TD 19J Engine Oil Pressure low

Hi People Right, I have a 1987 land rover 90 Defender with a 19J TD. I was driving back from the Great Dorset Steam fair when my oil light started to flicker, but when off. Then it started to come on all the time (when at tick over and at increased RPM). Got home ok, checked the oil level, just above half. Then we bought a oil pressure guage (one which tells you the oil Pressure in Bar & Psi). Fitted that, started her up and the oil pressure was at 3 bar when cold, when she started to warm up, the oil pressure goes down to about 2 bar then 1.8 Bar at idle warm, when running her on the road at increased RPM the oil pressure climbs to about 3 bar then when on idle, back to 1.8. So its not the sender units so it must be something else, where do you think i should start, Remove the oil pump, Main Bearing, big ends. Just want some ideas. Cheers in advance Chris

when you say you put a oil presure gauge on it was that the type you screw into the block, also going by the presure readings you have given they would fluctuate by the difference of tickover and travelling with high revs, i would go down the road of changing the oil presure switch first as the cost of this against a strip down and rebuild is pence compared to the strip down all i can tell you is 1 bar = 14.5 psi and 3.5bar =160 to180 psi hope this give you some idea,

Oil pressure should be 35-65foot pounds/square inch.I too would change the sender first.Oil pressure on a worn engine is often quite low without harm.Is your oil in good condition and the right grade,19js are very hard on the oil.There is a strainer on the oil pump yhat can block. Best of luck keep us posted

Defo change the oil pressure sender.

I fitted a recently recon'd 19J to a Defender and the oil light was on all the time. Swapped in the sender from the junked engine and the light went out.

If you don't know when the oil was last changed I would do that and the filter as well.

did u change the oil recently when i worked in a garage the amount of times i done a service and the pressure switch kicked the bucket was loads.
as for your pressure readings off the gauge etc they dont sound too out of order really

Yeah, looking back in the manual, the figue we are getting on the oil pressure guage arent too bad. However, when the engine temperature increases, the oil pressure drops a little, which shows there is some wear in the engine, but she runs as sweet as a nut, so i will leave it. May try some thicker oil such as 15w/40

Happy new year
Cheers
richard

Had same problem with my 300tdi, when the engine was cold it had good oil pressure. when it had warmed up oil pressure dropped off rapidly (20psi). Eventually I found it was crud in the head of the oil pressure relief valve. There is a natrural restiction where there is a support bar for the thermostat. When the engine was warm the thermostat was closing off the normal way to the filter and forcing the oil through the oil cooler and back through the head of the oil thermostat, which was of course semi-blocked. My oil pressure now (hot) runs at 40psi idle and 70psi (2000rpm)