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  View original topic: oil pressure sensor 1980 vanagon
jfrog Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:14 pm

If the oil pressure sensor is not hooked up, will the engine start? I know stupid question right.

Zeitgeist 13 Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:39 pm

Yes. There's no interface between the sending unit and the starter

I assume you're just talking about the electrical part of the sender, right? Otherwise, you'll experience your own personal Valdez

Wildthings Fri Jul 04, 2014 7:43 pm

What problem are you experiencing?

jfrog Sun Jul 06, 2014 4:01 pm

Thanks for replying. I have a newly rebuilt type IV engine in a 1980 vanagon, and I cant start it up. There is a god-aweful whirring sound when I turn the key on at the left side of the engine (while facing) and tit stops when I relieve the pressure in the fuel ring. I think it may be a problem with the dble relay for the fuel pump, or the fuel pressure regulator. When I start it, the engine turns over, and dies right after turning over. :x

Wildthings Sun Jul 06, 2014 4:24 pm

The noise may be your fuel pressure regulator, but it should only make noise with the engine is being cranked or is running as those are the time when the fuel pump should be running. Maybe put a gauge on the test port and see what your fuel pressure is. Use a long enough hose so you can hang the gauge where you can see it from the driver's seat. The manual tells you all about testing the pressure. Either too much pressure or too little and the engine will not run well if at all.

jfrog Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:31 am

Hey y'all, thanks for the help. it turns out I didn't have the ground wire to the sending unit hooked up, so no injection. Yep. runnin like a top now Yea! ready for summer!

Wildthings Mon Jul 14, 2014 3:22 pm

Would like to see a picture of what you are talking about. the neither oil pressure sender has a ground wire, they are grounded through the bodies of the senders.

jfrog Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:36 am

I meant the computer for the fuel injection system wasn't grounded. I didn't have the little ground wire from the plugin to the computer attached to the frame

danfromsyr Wed Jul 16, 2014 12:17 pm

it's lessons like these that make us experts (in due time).

jfrog Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:17 pm

I put in a CHT guage, and Oil pressure Guage in my 1980 Westy. The CHT was between 300 and 450 degrees F. Is that too hot? I hooked it up to the cylinder 3 spark plug. Also, the PSI on the Oil guage is 10 at idle, and between 30 and 50 while running. Does this sound normal?

WestyJP Fri Jul 18, 2014 8:41 am

I prefer, and am almost always able to keep my chts at or below 350. Occasionally they spike to 370 or so but not too often.

I don't remember the acceptable oil pressure ranges right now but my AC 2.0's oil pressure is always a good bit higher than what you describe. I've been running 20w50 weight oil year round and keep the oil temps around 180 to 200 in the summer time when pushing highway speeds though so if you run lighter oil and/or hotter oil temps you will see lower pressures all other things equal. I believe that I'm usually running around 50 at highway speeds and 20-25 at idle when warm but I can't recall exactly. I may have too many guages if I can't keep up with oil pressure but temps and air fuel ratio are the ones that I watch more closely and I just check to see the needle up and active on oil pressure typically.

Randy in Maine Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:17 am

jfrog wrote: I put in a CHT guage, and Oil pressure Guage in my 1980 Westy. The CHT was between 300 and 450 degrees F. Is that too hot? I hooked it up to the cylinder 3 spark plug. Also, the PSI on the Oil guage is 10 at idle, and between 30 and 50 while running. Does this sound normal?

That sounds about normal.

When the CHT gets too high (>400º if you have stock "non-improved valve seat" heads) , just back off the throttle by downshifting or dropping speed. Your CHT is directly related to how hard you are pushing on the accelerator pedal.

jfrog Fri Jul 18, 2014 1:34 pm

Thanks guys, I think I'll be replacing my oil with Dino Oil 20-50. The guy who rebuilt my engine told me to put sae 30 to break in the cam. I think the cam is great, so I'm getting new oil pronto!

Wildthings Fri Jul 18, 2014 2:54 pm

jfrog wrote: Thanks guys, I think I'll be replacing my oil with Dino Oil 20-50. The guy who rebuilt my engine told me to put sae 30 to break in the cam. I think the cam is great, so I'm getting new oil pronto!

Report back to us on what happens to your oil pressure and oil temperature.

sandoz Fri Jul 18, 2014 5:07 pm

Quote: I prefer, and am almost always able to keep my chts at or below 350. Occasionally they spike to 370 or so but not too often.


Your signature doesn't state where you live but it I would have to guess that it is at sea level and in a very flat area if you are able to keep temps at 370 and below?!?!

eastfalia4now Sun Jul 27, 2014 10:06 am

sandoz wrote: Quote: I prefer, and am almost always able to keep my chts at or below 350. Occasionally they spike to 370 or so but not too often.


Your signature doesn't state where you live but it I would have to guess that it is at sea level and in a very flat area if you are able to keep temps at 370 and below?!?!

I have an 82 Westy. My CHTs stay around 320 around town (minus the hills) and sometimes lower if it's a cool day. They only went as high as 376 on a recent trip to the Adirondacks on long climbs. I am running an Omega lab thermometer with type J thermocouples. Ring sensors on #2 & #3. #3 runs about 20 degrees hotter than #2 consistently. I confirmed the Omega's reading with an infrared thermometer. They were within a degree of each other. Revs seem to be the major factor in CHT for me. Higher revs = higher temps. Remove foot from gas and the temps drop quickly.



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