In my haste to get my water pump project done, I accidentally ripped the oil pressure sending connection apart. The connection itself (wire) is still good but the white round plastic connection is separated from the wire.

All the insulation stuff came out in pieces. The little rubber o-ring thingy is still there and it looks like I can piece it back together with no problem, but what is that insulation stuff, is it necessary (I assume so) and where do I get it?

 

The insulation is to prevent grounding which would give false readings... I'd just splice another wire, no big deal--these things are not that sensitive... The "good" insulation is probably falling apart anyway, with all the all oil it gets under there.

 

personally, I'd get a new sender rather than muck with a mangled one.

unless you mean its the insulator shell on the wire that fits onto the sender thats mangled.... if thats the case, you CAN buy those individual insulators, as well as the connector terminals inside them (I'd get a new terminal as you won't be able to reuse the old one)... but you can probably just put some shrinkwrap tubing over it and be done.

 

Both parts that connect (the wire and the sender) look fine. Although since it's open, not a bad idea to change the switch.

The connection (from the alternator), the plastic part is fine I just have to get the wire back in and secure.

 

the connections to the oil sending unit and the alternator are completely different circuits, no connection, other than that they are bundled together because they are in the same general area.

so you messed up the D+ connection ? that goes to the dashboard alternator light, and from there to the ignition switch, so that the ignition switch provides 'kickstart' power through the lamp. once the alternator starts, the light goes out because the alternator voltage matches the battery voltage.