02 wj 4.0 oil pressure problems

[REWSTER]

got a 02 WJ with the 4.0 in it, i figured i had the typical oil pressure sender problems. the gauge will drop to 0 and the check gauge light will come on give it some gas and the pressure will build. i swapped out the sender and it seemed fine i drove it for about 30 min before giving it back to the wife, everything was operating as it should good reading on the gauge and everything. well on her way home she said the pressure dropped and the light came on again. where else do i look? its got the typical 4.0 leaks but nothing serious and the is no oil squirting out from anything.

 

[REWSTER]

NEW FINDINGS:

wife calls me and tells me it was fine all morning while she was running around town, but after she hoped on the E-way to go to work when she got off it started dropping again.

 

[jeeptech1]

well i have seen these 4 liters have the rear cam plug back out and cause a drop in oil pressure (thats worse case senario). other possibility is wiring. best thing to do is figure out how to get it to act up constantly and then install a pressure gauge with a long hose on it and drive it and see if the oil pressure really does drop off.

 

[Talyn]

If the rear cam lug came out there would be an oil leak on the ground, and it shouldn't change the oil pressure as the oil flow from there is still controlled by the bearing clearances. The area between the cam and plug is not pressurized.

Get a mechanical gauge and see what the real oil pressure is when it happens. You could need a new oil pump or your bearings are done for or you purchased a faulty sender.

Another option is that you may have a cracked head letting coolant into the oil. You have a 0331 head, which is known to crack. They fixed the cracking issue in 02 or 03.