My oil gauge/reading

[miketyler]

those numbers seem about right to me. I'd roll with it. Chances are you can go buy a new sender and your OEM guage will be good to go as well. I wish my temp gauge would look like yours after running for an hour idling.

[422STROKER]

Those pressures sound fine.  Rule of thumb is 10 psi for every 1K rpms.

Tom

[JayBee]

Thanks for your input Mike/Tom and everyone else.

Another update. Decided to change the oil and filter (again) and I'm a lot happier. Gained between 2 to 4 PSI from the first posted readings using the mechanical gauge. Now the factory gauge reads just like it did last season (before this spring's first oil/filter change). Also the needle doesn't go down to that "scary low" area anymore either. I dunno, maybe it was bad oil or a bad filter.

I appreciate everything you all have helped with. Now I've learned how to test gauges, have a mechanical oil pressure gauge (to loan out around here, if needed) and now I know how much pressure is good enough. This site is the best.

[422STROKER]

Glad it's ok after all!

Tom

[RusTy/SE]

It may be nothing but what brand oil filter was removed, what brand replaced it? No small amount of mishaps claimed when using Fram 

[JayBee]

It may be nothing but what brand oil filter was removed, what brand replaced it? No small amount of mishaps claimed when using Fram 

You sitting...a Mopar filter from the dealer was removed. I have a hunch it was sitting around for decades. The guy said there isn't much demand for them and they couldn't even find it for a month. Okay, still sitting...it was replaced with a Fram. For the eons that I've been doing oil chages in all my cars I've always used Fram or a generic and, knock wood, haven't had any problems.

[duodec]

You sitting...a Mopar filter from the dealer was removed. I have a hunch it was sitting around for decades. The guy said there isn't much demand for them and they couldn't even find it for a month. Okay, still sitting...it was replaced with a Fram. For the eons that I've been doing oil chages in all my cars I've always used Fram or a generic and, knock wood, haven't had any problems.

Aren't current Mopar filters OEM'd from Fram?  I know a while ago they looked identical when taken apart (crappy cardboard end caps on the element, wimpy anti-drainback valve...).  Maybe it was just a bad filter, or (if it really was old) it failed on way or another.

I still stick with Napa Gold, Wix (top of the line, can't remember the name), or Mobil-1 filters based on past reviews and research, and cutaways submitted by MML reviewers many years ago.  Of course now they may all be made in China ca-ca, but then they were better.

[hooD]

I'd still replace the oil sending unit if you're going to keep using the dash readout.  My old Ranger pickup truck had extremely low oil psi according to the gauge.  After I replaced the sending unit, the psi was 3/4 up the gauge again.  Before changing the sending unit, a fresh oil change always made the low oil psi read a tad higher for about a week or 2 then it would drop to almost nothing. 

I have a mechanical oil psi gauge in my cuda, it reads 15-20 lbs @ idle and 50-60 psi while driving.

[JayBee]

duodec,I'll keep those other filters in mind for the next oil change and hooD, your readings make me feel a lot more comfortable. Thanks guys.