oil light

[tonyw]

I just rigged up a worklight on thr rear of my 1401D; after reconnecting the negative battery cable and trying out the light, I decided to start her up and do a little work in the garden. I noticed that my oil light did not come on when I turned on the switch--the tractor started, but no oil light. The fuses look okay; is it likely that I blew out a bulb or maybe disconnected a wire??
thanks!

p.s. the new site looks great!

 

[buppy69]

It is more likely that your sending unit went bad.

Eugene

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thanks for your reply, buppy69. The oil light had been working fine until I messed around with connecting the worklight; that's why I thought I may have jiggled something loose.
You said the sending unit may have gone bad? Here's a stupid question--what is a sending unit?
Thanks for any help!!

Tonyw

 

[normde2001]

Tony, you are going to need to purchase a volt/ohm meter to keep that thing running. Look for +12 volts between hot wire and frame ground (with switch on). Meters are cheap, $5 & up, but indispensible.
Norm

 

[TexasTractors]

It is possible the sending unit is bad, but maybe not probable. Double check your first instinct and make sure your wires and fuses are good. Also, take the advise to buy and use a volt meter, it will save you a lot of guesswork. Get a manual if you do not have one. That way you can follow a wiring diagram during your process of elimination.

 

[tonyw]

thanks, everybody, for your input!! i will check my connections--and buy and volt meter!

tony w

 

[roger_scotty]

Here's a thought: What I did was to unscrew the sending unit and screw in a brass "T" connector. To one side of the "T" I refitted the sending unit and on the other side I mounted an old fashioned 20 dollar oil pressure gauge from K Mart. Now the tractor has the idiot light for me, and also reads out in psi. Some of the threads were a little wierd, but the CarQuest store had the right thread adapters.

 

[tonyw]

thanks, Roger! your idea sounds great, but since I'm a bit inexperienced in the mechanics area(trying to learn though), I wouldn't even know where to find the sending unit. I'm guessing I can find a brass "t" at an auto parts store? Sorry to be such a dummy, but I do appreciate your help!

tony w

 

[lens12]

how to check oil light

the sending unit is on the front of the gear case by the oil filter. When you remove the wire & ground it, the light will light if the circuit is good.

 

[tonyw]

Re: how to check oil light

once again, thanks for being so helpful! I'll check out everything this weekend--maybe I'll
even try to get myself an oil press. gauge.

tony w

 

[roger_scotty]

Hmm....well the good thing is that all the parts we are talking about are exterior to the powerplant! Seriously, nobody does better work than a concerned owner doing something for the second time.....

 

[Anonymous Poster]

[nobody does better work than a concerned owner doing something for the second time..... )</font>

Tomorrow, I will "fix" my newly installed oil pressure gauge of which I am so proud. Minor oil leak at the adapter will apparently require some teflon tape. I will be doing away with the idiot light.

 

[gbirky]

Don't use teflon tape! Get some of the teflon liquid pipe dope stuff. Teflon tape can get into the oil system and plug up small oil passages and starve bearings.

 

[jimstractors]

The same goes for hydraulic fittings. If you use teflon tape on Cross rams and loader valves, you void the warranty. Use the liquid sealant for all your hydraulic and oil connections.
Jim

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Too Late...

Already repaired with teflon tape. I was VERY careful to keep any part of the tape at least 6 or so threads from the end of the fitting (I cut the 1/4 inch tape into 1/8 inch wide strips)

Should I take it apart again (3rd times a charm)? Also, I used the supplied plastic tubing. Someone had a picture posted with copper tubing (and teflon tape). That might be better. I dont know if the copper tubing can be used with the Sunpro gauges.

 

[Soundguy]

I put a sunpro oil pressure gauge on my '54 NAA a few weeks ago. At the advice of others, I didn't use the 3/16 (?? ) plastic line that came with the kit, but instead used the copper tubbing. Sunpro sells this as an accesscory pack, should be located on the same isle as the gauge.. they also sell a metric accsy. pack in the same area.. The gauge doesnt care plastic or copper.. it is a compression fit with brass fittings anyway.

The brass copper unions onmine never did leak and I used no thread prep on them... Nice thing about brass... usually you can tighten it enough to seal.

Mines been running every other day for the last few weeks with no leaks.

Soundguy