New clutch and oil sender isnt working

[tommyg29]

go figure. I just paid $500 for the labor to swap my clutch and clean up the flywheel. The old clutch was worn almost to the rivets, and the new clutch makes it drive like a totally different car. I have been babying the car for months, and the clutch had been soft for so long I forgot what a muscle car is supposed to drive like!

But, almost home before I notice the oil gauge is on zero, and after I pulled it out of gear and started coasting, and my heart dropped back down into my chest, I realized the coolant was normal, and hey, the wire was probably disconnected. I took an educated risk and drove it carefully home the last couple miles and the engine seemed normal.
The sender wire is connected at the back top of the motor and runs into the loom up on the firewall. Is there any way the tranny guy could haved messed up that wire r&r'ing the tranny? Or do these senders commonly fail?



looks like I need to clean back there soon too

[Road_Runner]

Same thing happened on my wedding night.  We were driving to Florida for our honeymoon and the oil gauge in my 72 Cougar convertible started dropping and kept going until it was basically showing no pressure.  I pulled over to check everything out and visually all looked OK, so I kept driving south and told my new wife that we might be walking at any time.  Made it to Florida and back and kept driving for several year afterwards, just a bad sending unit on mine.

On yours, could just be a strange coincidence or maybe they yanked the wire and broke it somewhere under the insulation  ...  hope yours is an easy fix, too.

Later, Jim

[72rtchallenger]

could be the sending unit but you might want to omh the wire

[brads70]

I never trust those sending units, that's why I run a mechanical gauge? Oil pressure and water temp minimum? 

[tommyg29]

I want to keep it stock as possible so if necessary I will just get a replacement sender. But not before testing wiring and connections first of course.
Just thought it was too coincidental. But are you saying they fail often? or just not accurate enough for you?

Also think I found a missing bolt high up on the bellhousing. Looks about the size of the one I noticed on top of the guys tool box shelf before I backed the car out of the shop!
Think I'll call him back tomorrow morning. For $500 and about 4 hours work I think I was ripped. But the owner of the shop is a friend of mine and has done lots of free work for me in the past.

[Challenger6pak]

I'd just put a new sender on it.  They are not too accurate, but they are better than nothing.  Looks like your intake gasket is leaking oil also.

[tommyg29]

looking at my picture (I just poked the camera back there) I noticed that too! How would oil get there? Intake gasket??
I also noticed it looks like a bellshousing bolt right next to the sender. Could that bolt somehow interfere with oil  supplied to the sender? or more likely the guy just messed up the sender while throwing his tools around back there?

[Grec]

It's my understanding that the sending units are VERY sensitive to case deformation due to improper installation... ie... if the guy used his hand to tighten, he could have deformed the casing enough to F it up. That's why that nut is there. Of course you need a special wrench to use it which is why most people use their hand. :-)

I did that on my 1st one. Gauge pegged out. Replaced and installed correctly and it works fine now.

[tommyg29]

so if a tool is banged onto the housing that could disable it to the point it reads zero? or would that just make it read erratically?

[72rtchallenger]

so if a tool is banged onto the housing that could disable it to the point it reads zero? or would that just make it read erratically?

yes that can happen or he may have bent it some while installing the tranny

[jimynick]

Regardless of what happens with the sensor Tommy, run a line and mechanical gauge into that fitting and make SURE it's only a sender and that the wee beastie HAS lots of oil pressure! Cheap peace of mind. 

[Chryco Psycho]

Big block right ?
I bet he let the engine hang while changing the clutch & it lean against the firewall , just ground the wire to the sender & the guage should deflect meaning the rest of the circuit is fine & the sender is damaged

[tommyg29]

Big block right ?
I bet he let the engine hang while changing the clutch & it lean against the firewall , just ground the wire to the sender & the guage should deflect meaning the rest of the circuit is fine & the sender is damaged

ahhh
now thats something I can visualize happening.
Ground the gray wire and see if it spikes.
Thanks.