Oil pressure???

[Yellow]

I've rebuilt a Z1000 Mk2 engine recently and used an A4 oil pressure switch,cam chain adjuster and oil pump. Bike now starts on the button and runs ok, but the oil pressure light is staying on on the dash. Electrics are also a bit of a home repair job. Question is should the A4 bits effect the oil pressure and is their a tool I can get to check the pressure reading as per the Clymer manual?

[Pigford]

These pressure switches are not particularly great, especially as Zeds run at just under a lowly 3 psi

Only sure fire way is to connect a gauge to the take-off on the r/h side, just behind the bottom of the cylinder block (upper most of clutch cover)

[Mick Hayward]

The light should go out when you disconnect the lead from the pressure switch and come on again if you ground it to the engine. This will check your wiring.

Pretty sure its this way around. But anyway it should go on off when you short the lead to earth. If the light stays on all the time you have a wiring fault.

Good luck Mick

[Yellow]

Thanks for that, I will have a look the weekend and let you know what happens.

[PAULJAC47]

Dont run this engine till you have made certain oil is being pumped up to the top end of the engine,spin it over on the starter(not continually as starter motor should only be run briefly) with plugs out and watch to see if oil level goes down through sight glass,this is only a quick check ,as other posters say a pressure test is more certain,I recently took the sump off my Z1b project engine and found the pump filter almost totally blocked worth a check if you have not already...Cheers Paul J..

[Mark Stratton]

Just a thought but I had a similar problem after rebuilding my Z1000a1. Engine started on the button but the oil light was illuminated untill you blipped the throttle and then it disappeared. Once the revs dropped to tick over the light came back on. Fault turned out to be some dickhead (me ) forgot to put the sump 'o' ring back in!!! Definitely worth checking the stupid things first as I searched high and low trying to get an accurate pressure gauge for such low pressure readings and all in vain.

[Yellow]

Light goes out when removed from pressure switch and lights again when earthed as you said Mick. Oil level drops in sight glass when engine is turned over, and strainer is clean and filter O ring is in place. Do I need to drop the sump to check this sumo O ring Mark? also still cannot find pressure gauge to test. Light staying onn even on high (3000) rpm.

[Mick Hayward]

hi Yellow

Yoy can check that the oil pressure light switch operates properly, remove from engine. Its a simple switch affair with a spring loaded contact. As pressure rises the plate lifts and breaks the circuit to switch off the light. It can get stuck in the down position. I would certainly not run the engine untill you identify the problem or get hold of a pressure guage. You could be in all sorts of trouble if the oils not getting around. Most garages should have something you can use. Just a thought you dont say what viscosity oil you have put in the engine.

Mick

[Mark Stratton]

Yellow

Yes unfortunately you will need to drop the sump off but as the light is on all the time even at higher revs it does not sound like the problem will be an 'O' ring. Like Mick has said it is a simple spring loaded contact in the switch so it might just be stuck.
Try these guys for a pressure gauge http://www.bypy.co.uk/index.php?p0=cat&cat_id=538.
As you can see the prices of the gauges aren't to high and they are normally very helpful so if they haven't got what you need I'm sure they can get it in.

[Pigford]

There was a thread last year (or so) about oil pressure gauges (by Hillbilly or Fluff I think) - the ones that fit in the take-off on the r/h side about the clutch cover.


You can just see it on me Black Z1000, in the top right hand corner of this photo.....



Mines a 0 - 15 psi and on start up (cold oil - 20/50) it goes off the clock when revving it a bit But after a few miles it settle to read about 3 or 4 psi steady cruising. When hot and idling 1100 rpm it hardly don't move unless the throttles blipped, but these things ain't prescision bits of kit, and not calibrated, so only use it as a rough guide....

[Mick Hayward]

Another thing to check is that the spring is fitted below the oil filter. If this is not fitted then there will be no oil pressure.

Mick

[hanskloss]

sounds like a switch failure I had on my A4, the plate became loose and angled and the light was on most of the time

[jimmock]

Pigford,

What is the extra cover on the clutch cover???

Jimmock.

[Pigford]

Jimmock - thats for my lock-up clutch

[jimmock]

Pigford,

S E R I O U S STUFF !!!


Jimmock