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Oil Gauge reading high pressure

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mgdriver

Freshman Member
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The oil gauge in our 1976 MG midget constantly reads about 60 psi at about 50mph. I was thinking the gauge should read more like 20psi at idle and 40 psi at about 50mph. Any thoughts? Thanks
mgdriver
 
First, the gage could be off, even new they are not 100% accurate. You can replace it with a known accurate gage or brand new to check, even take the existing gagae and hook up to air line and check against another gage - most gages don't care if they are measuring air gas or liquid or what the liquid is.

Was it always 60 psi? or did this just start? Really not an indication of anything "wrong" If high it could indicate plugged delivery lines somewhere in engine - usually in top valvetrain - What's it read at idle? You didn't say.
 
Thanks for your input. Actually, the problem started a few months ago. At idle it is about 40psi. I forget to mention that after driving for a while, the pressure seems to go back to 20-40 psi range. The high readings usually are at initial start up and first 30 minutes of drive time.
Harley (mgdriver)
 
Normal operation. The rule of thumb is 10 psi per 1Krpm minimum. So, you are in good shape there. As you run the car, the oil gets hotter and the viscosity thins, hence lower pressures after a drive. You may find thay certain brand of filters/oils can produce higher/loweer pressures for any given situation. Personally, i prefer higher pressures (within reason) as it indicates plenty of oil flow in the whirly bits inside. The thing to watch for is a sudden change from what is "normal" for your car.
 
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