Oil Pressure Gauge problems

[LateOnTheBrakes]

Your gauge tests fine. Are your new senders actually senders, or could they be switches? You never know with people at the parts counter these days.

My question is along these lines. How do I make sure I get the correct oil pressure and coolant temp senders? I just reworked a gauge cluster to get rid of my army truck dummy lights for gauges. I am trying to do my research ahead of time but Advance Auto has at least six options. Some have a single blade coming off the back of the sender, some have two. Some are listed as lights, others as gauges.

I assume I only need one blade and that I want the "gauge". But I'm afraid of getting one with a weird voltage/resistance. Any advice or part numbers? I know I will need metric adapters for it to work with my LS engine.

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[C10MixMaster]

My question is along these lines. How do I make sure I get the correct oil pressure and coolant temp senders? I just reworked a gauge cluster to get rid of my army truck dummy lights for gauges. I am trying to do my research ahead of time but Advance Auto has at least six options. Some have a single blade coming off the back of the sender, some have two. Some are listed as lights, others as gauges.

I assume I only need one blade and that I want the "gauge". But I'm afraid of getting one with a weird voltage/resistance. Any advice or part numbers? I know I will need metric adapters for it to work with my LS engine.

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For Truck Years: 1978 - 1990
(Please note: although factory oil pressure sending units are available calibrated to 60 PSI, 80 PSI and 100 PSI gauges - 60 PSI is the most common calibration. To determine which sender you have, the pressure calibration is stamped into the hex nut at the base of the sender adjacent to the mounting threads. Regardless of pressure calibration, all oil pressure senders have the same resistance values, as indicated below).
The Oil Pressure Gauge Needle Should Point to:
Left Line (Low, 0 PSI) when sender resistance = ~0 Ω
Middle Line (30, 40, or 50 PSI) when sender resistance = 30 Ω
Right Line (High, 60, 80, or 100 PSI) when sender resistance = 60 Ω


You want a 60 psi gauge sending unit with 1 wire.

COOLANT TEMPERATURE GAUGE PARAMETERS
For Truck Years: 1967 - 1973
The Temp Gauge Needle Should Point to:
Left Line (Cold) when sender resistance = 350 Ω
Middle Line when sender resistance = 76 Ω
Right Line (Hot) when sender resistance = 51 Ω
For Truck Years: 1974 - 1978
The Temp Gauge Needle Should Point to:
Left Line (Cold) when sender resistance = 350 Ω
Middle Line when sender resistance = 68 Ω
Right Line (Hot) when sender resistance = 46 Ω
For Truck Years: 1979 - 1990
The Temp Gauge Needle Should Point to:
Left Line (Cold) when sender resistance = 1,365 Ω
Middle Line when sender resistance = 96 Ω
Right Line (Hot) when sender resistance = 55 Ω

temp senders are a bit more complicated depends on the dash cluster you are using, plus there are more than one size for the hole in the head.

 

[LateOnTheBrakes]

Thanks for the detailed response. Any advice on the temp sensor?

 

[C10MixMaster]

Thanks for the detailed response. Any advice on the temp sensor?

just edited my first response.

 

[LateOnTheBrakes]

The gauge cluster is the one shown. I took it off a junkyard truck. Pretty sure it was an 84 or 85. How would I verify what I have to know which resistance range senders I need? Is there a way to shop for them based on the resistance values you listed? I would like each sensor to have a single male, spade connector. I have the female connectors in my kit from Painless.

 

[Bextreme04]

The gauge cluster is the one shown. I took it off a junkyard truck. Pretty sure it was an 84 or 85. How would I verify what I have to know which resistance range senders I need? Is there a way to shop for them based on the resistance values you listed? I would like each sensor to have a single male, spade connector. I have the female connectors in my kit from Painless.

You could get a rheostat in the appropriate range from amazon for cheap. Just wire it to the cluster with some power and adjust the rheostat until it reads low, then measure the resistance in the rheostat. Then adjust for the high reading and measure again. Now you know the range of your gauge.

 

[Bextreme04]

That method would work for all of your gauges by the way

 

[LateOnTheBrakes]

My electrical knowledge is pretty limited. I'm a mechanical engineer, electricity is somewhat of a black magic to me. I don't even know what a rheostat is and I probably don't want to mess with that adjustment. I would rather just get the gauges that were meant for this truck, this gauge cluster.

I just want to see if I can get a reasonable measurement and read out with this factory cluster before I decide to invest in one from Dakota digital or something similar.

 

[C10MixMaster]

The gauge cluster is the one shown. I took it off a junkyard truck. Pretty sure it was an 84 or 85. How would I verify what I have to know which resistance range senders I need? Is there a way to shop for them based on the resistance values you listed? I would like each sensor to have a single male, spade connector. I have the female connectors in my kit from Painless.

with the 210 marking i bet its the later version. so try looking for one from a 78 and up. 78 and up should all be the correct resistance. can't remember the year but around 78-81 the switched from a 1/2 sender to the smaller 3/8 sender , unfortunately I didn't add that to my notes , those years should all be 1 wire senders. This should narrow your search at the parts counter.

 

[Bextreme04]

My electrical knowledge is pretty limited. I'm a mechanical engineer, electricity is somewhat of a black magic to me. I don't even know what a rheostat is and I probably don't want to mess with that adjustment. I would rather just get the gauges that were meant for this truck, this gauge cluster.

I just want to see if I can get a reasonable measurement and read out with this factory cluster before I decide to invest in one from Dakota digital or something similar.

I am also a mechanical engineer... it ain't rocket surgery man! A rheostat is a variable resistor(it is what is used in gauge cluster dimmer circuits usually). It is also what is used in the fuel level senders. Basically the position of the arm varies the amount of resistance in the circuit. You can't just get the ones meant for that truck and gauge cluster because you don't know what the original cluster came out of or what the gauges are expecting.

 

[LateOnTheBrakes]

I am also a mechanical engineer... it ain't rocket surgery man! A rheostat is a variable resistor(it is what is used in gauge cluster dimmer circuits usually). It is also what is used in the fuel level senders. Basically the position of the arm varies the amount of resistance in the circuit. You can't just get the ones meant for that truck and gauge cluster because you don't know what the original cluster came out of or what the gauges are expecting.

It's not that I'm scared to take it on. Just don't have the bandwidth or interest to figure it out unless someone has a "how to" showing me what parts to buy and step-by-step instructions.

 

[Bextreme04]

According to C10mixmaster, you shouldn't really have anything to check... if your cluster came out of a 80's of any year, it will have the higher resistance temp sensor. You can get the adapter for whatever size sensor you end up getting, so that shouldn't really be a concern either. This site has a wide variety of the adapters. https://lsxinnovations.com/product-category/ls-swap-adapters/ls-gauge-adapter-fittings/

 

[LateOnTheBrakes]

There are 11 options that say they fit. 7 if I narrow by brand.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

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[Bextreme04]

None of those are an oil pressure sending unit for a gauge in a 1985