oil pressure disappeared.

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Last update, the dash bulb was an LED bulb that must have been placed backwards or did not work. I replaced it with a 168 bulb incandescent and now when the ignition is on but the car not started the light shines brightly. Boy, my guardian angel was on top of it that day.

Time to evaluate all my dash bulbs.
 
I would set it up so that the pickup is 1/8 off the pan without gaskets. Anything closer you may start to suck up things you may not want to....
FYI....prod engine pickup inlets are normally 1/4"-3/8" off the floor of the pan. Some of you likely know this, some may not. This is not for difficulty in suction if too close to the floor nor trying to stay away from sucking up any debris in the pan, although both are helped by the space. The real reason for prod engines is water. Yep, plain old water due to condensation. Engines can build up quite a bit of water in the pan during cold operation, and obviously aggravated by winter temps. Upwards of 10% or higher of water concentration in the oil. The only way to get the water out is for the oil to reach the boiling temp...which is hard to do in the wintertime. Since oil floats on water, the water will be settled to the bottom of the pan when the car is shut off and all the oil drains back down to the pan. Then on a startup, you'd like NOT to suck all that water into your engine! Also, the water can (and will!) freeze...then you have ice in or blocking the pickup with no ability to suck oil. So physics being what they are, water will be on the bottom so you give the pickup some space to the floor of the pan to 1) prevent ice on startup blocking the pickup and 2) prevent sucking pure water on startup if it's not frozen. As for why the pickup is typically on the bottom side of the pickup and parallel to the floor of the pan, it really just comes down to oil sloshing/starvation. You want to to keep the pickup covered at all times. High G maneuvers (typically turning or braking are higher G than acceleration in most newer cars!) can send the oil away from the pickup tube so the best chance to keep it covered and minimize sucking air is to have the pickup on the bottom side. Everything's a compromise!
 
Starting your car and letting it run for 10 minutes and then shutting it off and a week later coming back and starting it up for 10 minutes and then shutting it off this all builds water in the oil pan. Known as condensation. If you're going to start the car after it's been sitting for a long period time run it for 30 minutes or more to cook that water out of the oil.
Why don't you put a magnet in the sump of that oil pan or a magnetic drain plug it would have picked up those little wire pieces and you probably wouldn't have this problem.
 
Starting your car and letting it run for 10 minutes and then shutting it off and a week later coming back and starting it up for 10 minutes and then shutting it off this all builds water in the oil pan. Known as condensation. If you're going to start the car after it's been sitting for a long period time run it for 30 minutes or more to cook that water out of the oil.
Why don't you put a magnet in the sump of that oil pan or a magnetic drain plug it would have picked up those little wire pieces and you probably wouldn't have this problem.
Or magnetic drain plug.
 
FYI....prod engine pickup inlets are normally 1/4"-3/8" off the floor of the pan. Some of you likely know this, some may not. This is not for difficulty in suction if too close to the floor nor trying to stay away from sucking up any debris in the pan, although both are helped by the space. The real reason for prod engines is water. Yep, plain old water due to condensation. Engines can build up quite a bit of water in the pan during cold operation, and obviously aggravated by winter temps. Upwards of 10% or higher of water concentration in the oil. The only way to get the water out is for the oil to reach the boiling temp...which is hard to do in the wintertime. Since oil floats on water, the water will be settled to the bottom of the pan when the car is shut off and all the oil drains back down to the pan. Then on a startup, you'd like NOT to suck all that water into your engine! Also, the water can (and will!) freeze...then you have ice in or blocking the pickup with no ability to suck oil. So physics being what they are, water will be on the bottom so you give the pickup some space to the floor of the pan to 1) prevent ice on startup blocking the pickup and 2) prevent sucking pure water on startup if it's not frozen. As for why the pickup is typically on the bottom side of the pickup and parallel to the floor of the pan, it really just comes down to oil sloshing/starvation. You want to to keep the pickup covered at all times. High G maneuvers (typically turning or braking are higher G than acceleration in most newer cars!) can send the oil away from the pickup tube so the best chance to keep it covered and minimize sucking air is to have the pickup on the bottom side. Everything's a compromise!


The FSM says the pickup should touch the bottom of the pan.
 
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FSM is talking about the stock factory original. He's running an after market one that does not have the factory bottom standoff.
Correct.....I "thought" we had made that distinction early on in the thread. I guess he missed it. Anybody can look at the stock pickup and tell it is designed to sit on the bottom of the pan. I've never understood why anyone would think the stock pickup needs space under it, but plenty of people do.
 
The FSM says the pickup should touch the bottom of the pan.
This is also NOT true of the more modern "trumpet" pickups used in Dakota/ Rams and I've had trouble with one and seen other tear-downs all full of sludge. There was a thread on here somewhere..........
 
This is also NOT true of the more modern "trumpet" pickups used in Dakota/ Rams and I've had trouble with one and seen other tear-downs all full of sludge. There was a thread on here somewhere..........
Yes, they are flat on the bottom. The 4.7 engines also have a factory flaw where the pickup tube is actually too small and causes the oil to over heat and cook causing sludge buildup. Talked to a Jasper engine rep years ago about that and he said all their 4.7s come with an improved larger pickup tube.
 
The FSM says the pickup should touch the bottom of the pan.
We've learned alot in 50+ years!! The actual opening as noted is what you want off the bottom of the pan. If the pickup has a button or other standoff, that serves the same function to position the opening for water issues. But on a modern (meaning current generation) prod engine, you are concerned about tolerances, noise (rattle), possible road impact damage, etc hence why they normally are not designed as such.
 
Or magnetic drain plug.
I have a magnetic drain plug, evidently that does not work now does it. Time for everyone to rethink their usage and efficiency. How much protection do they really provide? Maybe a large flat magnet on the side or bottom of the pan on the outside may help.

With respect to condensation, Fortunately for me the car is kept in a heated shop. Northern Idaho is considered dry but the winters do get wet. I will remember to always give it a thorough warmup whenever I start it.

I think the problem was the pickup against the floor of the pan. I used to have about 25-30 psi at idle 950 rpms and 75 max at about 2000 rpms. Now with the increased openings I have 50 psi at 1000 rpms (idle was up due to cold temps and sniper warmup) At 2000 rpms, I was at 80 psi pressure. This is running a melling 63hv pump and 10-30 duratec oil, wix filter. FWIW, the pickup is about 1/4 inch from the bottom of the pan.
 
You can put the biggest earth magnet on the side of the pan that you want. Unless you drop the pan later you’ll never know if you have anything stuck to it. Magnetic drain plugs work but not when you introduce a lot of pieces at once.
 
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