Erotic oil temp - intermittant too :-)

Were you maybe thinking of that bumper reducer rod order when titling your post??

I know my gas gauge on my 308 does not match with reality often but the oil and water temp are usually dead on. I think your pressure is pretty good considering you are running that thin oil. I thought our old 308s ran better on the thicker stuff? I currently run 20W-50. Hopefully that's OK.

 

I want to know where to get the "Erotic" oil for my car!

 

Perhaps K-Y expanded from personal lubricants to motor oil?

 

The relief valve sticks out the front of the motor by the crankshaft pulley. You could take off the cap nut and remove the spring and plunger and check for any nicks, dirt or grit hanging it up. You could also put a mechanical gauge on the oil filter housing and verify actual engine oil pressure directly. If you pull the relief valve, I would put the nut back on and start the motor without the plunger and allow it to (ONLY) idle a moment. That could clear any possible debris from the area, then reinstall the plunger/spring.

I would watch it very carefully. If the pump is failing, debris from the pump could have fouled the relief valve. There really isnt much of anything downstream of the gauge that would block oil that much except a plugged main oil gallery inside the engine, and any blockage before (upstream) the gauge like a blocked oil cooler or plugged hose, would drop pressure downstream at the gauge. You better hope its the relief valve.

 

I'd suspect the sender/gauge/wiring first (and rule them in or out) before messing with the mechanical bits (unless you are blowing oil out in places that it shouldn't be coming from). E.g., if the wire going to the pressure sender has chafed thru its insulation to ground, it would give a full scale gauge reading maybe intermittently. JMO.

 

erotic. lol