proper oil pressure

[Boat Babe]

I have a Cal 28-2 ('87) with a Westerbeke 13 engine. The engine has always run fine (1700 hours now) and I changed the oil filter and oil about 30 hours ago. The guage for the oil pressure has always read about 30psi at 2700 rpm but happened to read in the manual yest that the pressure should be about 50-75. Do you think the guage is wrong or do I really have low pressure? If it's working fine do I need to address this? Thanks.

 

[higgs]

Check it out

I would want to get to the bottom of this. Start by talking to a good Westerbeke mechanic.

 

[RichH]

Mechanical gage or gage with electrical .....

.... sending unit (transducer that sends signal to electrical gage)?Most gages on boats are not calibrated and are usually 'incorrect' to some degree. Get a mechanical direct read pressure gage (of known accuracy) and establish the true 'baseline' and then compare with your present gage set-up. If you start with a 'known' gage then you can be 'sure' of the accuracy of your present gages. Many gages will 'drift' in their indicated values over time.

 

[Bob]

Correct oil?

Hi,Make sure the oil is for diesel service.See http://www.burkeoil.com/pdf/oilguide.pdf#search=%22diesel%20oil%20service%20grade%22

 

[Bob]

Correct oil - see link

Hi,Make sure the oil is for diesel service.

 

[sailaway78]

Oil Pressure

I recently sailed on friends boat which had a Westerbeke in it. Running at 2200 it held 55lbs. of oil pressure. We had changed the oil pressure guage and sender on his as the existing one wasn't working, so had new guage and sender. I would think they should all be about the same as far as oil pressure is concerned.