oil pressure light

[Gareth]

It could be that the oil pressure spring has stretched / broken / failed or just generally worn. This can cause the oil pressure light to stick on... Also, make sure that the wiring for the switch is correct, as it could be something related to this...

I wonder why the car had a 948 put in...

[Willie]

This sounds like a potential disaster. Are you sure that
the new oil pump drive is engaged so that the pump is actually
working? If not your engine won't last long. If you remove
the oil pressure switch lead(which is just to the rear of the
distributor) and short it to the chassis does the oil lamp light
(ignition switched on). I emphasise 'just to the rear of the
distributor' in case you think the switch is the one on the
OIL FILTER?? I cannot understand how you can risk a
recon engine by not knowing the oil level because you do
not have a dip stick. If you cannot get any where with
the oil pressure question then,if you remove the pressure
sender unit it is then easy to apply an oil gauge in its place
to check. If you have been running a 948cc is the gear-
box casing smooth or ribbed? Might I suggest that you change your registered
name too!
Whatever your problem is it is nothing to do with the setting
of the ignition timing.

[grant69]

I would first check the oil pressure switch is working, you can check it with a multimeter, if you don't have a multimeter go buy a new switch. I would be putting in a proper pressure gauge rather than relying on an "idiot" light. I have always used liquid gauges as these can tell you accurately what is going on in your engine i.e a sudden drop in pressure shows up before the "idiot" light comes and potentially can save you an engine

[Chris Morley]

hi, I recently fit a new engine into my 68 traveller. i bought it as an 1100 but realised after buying a reconditioned 1100 that i'd been driving around with a 948. so now that i've got the engine in, and it's finally working, the oil pressure light doesn't go out. i replaced the oil pump and put new oil in (even though i'm not too sure about that, cause it seems very liquid to me). I don't have a dipstick that fits the 1100 either. I don't know if it's the oil or something completely different, all i know is that the light won't go out (unless you disconnect it) and i don't want to wear my new engine. could it be due to the timing (which might be a bit off). we had to turn the distributor to get the sparks and the pistons synchronised and i wonder if it might be that that isn't quite perfect yet.
could anybody tell me what's wrong with maurice as i am desperate to drive him.
cheers

I've had to delete the original post as the user name chosen was not acceptable.

[maurice]

sorry about the name guys, i've changed it now.
the spring is not worn or broken or anything, so it isn't that. I will try all the other suggested tests, thanks. willie you asked whether the gear box housing is ribbed or not? could you tell me why this matters? sorry if i'm not a professional. am only 17.
thanks anyway guys.

[Kevin]

Tha ribbed gearbox is the 1098cc one and has better ratios and is a bit stronger than the 948cc one, and dont worry about being a non professional most if not all of us on here are DIY based.

[MrA.Series]

Wow, totally off the subject but I'm quite surprised by the number of under 20's on this site. I'm not going to go back into that whole 'age thing' that has been going on, but I'm real glad that there are others out there that are, like me, owning minors at such young driving age.

How neat.

[Kevin]

but I'm real glad that there are others out there that are, like me, owning minors at such young driving age.

So are the old folk like myself

[Willie]

That's better 'Maurice' and welcome. I asked re the gearbox
because, since you were unknowingly running a 948cc engine
it is likely that you also had the 948 gearbox(smooth outer
casing). Since you now have a 1098 engine it would be
preferable to use the correct(ribbed ) gearbox when a change
becomes necessary because it is more suitable. I think that
the simplest thing you can do to check that the oil is being
pumped correctly is to remove all four spark plugs, slacken the
oil pressure sender unit slightly and turn the engine over on
the starter with the ignition OFF and see if oil starts to seep
out! Or you could remove the oil filter bowl,empty the oil out
of it and replace it, turn the engine over again as above and
then see if the filter bowl has filled up with oil.

[maurice]

thanks guys, the scare is over. i went down to the local morris minor place and they told me that 99 % of the time it's the switches that go wrong. so i bought a new one, and would you believe it the light finally went off. wehey. all is good.
thanks for the advice guys.