1952 flathead oil pressure sender

mattrat31

mattrat31

Junior Member
Hey guys, I've got a 1931 sedan with a 52 flathead in it and don't have any oil pressure. I know that oil is running through the system because my stock oil canister is filled with oil. I've got my oil pressure sender at the bottom of the block using a pipe thread T. From there the oil goes through 1/4 inch brake line into the bottom of the canister and then out using 1/4 inch brake line into the back of the block by the fuel pump.

So I know that I have oil flow but my modern stewart warner gauge is only reading maybe 1psi. I need your suggestions and what I should do. Thanks.
 
you have lines going into and out of the cannister from the back of the block where the pressure sender is??.....have you tried putting a mechanical gauge where the sender is to check pressure??....Mike
 
You're reading the pressure(or lack of it) at the point of return to the crankcase. There is no oil pressure there.
 
one suggestion is to take the filter out of the equation by plugging both lines to the filter and see what pressure reads.....Mike
 
Move the gauge to the other side of the filter.

Or remove it, its not doing much.

And my theory is that Ford added it as a sales pitch. Not for the function.
 
Harbor Freight has a mechanical engine oil pressure tester kit for $20. Zeke
 
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The oil is supposed to go from the back of the block to the side of the filter through a restricted fitting about .040 and out the filter to the bottom side of the block. You can install your oil guage in the line just before it goes into the restricted fitting or on the back of the block where the oil comes out. Walt
 
I have two suggestions:

1. We have found even new gauges sometimes fail to work properly. Get another gauge, that you know works properly and install. If it gives you the same reading, then you know the problem is elsewhere.

2. I have found that the pressure bypass valve in the oil pump can stick open. This yields practically no pressure at idle and not much pressure as the engine is reved up. The only solution is to remove the pump and replace or disassemble and clean, etc.
 
Thanks for your help guys. I found the old fitting for the pressure sensor and that sure is a tiny hole. I am also going to put it on the upper side of the canister. The reason why I didn't put it there is because I thought it looked bad and that the pressure was the same everywhere, guess not, that's why I have to use that special fitting with the tiny hole. Thanks, I'll try and let you know if this fixed it.
 
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