XJ oil pressure reading?

Question

Just bought an 86 Cherokee 2.8 and oil pressure readings seem weird.

I've just read all the postings covering low oil pressure. (A lot of postings.) The sender often seems be the prime suspect.

When I first start the engine the gauge shows about 40 pounds and drops to about zero before there's even much heat in the engine. It stays there if I run the rpm up to 3500 or so. No warning light comes on. There are no rod or lifter rattles or knocks that I can hear. Nothing that sounds like main bearing "clunks" either.

Odometer says about 165k. Seller says it has only been started every couple of months for about 1+ years. Hasn't been driven because of the oft mentioned black smoke,stumbling throttle response, rough idle thingie, whatever that is. She claims no history of low oil pressure problems. Oil was down a quart and dirty when first checked.

I'm afraid to drive this thing home.

Suggestions?

Thanks,

Lance Ferguson

Earle Horton · Accepted Answer

Have a tow service bring it to your home. Then work on it at your leisure. Does this beast have a carburetor? Black smoke could just be a stuck or non-working choke. Get a new sending unit. They are cheap.

Earle

billy ray · Answer

Be sure to throw a mechanical gauge on it beforereplacing the sending unit.  A lot of auto parts stores will 'lend' you the gauge..

Dutchmajician · Answer

Well, mystery solved. I couldn't find a mechanical gage to test the oil pressure. It occured to me to buy an aftermarket kit to mount an auxillary gage and premanently replace the old sender and gage. This avoided replacing a part with a bad failure reputation with another of the same.

It cost 16 bucks.

The oil pressure is really just fine.

Lance

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SnoMan · Answer

Nice solution. That 2.8 is a GM engine and basically a sturdy design (it was morphed into a 3.1 and a 3.4 too) and if you keep it full of coolant and clean oil it should run a long time.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

billy ray · Answer

Won't it start throwing codes of the computer thinks the engine has no oil pressure?

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SnoMan · Answer

Not on a 86-----------------

XJ oil pressure reading?

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