The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 30 or 60 psi oil gage

I have a '50 chevy truck with a '59 235 engine. The gage in the dash is 0-30. Should I use a 0-60 gage since the '59 235 is a high pressure engine or can I use the 0-30 gage? Will it hurt the 30 psi gage to run higher pressure to it? The engine has a complete rebuild and new oil pump.

Any help is appreciated

Thanks

There are thousands of cars and trucks running the 30 psi gauge with a 235, with no problems.

"high pressure" is a misnomer, 'full pressure' is what's meant - a 59 would have had a 60# gauge as provision for the V8, but any 235 will hardly reach 30psi even cold, you won't have a problem

Bill

"High (or higher) pressure" has reasonable meaning when talking about newer 235s/261s and the older "low or lower" pressure Stovebolt engines (and makes a very clear distinction).

Along this same line of commonly used terms (and misnomers): describing the lower-pressure 216/235 engines in comparison to the higher pressure 235/261 engines, is the term "splash oil engine). I think that GM would not have called the 216s (and early 235s) a "splash oil" engine. I think that distinction was originally used to describe a much less sophisticated engine lubrication systems than is used on 216s.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1942_47/4247csm618.htm

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=710133#Post710133

http://www.motorera.com/dictionary/SP.HTM#Splash_System_Oiling

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1925/25crm130.html

I have a 30 psi gauge in my truck while running a full pressure 261. When I run the truck it pegs the needle and at idle on a hot day after some driving it will drop to 20 psi.

In the end it's lack of oil pressure that is detrimental to these engines so your existing gauge will work just fine

I am going to go with the 30 psi gage since it still works and is already in the cluster.....Thanks for the input.

My 1953 235 full pressure powerglide engine runs 40 PSI hot or cold at speed, and 20 psi at idle.
Kurt

Just as info.... since i put a v8 in my 37 but wanted to keep the original guages I had Mike (D&M Restorations) calibrate my old guage to read double....when the guage says its 15lb its really 30 and when it shows 30 its really 60....works for me.