1952-59 Ford Oil light on 56 292

Hey Guys
Went for a ride today and oil light came on. Stopped & checked oil it was only to bottom of hash marks. Added a little to bring it up to full. Ran a couple more miles and back on, every time it came back on I stopped and checked, not losing oil, or at least not much, Does have small leak at rear seal. Back home at high rpm light would flicker dim, I am thinking oil pump might be going out. But thought I would ask the experts first. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! An oil pressure gauge would probably help more than the original idiot light ?

Thanks Tobey

 

You might check the sending unit.

 

Knowing what it can cost for Y-block parts, be safe and add a gauge it is cheap insurance.

 

Yeah dummy lights are for dummies. Mech. oil pressure gauge is the way to go. It shouldn't lie.

 

The light indicates oil pressure, not volume, so adding oil wouldn't have much of an effect...unless it was so seriously low that the pump was pumping air, not oil.

The guys are right. Invest in an oil pressure guage. The Idiot Light only indicates that something is amis, but cannot tell you what is wrong or how serious it might be.

An oil pressure guage can be a very helpful diagnostic tool if you know how to interpret the readings.

Two readings are most important: hot idle oil pressure and hot road speed oil pressure. All other readings are irrelevant.

If the actual oil pressure is 10 lbs. or higher at hot idle, I wouldn't worry too much. The bearings are still okay as is the pump.

Road speed oil pressure will vary on a hot engine, but anything above 10 - 15 lbs. is probably okay. 30 - 40 lbs. is much better.

If the oil pressure is lower than 10 lbs at hot idle, the motor is worn and will need to be freshened up fairly soon...but I personally wouldn't panic until the hot idle oil pressure falls below 5 lbs. or so. At this point there will probably be other signs of a severely worn engine including strange noises and heavy smoke from the breathers or the exhaust.

If the hot road speed oil pressure is lower than 10 lbs. it's time to make plans for an overhaul. Either the bearings are badly worn, the pump is badly worn...or both.

Driving an engine with lower-than-ideal oil pressure readings is not necessarily bad...up to a point. Oil pressure will gradually fall as the engine goes through its normal life span, and oil pressure is a very good way to tell how much life it's got left.

Very low oil pressure, on the other hand, can lead to damaged components such as the cam and, most importantly, the crank. Low oil pressure can also lead to more rapid failure of bearings and pumps, so there's no future in pushing the limits. It'll just end up costing more in the long run.

By the same token, running out and rebuilding the motor just because the oil pressure has fallen a few pounds is not cost-effective.

But... SUDDEN loss or reduction in oil pressure is a sure sign of internal parts failure. Shut the motor off and do not restart it until you are in a position to make immediate repairs.

Running an engine with severely low or no oil pressure will quickly turn it into junk.

Let us know what you learn when you install a guage, okay?

 

Thanks for the help. I am going to get a gauge this week.

I am new to the 292, can anyone tell me where the oil pressure sending unit is located on the engine?

Also, just for reference, where is the location of the oil pump and could the screen on the pump be clogged.

Thanks again
Tobey

 

Thanks guys for all the help with my oil light problem.
My Son and I played hookie Today, We Took the old sending unit out and replaced it with a Stewart Warner mechanical pressure gauge, changed oil, plugs,and wires,
Fired her up shes got 48 to 50 lbs at hot idle ad 55 to 60 lbs at road speed
shes running great!
Thanks Again for all the info and help you guys are the best.
Tobey

 

Very good. Sounds like the motor is nice and tight...ready for lots of road miles.

The pressure will fall a few pounds (3 - 8 lbs.) as the viscosity of the new oil relaxes with use. This is normal and is a function of the oil, not the engine.

It should then stabilize and stay constant until you change the oil again.

Bet'cha sighed a big sigh of relief when you saw the strong guage readings for the first time, eh?

Now... What kind of Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system does your motor have? If it's still a vent tube, we need to talk...

 

What i've done in the past is to run both a gauge and the idiot light, cuz you're not always looking at the gauge. This way, if the light comes on, it gets your attention NOW!!!

 

How do you run both are there two ports in the block?

 

Use a tee at the tapped hole where you installed the pressure gauge.