Oil Gauge Tick

[DawgMom]

Hi.

 

My 1989 S-15 JIMMY (with just over 100K miles) has a slight tick in the oil guage. Two years ago my distributor broke. Not the plastic cap, but the part itself. After I replaced that, the oil pressure gauge went out. Replaced that. All is well now, no knocks or anything, but the oil pressure gauge has what I describe as a slight 'tick' to it. Whether I'm at idle or driving 65 down the interstate, every little bit it pressure needle will move up or down just enough and fast enough to barely see it. Like maybe 1/16 of an inch. VERY slight, VERY fast.

 

Does anyone have any ideas? I'm going to purge the engine, although the oil always seems clean at changes. I thought I'd replace the oil pump when I had the pan cover off. I wonder if it's the pump?

 

Thanks.

[Draenor]

See if I read this right. Your getting a good reading and the guage works like normal,but it jumps a 1/16. Sounds like it could be the sender or the cluster. Does it do it if you hook a guage directly to the sender/block?

[DawgMom]

Thank you. Yes. It really runs great, except for that tiny little jump. I replaced the sending unit when the distributor broke a couple of years ago. Not sure what a cluster is - will google it. Haven't hooked the gauge directly to the sender/block. Otherwise, like I said, I can replace the oil pump when I have the pan off to purge the engine. Seeings that it's nearly 20 years old, I didn't think it would hurt, even iif it doesn't solve the issue.

 

But let me ask you... does it sound like something to really worry about?