Low oil pressure

[Bozboat]

34 minutes ago, MadMan said:

This is the reason I installed a mechanical gauge trio in the engine compartment.  If I get a suspect reading from one of the factory gauges, I open the hatch and see what the mechancal gauge is showing (water temp/oil press/amps).  This is so I don't cut short a day on the water unnecessarily.

Any chance you could post a thread on how to install the mechanical gauges on the engine?

[Jen]

its not the sending unit....the mechanic replaced 1 qt of oil with Lucas oil stabilizer. Is this common? Supposedly running at 25 psi after running at various conditions (previously we were getting readings of 16 psi)

 

The shop suggested switching to 20w50 to increase viscosity. Owner says he changes his own oil (or has someone in his business do it for him?) but can't recall the oil type he was using. Claims it was whatever the shop recommended. Indmar owner manual suggests 15w40. So maybe he actually used that one?!?! If he did use the recommended oil, my question still is why the pressure drop.

 

What implications are there for running different weight oil? ie changing from 15w40 to 20w40.

[minnmarker]

34 minutes ago, Jen said:

Owner says he changes his own oil (or has someone in his business do it for him?) but can't recall the oil type he was using.

Can't recall?  Sounds like a plausible deniability statement.  Run away and find another boat!

[RTS]

1 hour ago, MadMan said:

This is the reason I installed a mechanical gauge trio in the engine compartment.  If I get a suspect reading from one of the factory gauges, I open the hatch and see what the mechancal gauge is showing (water temp/oil press/amps).  This is so I don't cut short a day on the water unnecessarily.

 

Can you post pictures of how you did this?  How do you have sensors feed data to both factory gauges and your mechanical trio?

[Rednucleus]

If it takes an oil treatment or a higher weight oil to get proper oil pressure, you are countering the effects of wear and tear, so RUN AWAY from this boat! Plenty of fish in the sea, so be patient.  Yes, this motor could go for years like this, but it could also be dead before the end of this season. Another concern is no documented service history being supplied.  Even when I do my own stuff, cars or boat, I have a detailed written log and always save receipts.  BTW I have a 93 Suburban with 330k miles, oil pressure starts at 45 psi cold and when warms up to 5-10psi at idle - has done it for a few years, but if it blew up tomorrow, I would be less than shocked!

[MadMan]

3 hours ago, Bozboat said:

Any chance you could post a thread on how to install the mechanical gauges on the engine?

 

1 hour ago, RTS said:

 

Can you post pictures of how you did this?  How do you have sensors feed data to both factory gauges and your mechanical trio?

I don't have any pictures, but this is what I installed under the engine hatch:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sunpro-Mini-Triple-Gauge-CP7997-Oil-Pressure-Water-Oil-Temperature-Ammeter-/222120554121?hash=item33b76aae89:g:GbQAAOSwVcFXOnpw&vxp=mtr

For the oil pressure connection, I replaced the T that the 2 stock oil pressure sending units are connected to with one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PARKER-2205P-2-Cross-Brass-1-8-In-Pipe-/331343948539?hash=item4d25a36afb:g:hzIAAOSwSWJXRNsX

But I could have just screwed it into the unused port adjacent to the distributor.

For the water temp, I did just screw it into an unused port next to the thermostat.

The ammeter is in the wire going from my battery isolator to my house battery, if I had another ammeter I could monitor charging current to my engine battery too.

[jbower]

Lucas oil stabilizer will hide even a rod knock for a little while. I would stay away

[Chatty21VLX]

Make the owner pay for a compression and leakdown test. Could be an opportunity to leverage a good deal, but I agree with those above that have said run away as is.