Perkins 4236 Oil Pressure Reading

[kcollins]

Hi Folks,

I noticed the oil pressure on my Perkins 4236 dropping from 3 and flickering between 2.5 and 3 for a few seconds intermittently. It always goes back to 3 and stays there for most of the time. Has anyone had the same experience? Is it serious?

Appreciate all advice

Hebe

 

[VicS]

firstly make sure the oil level is correct!

If it's an electrical gauge it's probably a poor connection or a dicky sender.

Otherwise, who knows. If you have a low pressure warning light or buzzer disconnect the gauge and blank off the connection and quit worrying.

Constant source of worry in the days when I had then in cars! In the last one with a pressure gauge the faster I went the lower it read. Fell to about half its "normal" reading at over 100mph.

 

[jeremyshaw]

I had the same problem on my Yanmar for years. It got worse.

As I recall according to Calder there are a number of possibilities:

* low oil level
* dodgy pump
* blocked channels
* dodgy sender

Obviously low oil is easy to check, but the others are potentially worrying so despite being told not to fret I wanted to fix it.

Eventually I replaced the pressure sensor on the engine block (not the sensor for the 'red light' switch, the one for the pressure gauge) as this seemed the likeliest suspect. Not sure of the correct technical term, but I believe they are fairly standard and I got one at the local car parts shop for under a tenner - problem solved in 10 minutes. Wished I'd done it months before.

I was advised to remove the oil first, but didn't as I was fairly sure my 'pot' was well above the sump and I didn't have a problem. I found it fairly easy to identify - a steel cylinder about 4" high and 3" across with a wire going to it, near the oil pump. Screws in at the base. I just took it out and took it into the parts shop for a new match.