oil pressure

[Keith Moffett Co-Admin]

I searched the forum for this subject and found some related material but not specific.  Here is the question.
In our 3126 CAT, what is acceptable oil pressure at idle and also at around 60 mph?  ( say 2200 RPM I think)

I seem to recall that the guage on the dash stayed between 40 and 50 pounds pressure most of the time.  Now it drops to around 20 pounds at idle and about 40 pounds or sometimes slightly more.  When the engine is cold started  the pressure can read perhaps 35 pounds at idle around 700 RPM but when it reaches operating temp. the pressure drops to just over 20.

The last oil change was about 1000 miles back and I used Delo 15-40 LE.
Thanks for the insight
Keith

[Karl Welhart]

Keith,

What you are seeing is normal oil pressure for the 3126 CAT...  The fuel injection system runs on oil pressure, so if something is wrong, the engine will not run.

Karl

[Gerald Farris]

 Keith,
Karl is right about your engine oil pressure. If you have noticed a change in the oil pressure, it is almost a certainty that the gauge is the reason for the change and not the engine.

 Karl was also right about the fact that your engine will not run if it looses oil pressure. In fact Cat did not even incorporate a low oil pressure shutdown into the ECM (engine control module) programming because the engine uses a HEUI pump (developed by Caterpillar in the early 1990s) for the fuel injection system. Since the HEUI (Hydraulically-actuated Electronic Unit Injection) pump is hydraulically actuated by engine oil pressure, the engine will receive no fuel if it does not have oil pressure.

Gerald

[Keith Moffett Co-Admin]

Thanks everyone for the reassurances.  I can now focus on the guages a nd connections.
Keith

[Karl Welhart]

Keith,

Perhaps you did not understand my post.  I think your gauge is fine.  The readings you mentioned in your first post seem to be normal readings...  Many issues can cause the oil pressure to change.  Anyway, the point is do not worry about the oil pressure gauge on the dash, except when you first start the engine.  Just a reminder from many posts on this forum, the analog gauges on your dash are for "entertainment" purposes only.  Your Silverleaf is the most reliable source of information.

Happy motoring,

Karl