Weird oil pressure

[packmule1911]

Usually I'm at 30-60 psi depending on RPM's. Lately one of two things is happening:

Starts at 20 when cold and stays there for 5 minutes and then rises to normal ranges.

More often, it immediately climbs to 80, and will fluctuate between 80 and 60.

Everything is seems, sounds, and feels normal.

Thoughts?

[4.3LXJ]

Probably needs a new sending unit

[abebehrmann]

Usually I'm at 30-60 psi depending on RPM's. Lately one of two things is happening:

Starts at 20 when cold and stays there for 5 minutes and then rises to normal ranges.

More often, it immediately climbs to 80, and will fluctuate between 80 and 60.

Everything is seems, sounds, and feels normal.

Thoughts?

I second 4.3LXJ's diagnosis, when the oil pressure sending unit fails it reads the oil pressure as 80 but can intermittently work. This same thing happened to me and a $25 sending unit fixed it right up.

[Charlie Foxtrot]

Swap out the oil pressure sending unit, typically $25 & 15 minutes of work. Be kind to your hands & do it with a cold engine. OPSU's get wonky with old age, and are cheap/easy to replace.

[packmule1911]

Swap out the oil pressure sending unit, typically $25 & 15 minutes of work. Be kind to your hands & do it with a cold engine. OPSU's get wonky with old age, and are cheap/easy to replace.
Closing out the topic with: that fixed it. Thanks.