This may be just my thinking not making sense, but since I tapped into my oil pressure sending unit to install the pressure gauge, on initial start the engine tap for about 4 seconds then sounds fine the rest of the day till it sits a while. Looking at the pic, can someone see if my install would cause a delay in oil pressure? Rick
I wonder if the metal piping the oil travels through to the idiot light sending unit is dropping oil pressure for the slight 4 second tapping I am hearing, then when the metal piping is full the oil pressure goes up and the eng stops tapping? Oil pressure is 48 psi on initial start, hot idle sitting in drive is 25 psi.
Get rid of the plastic tubing pronto! Also the galvanized; mineral oil doesnt like the zinc in the plating process and can flake off (not goot for diesel fuel either!). Why all the hardware? Especially the long nipple. If youre planning on using the idiot light too. tap in up on top where you can access it. That fitting is really buried in there. My 455 is in the same place but run with heavy wall copper tubing all the way to the gage... Also FWIW dump the Teflon tape and use a film of PTFE pipe dope on the connections... ws
Like said before get rid of the plastic tube. You are asking for trouble. Either heavy copper or look on E-bay and get a stainless braided line the length you need. Once you get the line to the correct length, unhook the line at the back of the gauge and put it in a small can or wrap it in a rag to get the air out. That will help. Once in the can/rag start the engine but don't rev it. When oil comes out turn the engine off and reconnect to the gauge.
I get the plastic, I asked eng builders about the steel pipe before I got it, good points. Could not find correct copper fittings at the time, but where the sending unit sits makes it easy to access, and keeps it cooler away from the eng. My original question is do you think this set up can cause tapping on initial start up some how?
The noise you're hearing on start up is typical of an older high milage engine. Excessive bearing and oil pump clearances will cause a delay in OP build up. Your plumbing job and the plastic tube have nothing to do with it.
