The oil gauge on the 87 2.8 S-15 seems to be floating around a lot. It's within range but it just moves around quite a lot more since changing the head gaskets. I'm not sure if we've got sludge from the coolant floating around the sending unit or if the pump pick up is sludged or whatever. We've changed the oil twice and it looks great.

I'd like to put a different oil guage on to see what pressure I get from that. To save some time scouting around, can anybody tell me where the sending unit for the guage threads into the block on this engine. I know on my Mopars it's back by the distributor and I didn't look around for it while we were working back there. Anyway, I'll be checking it out this evening but if somebody can save me some time before that, it'd be nice. Thanks everyone.

 

Dean S the forum wouldn't let me reply to your PM.

I didn't have time to go out and look for it yet. Decided to put on a push today and get the taxes completed.

 

hahahahahhahaa

I know all about the oil pressure sending unit, and the oil pressure switch on the '87 S10-Blazer with the 2putt8 enigne.




They are behind the oil filter on the drivers side. By far the easiest way to get to them. Drop the exhaust cross over pipe, take out the front driveshaft, and then squeze your hand up in there. hahahhahahahahhaha
ORRRRRRRRR Install a 3" body lift, and remove the oil filter. hahaahahaahaaahha


Let me add to the fun for ya. '87 is a split year. There are a couple of possible arrangements for the oil sending unit, oil pressure switch, and it all depends on gauges and/or idiot lights. If you have both a guage and an idiot light, then you have two senders. They are next to each other.

Wait till you want to change the fuel filter. Its behind the power steering pump, above the oil filter. That is a treat too.

 

No lie there. Think I'll remove the motor first, ha. Needs rebuild anyway

Have one with a dropped front end. Some fool cut a coil off on each side. Used to be broken springs in back also and thats fixed now. Now to actually lower back correctly.

Its the one I'll drop the 4.3 in later. but the 2.8 will be reused somewhere, with brand new sending unit, haha.

 

Now that's encouraging...It's been busy nuts around here so I hope to look at it soon. It has a gauge and a check gauge light- no oil idiot light and it's 2WD I'll check by the filter and look for wires. That is a tight spot down there, the first vehicle ever I've had to buy an oil filter socket for to get the filter off.

Thanks.

 

Did you get a chance to look at it?

 

Here is another way I found to remove the oil pressure switch / sending unit.
loosen lug nuts on front drivers side tire,lift and place on jack stand, remove tire, disconnect electrical plug, and from unit, from underneath the truck you can use a 14 mm open end wrench to loosen and remove the switch. once it it's loose, you could stick your arm in the wheel well,just above the upper control arm area, and unscrew the switch the rest of the way by hand and install it by hand ,but you'll have to go unerneath the truck again, to tighten it down with the wrench.
If my memory serves me correctly, I believe there is a nut type fitting on the innerside of the switch where it screws into the block. if this is that triangular shaped oil switch, it kinda resembles a mini Apollo space pod.
I've had different types of first gen S-10's,
at this point I'll probably be put to rest in one, but G.M. did take many unusual shortcuts when designing these trucks,by the time they got it right,the 2nd gens came out in the mid '90's

 

so which is which? i have the 2, one large black with 3 prongs and a smaller silver (dont know if 1 or 2 prong -- there are 2 diff ones listed when you look up the part).