Oil Gauge Problems?

[David Stepney]

On Friday, I took the RP to Llangollen to collect Leon from a friends house. On. The way there, the oil pressure suddenly went to about double what it should be. So I stopped and checked that the big end jets were clear. That didn’t cure the problem, so I checked to make sure that oil was coming out of the forward plug to make sure the gallery itself wasn’t blocked. Covered the engine in oil in doing so, but, yes oil was coming out. I collected Leon and, on the way back home, the gauge settled down to reading between 2 and 4 lbs psi but this morning, it began reading high again. 

As you all may be aware, the engine has been down to cure a little end noise very recently, so the engine is internally clean and has fresh oil.

My question is:- is it possible for the gauge to fail in such a way as to read high, or am I going to have to look for some other cause of the problem?i

[Ivor Hawkins]

An air bubble perhaps? Mine does that occasionally but I ignore it!

[Steve Jones]

It may be an air bubble/air lock as Ivor suggests. The gauge on my SWB Saloon does similar strange things sometimes but always cured by disconnnecting the pipe from the gauge and then re-connecting. Worth trying before anything more drastic.

Steve

[Ivor Hawkins]

I agree with Steve, disconnect the pipe, turn the engine over on the handle until the oil runs out and reconnect to the gauge, that usually sorts it out.

[David Stepney]

Thank you gentlemen for your suggestion. I shall try bleeding the gauge pipe as you have recommended.

[JonE]

if that doesn't work, omit the words 'I shall try', 'the', and 'as you have recommended', and repeat over and over again.

[David Stepney]

if that doesn't work, omit the words 'I shall try', 'the', and 'as you have recommended', and repeat over and over again.

Thank you, Jon, for your humorous take on the problem. However, I usually reserve such sentiments of frustration for dealing with the ‘modern’ !