oil pressure gauge

[chet1185]

Is it ok to put an aftermarket oil pressure gauge in place of the dummy light? The fittings with the gauge screwed right in there and it works. Is the light just to show if theres pressure?

 

[92AWDHX40]

Im kinda confused I just used the sender from a aftermarket gauge the entire thing. Easy plug and play and install the gauge. In the car.

 

[chet1185]

sorry. where the sensor for the dummy light screws into the oil filter housing. i removed it and installed the fitting and line there for the aftermarket mechanical gauge. is this ok or is it necessary to make sure the dummy light works. or as long as it shows pressure on the gauge, thats ok?
whoever did the 6 bolt swap never installed the pressure sensor so the dash gauge doesnt work.

 

[kchaazz]

As long as you pay attention to the gauge, no dummy light is fine. You are a brave individual to install a mechanical oil pressure gauge in a street car.

 

[talontd92tsi]

The dummy light is more of a last resort. You aren't watching your gauge, oil pressure plummets, and something to say (Hey idjit, turn me off).

By the time you see it, the damage is probably already done, but it may save you in an extremely lucky situation. Personally, being that the factory oil pressure gauge is about as accurate as the idiot light (and reacts much slower), I put my pressure gauge sender in where my factory oil pressure sender was for the gauge, and retained the light.

 

[chet1185]

Why am I brave to install an aftermarket mechanical gauge? Seems like a smart idea to me. I would much rather a mechanical gauge than a digital, as far as aftermarket.

My oil filter housing doesn't look like most I've seen pictures of. I don't know what its from. I'll post pics.

 

[livedsm4g63]

Meh, I dont even run an oil pressure gauge. My stock gauge came unplugged and Ive been to lazy to plug it back in. I live life on the edge. Yolo.

 

[chet1185]

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no place for the sender on the back.

 

[kchaazz]

Why am I brave to install an aftermarket mechanical gauge? Seems like a smart idea to me. I would much rather a mechanical gauge than a digital, as far as aftermarket.

My oil filter housing doesn't look like most I've seen pictures of. I don't know what its from. I'll post pics.

Well, youre brave cause if the tubing fails, you get a nice mess of hot, pressurized oil in the cabin- not very nice at all. True, mechs can be more accurate than the electric variety, but in a street car, ill take electric any day. Regarding the filter housing, you can remove one of the front two 3/8 bspt plugs, and install an adapter to put the pressure source for your gauge there, or get a tee fitting to put into the housing in place of the dummy switch, then put the switch and compression adapter for the tubing into the tee, but you can always just use the gauge alone, since now you are measuring pressure directly.

 

[chet1185]

yes, I will worry about the line failing and oil going everywhere. But I can't stand not seeing the pressure. I may T into where the sender for the dummy light is.

 

[curt-s]

Go with the copper line or -4AN braided line and you'll be fine.

Also be aware of the differences between BSPT and NPT threading, which you'll likely run into trying to fit an aftermarket sender or AN adapter into the oil filter housing. You can, most of the time, get away with an thicker wrapping of teflon tape to seal up the slack, but it will still likely find its way out in small amounts. This is especially true with older units that have knackered threads.

That being said, I'm running a combination of NPT adapters so I can retain the stock unit and still use a -4AN. You can see the miniscule oil film on the adapters from the inherant incompatibilities between NPT and BSPT, but it works and it's still secure..

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

Why am I brave to install an aftermarket mechanical gauge? Seems like a smart idea to me. I would much rather a mechanical gauge than a digital, as far as aftermarket.

My oil filter housing doesn't look like most I've seen pictures of. I don't know what its from. I'll post pics.

Well I will be the flak catcher on this but I have always felt the same way when it comes to oil pressure, I like a mechanical guage. I have ran one in all of my hotrods since 1974 and never once had a failure. Most were the nylon tubing style and they were in all of my Camaros, Chevelles and Novas - not one failure over the many years. I do understand why some would be leary but if it is done correctly you shouldn't have to worry. Run your line thru a hole with a grommet so no sharp edges can get to anything at all points. I have even put the nylon line inside a vacuum line so that it doesn't see any sharp objects, edges or heat. Maybe the electrical units now days are better, but from old experience, they weren't as accurate but still worked ok. Just one preference over another. If you run a T fitting, get a steel one, not a brass one. My son ran a brass T and just before we headed to the track one Friday, the COPPER T (maybe brass) broke. Sooo don't rely on brass, try to find steel or stainless fitting so they are less likely to break like his did. Orielly's honored the brass fitting and also gave him 5 qts of Royal Purple since it was their product that failed. It all worked out but there was a trail of oil 2-3 blocks long. Lucky he caught it and didn't damage the motor, in fact I think he ran his best time that night.

 

[RamenPride]

you can also use an isolater instead of copper tubing or braided line if you insist on using a mechanical gauge

 

[Jermoturbo]

I prefer to not have hot oil inside the cabin of the car if anything ever fails ( which it will at some point in time), just my opinion. I run my sending unit (electric gauge) from the spot where the allen bolt is in your pic.

 

[chet1185]

OK, I have decided to get an electric gauge.

How hard is it to see through the tinted gauges in the day time?

 

[dsmcrzy]

Depends on how cheap the gauge is. Quality gauges (not eBay brand) use good LEDs and they actually show pretty well.