'73 Oil Pressure Sending Unit Wiring

[Strykr73]

I'm look for some help on troubleshooting an issue I am having with my oil pressure gauge. I have a related thread which might tie in with this thread which you can find HERE.

Right now, I am not sure if the gauge is even wired at all, and if it isn't, how it is supposed to be wired. This is what the sending unit looks like:

As you can see on the left, it has this little T-shaped metal piece on the top. In the engine compartment I can't find any sort of connector that would plug on top of it, but there is a loose wire with one of these sorts of connectors on it:

Technically this connector slips over the top of the unit on the T-shaped part, but I am not sure if that is the correct way to connect it, nor if this is the correct wire for it; it's really coincidental it seems.

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

Well first thing big block or small block? Big block in the back and wire should only reach so far to it. My 70 has a faded tan or white wire that goes to it. Don’t have a 73 schematic but hope I shed some light

 

[Strykr73]

Well first thing big block or small block? Big block in the back and wire should only reach so far to it. My 70 has a faded tan or white wire that goes to it. Don’t have a 73 schematic but hope I shed some light

It's the 318cid small block. The sending unit is right behind the distributor near the firewall. The wiring schematic I have for the car says the wire is supposed to grey (at least to the bulkhead). I'd say the wire is "grey-adjacent" since all of the wires are faded and dirty, making it hard to tell what exactly this wire color is supposed to be.

I can always run a new wire; that's not the problem. The problem is that I'm not sure how exactly you're supposed to physically connect a wire to the sending unit itself.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

It could be used a terminal like this

Is not exactly the one used on factory but works. I can't find a pic of the original one. Original one is not spring loaded, but like the original ends are not curved to inside, but flat.

 

[JonR]

Those female spade type connectors (very common and general in electrical wiring) are what is used on single wire oil pressure sending units and switches. They just slide on the tip like the picture above. I just changed my pressure sending switch which has this connector on a gray wire (225 Slant Six).

 

[Strykr73]

Thanks, guys. I did wind up just slipping the clip thing over the top and the gauge works. Seems like a really shoddy way to wire it, to be completely honest. There's no safety mechanism to keep it from sliding or vibrating off and grounding out. Pure genius. Either way, it works now, so that's what matters.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Is not a problem if grounds up, because if does you'll get just max reading on gauge.