Oil Pressure Gauge not zero'd

[Smokey Eddy]

I bought a very cheap gauge that would zero at about 25 psi and i always had to subract 25 from what ever it said. Even if i stuck my finger in the back of it and pushed the needle back to zero it would do this. It then sprung a leak inside and made a huge mess so i got a new set of gauges. The new one worked fantastic and seemed to be more sensitive and was much easier to read.
However, the gauge goes to 100psi and one morning driving out of my street i guess the needle went all the way around to 0 and now this gauge zeros at 10psi...
any tips on getting the gauge to go back to zero? or ... do these things just break if you pin them?

[Trips_B]

Thats odd mine is 0-100 as well in increments of 25.  It maxes out every morning on cold starts but then slowly levels off to 15ish?? when warm.  hard to tell what the actual psi is.  Ive never had a problem with it zero'ing when the engines off though

[Smokey Eddy]

Yeah when its cold the needle will go all the way around past 100 and stop at the back side of zero

[ORCoaster]

I have lost two oil gauges to cold oil and greater than their rated or scaled pressure.  They pop the little diaphram out of the center of the gauge and then they are toast.  Buy gauges that can take it to the limit you are hitting with the cold oil and this won't happen anymore.  For me I had one that went to 80 psi and I blew it up.  I replaced it with one that went to 120 and popped it too.  I now have one that can do 150 and I notice in the cold morning at high upshifting RPMs that I get to 135 PSI on my engine oil.  It drops to 65 at cruise speed of 65 and when at a hot idle, like the rest stop, 35 psi.  Do I have a good oil pump or a restriction?  I prefer to think the former and not the latter. 

I usually run the last 500 miles on a half qt of ATF.  Been getting clear oil longer all the time.

[Smokey Eddy]

Huh that is interesting. That's super high. 15-20 at hot idle for me. When cold I would estimate it sees 140+ I don't think you have a restriction. A restriction like that would toast the engine. (First the oil)
Damn it so I broke that one too? I've had it for three days... and its part of a matching set

[Smokey Eddy]

Maybe I can get a replacement from the manufacturer

[CRSMP5]

why a mechanical op gauge sux... why not do a electric set up?? never had such issues with vdo...

[R.O.R-2.0]

dont use a mech gauge.. use an electric gauge that cant be damaged by over-pressure..

[smutts]

If the guage (gauge?) DIAL!!! is going that high with cold oil, you are revving it too hard. Lots of extra load on the intermediate shaft, load on the skew gears, and that oil is too thick to flow and cool the bearings, it's just getting dumped overboard by the pressure relief valve back into the sump. Plus despite a cold engine, you can overheat the bearings as sod all flow is going to them. Oil takes about twice as long to get to temperature than the coolant. Bit like foreplay, start gently for best results.