Oil Pressure Gauge Needle Vibrating...Normal?

[AutoXRacer]

Is this something to worry about...?
This wasn't happening earlier (first start up until ???); readings used to be solid - needle was steady.
Not sure when it started to vibrate like that.

Is it the gauge or the oil pressure??? Has anyone ever experienced this?

Video:

 

[Makdaddy]

I know on the built motors we used to run in the speedboats that would be an indication of windage in the crankcase.
Needle fluctuates at idle

that could be one cause.

And Linky No Worky

 

[stkjock]

mechanical or electric?

 

[AutoXRacer]

Link fixed!!! Sorry

Mechanical gauge.

 

[Fullboogie]

You have air in the line. And you might want to think about going electric gauge - I had a mechanical oil pressure gauge in my Fox, and when the line came loose there was a shit ton of oil all over my carpet and the underside of my dash.

 

[AutoXRacer]

Gauge is actually installed in the engine bay.

I used it to monitor oil pressure during break-in and decided to just leave it there. lol

If its only air in the line then thats good news.
I was starting to think that it was actual oil pressure fluctuating thus oil pump issues.

 

[Fullboogie]

Think of what's going to happen if it starts spewing oil all over your headers...

 

[HG6283]

We see that kind of pressure pulsation in gauges all the time in industrial lube systems which have "gear pumps". The oil pump in the car is a type of gear pump.

We usually install a small needle valve or an orifice (snubber) in the line to damp it out.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/WEKSLER-Needle-Valve-5WL12

Alternately, you could go to a liquid-filled gauge, which is designed for pulsation duty.

Letting the gauge vibrate like that will accelerate metal fatigue of the gauge's internals, and you could get a leak.

 

[AutoXRacer]

Damn, thanks for the warning...

And thanks for the peace of mind now. lol
I guess I should either remove the oil pressure gauge and line or upgrade to a liquid filled.

The weird thing is that is wasn't doing that in the beginning.
It started fluctuating like this just recently.

I wonder if it has anything to do with deleting the PCV system and going with breather catch cans...crank case pressures???

 

[Fullboogie]

I had exactly the same problem with oil and fuel pressure gauges back in the day. They work fine for a while, the the needles start vibrating. Purge the lines (messy!) and they are fine. Repeat.

It's the sole reason why I've permanently ditched mechanical gauges and gone with electric.

 

[HG6283]

Air acts like a 'spring' and may have been dampening some of the pulsations.

Oil is not nearly as compressible as air.
So you're seeing pulsations in the oil pressure from the oil pump gears, the camshaft lash adjusters, the crankshaft journal oil passages, etc.

 

[one eyed willy]

if you just blink really fast it dosnt jump around nearly as much!