps too.
>>>
>>> Without a working oil pressure gauge, is there any way to verify the
>>> oil pump is doing it's job? The engine sounded just fine when I had it
>>> running...
>>>
>>> -Ryan
>>>
>>> On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 2:39 PM, mbulriss <mbulriss@...> wrote:
>>>> Ryan,
>>>>
>>>> Do you have a oil pressure guage in the engine compartment by the
>>>> rear
>>>> starter switch? What does that one say?
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
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Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
My location: http://www.bbirdmaps.com/user2.cfm?user=1