Electronic Oil Pressure Gauge?

[Cam]

Well I had toyed at the idea of a mechanical one, but really dont want external gauges. But I have a few Q's on an electronic one

I have seen that they either come with 1/8" or 1/4" senders, what do the AU's run?

Also, I do recall reading that the ford gauges work on what (i think) is called Positive power (So as oil pressure goes up, the voltage drops). Can anyone confirm this and if its the case how are people getting around the factory (useless) oil pressure gauge from reading nil? I know the factory one is useless, but if its sitting on nothing, its going to constantly get my attention...

Thanks in advance...

[Cam]

Anyone? Theres an oil pressure gauge & sender i really want thats about to end!

[EvilChief]

1/8 thread if i remember corectly

aftermarket items work on ground resistance.

[fairmont1998]

Use a T piece so you can run the factory sender still.

[Cam]

There are T Pieces for electronic senders / gauges?

I thought there should be no reason i couldn't "Splice" the wires from the Ford and aftermarket sensor?

[fairmont1998]

Yes, you can get T pieces that screw into the oil feed then you fit both senders. Feeding two gauges off one sender probably won't work.

[Cam]

I see, any ideas where to get my hands on a T peice? Repco etc i assume? Cant seem to find anything in ebay, or perhaps searching the wrong thing?

Thanks for your help guys

[james22]

Yeah, I'd like to know the same thing. I've had gauges sitting around for ages, but got no idea where to get a T piece?

[Cam]

Surely someone has to know where to get the T peices from?

[blackers10]

im pretty sure trade tools sells them mate
or any plumbing(pneumatic or hydraulic specialist) like Enzed or Pirtek hell even Blackwoods sells them from memory

[Mechan1k]

I got my T-piece from Pirtek.

i just took a spare oil presure switch from a spare engine ... and my new sender with me to Pirtek and they got me a T-piece.

The fun part is installing it ... and I had all sorts of issues keepnig the bastard from leaking. As the it faouled with the dipstick at the base ... and I wasn't able to tighten it up further.

Make sure one end of the T-pieces screws into the side of the block ... I used the middle section of the T-piece for the standard oil pressure switch (It needs to stay in the system) ... and put the Autometer sender on the outer end of the T-piece.

Lots of swearing was involved.

If i had my time again ... I'd look for a sandwich plate to mount to the oil filter thread ... not sure if the BA (Z9) sandwich plate fits onto an AU though.

I need to get my a Z516 for my BFII now ... I just have the gauges sitting here at home to re-install into the new ute.

[Steve_T]

There's no reason you couldn't go mechanical if you want - I prefer them and have one in my dash under the headunit - just make sure to use stainless-braided teflon hose and proper fittings for safety etc.

If you leave the wire disconnected from the factory switch it'll read at 50psi - has to be grounded to run to zero (one of the design flaws) - best keeping the factory switch hooked up for extra safety as mentioned though, with a tee piece. Can't splice any wires.

Thread on engine block is 1/4 NPT.

Cruise here:

http://aftermarket.continental-corpo...&nav_top_id=87

...and download the pdf catalogue - look at page 66, and the t-piece 230.032 is the one - note that the thread for the aftermarket sender is 1/8 NPT.

Others make the same adaptor (not just VDO) - I think mine was Redline - any place that sells VDO should have 'em though.

Use loctite 567 pipe thread sealant on all the (NPT) threads and don't over-tighten 'em and you'll have no leak issues.

[Cam]

Thanks heaps mate, exactly what I was after

I thought mechanical oil gauges had to be run externally, but a quick check on the DOT site states that they must "not have the possibility of an oil pressure line, or
similar, breaking with pressurised fluids spraying onto the windscreen" So i spose I could run a mechanical Gauge in car! I had settled on an electrical one now back to square one :P Is there really much accuracy difference between a decent electrical gauge and a mechanical one? Or just more chance of failure in an electrical one?

Mechan1k - I have a V8. so shouldn't be a problem

[Steve_T]

No worries.

I've never really bothered to look up the legality of the gauges to be honest :-) I spose it would be worth checking the RTA regs., but I think there's no prob.

I was mainly going by the CAMS and ANDRA regulations which state simply that any oil or fuel lines etc. running inside the cabin must be of re-enforced type (such as the stainless braided hoses).

I personally think that mechanical gauges can't be beat for both reliability and accuracy, but others may have different opinions. With mechanical gauges you know there's just no question that it's working accurately, and if it fails it's gonna be obvious.

Electrical gauges (and anything electrical) and still subject to so many things such as varying voltage/resistance in the system, wires corroding and behaving errratically over time etc. I just can't bring myself to trust 'em that much.

If you do go electric, I reckon the only really good option is something like the autometer full-sweep electrics - they have a multi-wire sensor hook-up which the gauge actually tests and calibrates the sensor every time it powers up etc., and I think they would actually be about as accurate and realiable as anything, but they are also mostly about $500! I still prefer mechanical :-)

[Cam]

great info there, thanks heaps!

I think for the issues / cost I will go with mechanical, I am going to contact DOT and confirm that I can run these legally. My car sometimes attracts a bit of attention and the more legal it appears "to the eye" the better

[tkfd]

sorry to ambush an old thread, but i am putting in a mech VDO oil pressure gauge and want to know where the best place to run the braided line through the firewall would be. I am going to mount gauges in stereo headunit space. Would prefer not to remove dash 0 its a PITA