Oil pressure sender/gauge/installation

["Stian Birkeland" <dmc_norway@xxxx>]

krfds@xxxx writes:
What could it mean that the oil pressure guage is really jumpy. While it 
never displays low or no pressure, while idoling and while driving the guage 
jumps up and down and is quite erattic? >>

-Wayne VIN...11174 writes:
Mine does that too. It stays near the top, pressure wise, but bounces
around. The sending unit is also leaking a bit where it screws into the 
engine. The cure (for both items) is to replace the sending unit sometime 
when you change your oil. There is a sending unit on each side of the 
engine. I believe the passenger side one runs the gauge. (Ask your D parts 
supplier when your order your sending unit. You might want to replace both 
sending units at the same time. I think the other one is for the "idiot 
light.") You have to have the oil filter off anyway to get at it. So I'm 
told. I'm not due to change my oil just yet.

Here's my 2 cents worth:
DeLorean Midstates Club/Marty Maier (www.midstatedmc.com) sell a new 
calibrated oil sending unit. The sender measures the oil pressure in your 
engine and gives you the info on the oil pressure gauge in the dash. My 
DeLorean VIN 6759 had always the needle on top, pointing to 80psi. Sometimes 
the needle would drop but not far, and then back to the top again. I think 
DMC used a standard oil sending unit from Volvo. It probably matches Volvo 
100%, but it is wrong calibrated on the DMC. The new oil sending unit is $35 
from Mr. Maier. I strongly recommend it. Is it a hard installation? No, you 
can do it yourself.
...

Hi!
My scenario. I climbed under the passenger side of the engine, and found the 
unit at once. The hard part was getting off the old unit. I used some 
loosening stuff (CRC 5-56) and let it cure for a day. Then I managed to 
unscrew it. I cleaned the area around it

(No, I didn't get a shot of oil in my face, neither will you, just be sure 
that the engine is OFF).

I screwed in the new sending unit, and the final installation is the wire at 
the end of the sending unit. The original wire had an O-ring on the end. I 
cut that off (the new unit comes with a square connector), then used an 
electricians tool to strip the insulation off the end of the wire and the 
squeeze the square connector on.

ONE TIP: BE CAREFUL NOT TO CUT TOO MUCH OF THE WIRE, IF YOU DO IT MAY TURN 
UP TO BE TOO SMALL TO REACH THE SENDER!

Mine fitted with a little twist to the connector on the sending unit.
Never having done this before, I must admit I was somewhat excited to see if 
this worked.

Ok, 3 things could happen: 1) The sending unit could be defective 2) The oil 
would just flow out on the garage floor and 3) Er,...that's it :)

So, I turned the key, the PRV came to life instantly. While idling the oil 
pressure gauge showed 80 (its suppose to do this while warming up) and after 
a few minutes it stabilized at 65/70.

In other words, a very successful installation and I strongly recommend Mr. 
Maiers new calibrated oil pressure sender. Now you really will know whats 
going on in your engine!

Best wishes
Stian Birkeland
NORWAY
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