My 91 extra cab 22re seems to have very low oil pressure according to my gauge,it was always low when idling but would go up to 1/2 way on the gauge when giving it gas,but i sea foamed it changed oil and now when it's cold it's got great pressure when it's warm,the gauge goes all the way down and accelerating it only goes to about 1/4.It has me a little worried but it runs great and the temperature stays where it's supposed to,I still have some oil leaks from a timing chain replacement,but that never seemed to affect the pressure,my next step may be the sending unit,but I probably should check compression,I guess,not sure what to do,any ideas ????

 

That's how the oil pressure was on my '95 22RE for 3 years until it finally spun the #3 rod bearing. Yours is probably due soon

 

The Gauges are very generic... normally if its reading at all your probably ok. But always good to have a watchful eye as you seem to have.

Well if engine oil is leaking from the "timing cover area" that could be your pressure "drop-off." The main oil pick-up gallery passages pass through the engine cyldiner block right into the timing cover to the oil pump located on the front of the engine.

-If the timing cover gasket is damaged at that point of main-line oil pressure there will be a slight drop off of pressure and some oil may leak internally back into the crank-case and or leak externally outside the engine.

May be a future project to repair the seal/gasket(s) if that's the case.

 

If I do a compression test,can that tell me anything? What kind of numbers should I have for compression?? It has 179000 miles on it.