Oil pressure sender
Discussion
MOT passed ......hurrah
Shiney new Clive F y piece just fitted.....woo hoo
Sadly I must have knocked the electrical spade fitting on the oil pressure sender when I was tightening the exhaust clamp so now have a gauge that reads zero.
Are there any alternates to the original diaphragm type sold my TVR Parts for £60 plus P&P ? It’s a lot of money for a OEM part that was never particularly accurate !
Welcome your suggestions
Shiney new Clive F y piece just fitted.....woo hoo
Sadly I must have knocked the electrical spade fitting on the oil pressure sender when I was tightening the exhaust clamp so now have a gauge that reads zero.
Are there any alternates to the original diaphragm type sold my TVR Parts for £60 plus P&P ? It’s a lot of money for a OEM part that was never particularly accurate !
Welcome your suggestions
I'm using an Ispro R8917-03, its the best quality sender I've found to date, this American made sender has been giving reliable service and accurate readings for four and a half years now, saying that my previous cheapy Chinese made Ebay one lasted five years before it failed and it was only £12.
Unlike the original sender, the Ispro R8917-03 has two terminals, one is for the gauge so simply connect the existing TVR wire, the second terminal is for a separate dedicated earth which is far more reliable than earthing through the block as per the original.
I made up a little earth wire about a foot long running it from the sender to the earthing stud on the chassis outrigger, this earth connection has worked perfectly since I fitted the cheapy Chinese over 9 years ago which was also a double terminal type.
Be aware "N" is earth and "G" is gauge, "G" is not ground as you might think!
The Ispro R8917-03 is quite a bit more expensive than the cheapy Chinese ones but still a lot cheaper than the ones sold by the TVR parts specialists. It's also quite a bit longer, I had to jack my engine slightly to get it started on the thread, once started it screwed in perfectly and there were no clearance issues whatsoever when I took the engine weight off the jack.
Isspro ISS-R8917-03 Product Specifications:
https://dmcomponents.co.uk/
Be aware none of these rubber diaphragm type oil pressure senders have an especially long life as the hot acidic engine oil will eventually breach the rubber diaphragm, as soon as this happens the reading will be lowered and the engine oil will enter the variable resistor side of the canister, leaks and complete failure of the sender will quickly follow.
Because of this you need to accept this type of sender is a consumable product with a limited life somewhere between 5-10 years depending on sender quality and the amount you use your TVR, you may feel the £12 senders you can buy off eBay are best value even though they only last 5 years, after all you can buy five cheapy Chinese senders that will give you 25 years service for the same money as TVR Parts charge for one sender that may only last 5 years.
I'm at 4.5 years on my Isspro sender, its definitely nicer made than the TVR Parts one and the cheap eBay ones too but it's early days yet, if my Isspro sender lasts 10 years or more I'll consider it the best value option......
But until then the jury is still out
One thing is for sure, you really don't need to pay the silly prices charged by the TVR parts specialists for what is after all a very basic oil pressure sender, the kind you found on an old Jag XJ6 and was no longer lasting on that car.
Unlike the original sender, the Ispro R8917-03 has two terminals, one is for the gauge so simply connect the existing TVR wire, the second terminal is for a separate dedicated earth which is far more reliable than earthing through the block as per the original.
I made up a little earth wire about a foot long running it from the sender to the earthing stud on the chassis outrigger, this earth connection has worked perfectly since I fitted the cheapy Chinese over 9 years ago which was also a double terminal type.
Be aware "N" is earth and "G" is gauge, "G" is not ground as you might think!
The Ispro R8917-03 is quite a bit more expensive than the cheapy Chinese ones but still a lot cheaper than the ones sold by the TVR parts specialists. It's also quite a bit longer, I had to jack my engine slightly to get it started on the thread, once started it screwed in perfectly and there were no clearance issues whatsoever when I took the engine weight off the jack.
Isspro ISS-R8917-03 Product Specifications:
- 0-100psi
- Threading: 1/8" NPTF
- Terminal: 2 Stud, Ground Stud
- Sender Type: PB
https://dmcomponents.co.uk/
Be aware none of these rubber diaphragm type oil pressure senders have an especially long life as the hot acidic engine oil will eventually breach the rubber diaphragm, as soon as this happens the reading will be lowered and the engine oil will enter the variable resistor side of the canister, leaks and complete failure of the sender will quickly follow.
Because of this you need to accept this type of sender is a consumable product with a limited life somewhere between 5-10 years depending on sender quality and the amount you use your TVR, you may feel the £12 senders you can buy off eBay are best value even though they only last 5 years, after all you can buy five cheapy Chinese senders that will give you 25 years service for the same money as TVR Parts charge for one sender that may only last 5 years.
I'm at 4.5 years on my Isspro sender, its definitely nicer made than the TVR Parts one and the cheap eBay ones too but it's early days yet, if my Isspro sender lasts 10 years or more I'll consider it the best value option......
But until then the jury is still out
One thing is for sure, you really don't need to pay the silly prices charged by the TVR parts specialists for what is after all a very basic oil pressure sender, the kind you found on an old Jag XJ6 and was no longer lasting on that car.
I'd give them a call, just because something isn't on their website doesn't meant they don't have it.
Also, other part numbers may be suitable.
The other people who'll sell you a matched sender is Caerbont.
https://www.caigauge.com/
Again, its a case of picking up the phone to discuss your requirements.
Also, other part numbers may be suitable.
The other people who'll sell you a matched sender is Caerbont.
https://www.caigauge.com/
Again, its a case of picking up the phone to discuss your requirements.
Just received a direct replacement from Caerbont and it was a 10 minute job to jack up the car put it on stands and replace the old for new.
Started her up and the pressure increased over 60 seconds to a steady 60 psi (?) where previously the old gauge registered c 30-35 before it broke.
Is it a question of the new gauge being:
1- more accurate
2- measuring on a different scale
3- it doesnt really matter providing there’s good pressure ....it’s a relative change in pressure in the future to watch out for.
Should I test with a wet gauge just to make sure everything is ok ?
As an aside I didn’t think sitting in the car reversing 5 feet, letting her idle to get warm and then a few blips of the throttle could be so rewarding.......need to sneak out for a round trip to the supermarket sometime soon !
Started her up and the pressure increased over 60 seconds to a steady 60 psi (?) where previously the old gauge registered c 30-35 before it broke.
Is it a question of the new gauge being:
1- more accurate
2- measuring on a different scale
3- it doesnt really matter providing there’s good pressure ....it’s a relative change in pressure in the future to watch out for.
Should I test with a wet gauge just to make sure everything is ok ?
As an aside I didn’t think sitting in the car reversing 5 feet, letting her idle to get warm and then a few blips of the throttle could be so rewarding.......need to sneak out for a round trip to the supermarket sometime soon !
Yep direct from Carbeont Part number 1000-6-10...... not cheap as still £59 incl vat & carriage but a bit cheaper than TVR Parts. They were good to deal with albeit it took a couple of weeks for delivery....give them a call.
I didn’t have a concern about oil pressure just didn’t like driving around not knowing it was ok! When I finely get out for a drive at least I know my gauge is working and its not all going to go bang.
I didn’t have a concern about oil pressure just didn’t like driving around not knowing it was ok! When I finely get out for a drive at least I know my gauge is working and its not all going to go bang.
Sorry Steve don’t have a point of reference. It looks a direct replacement for the original that failed and I suspect it’s the same part as supplied by TVR Parts only about £8 cheaper once vat and carriage is added.
Save for the high reading ( it may settle down after its first proper drive?) it looks a quality item.
Save for the high reading ( it may settle down after its first proper drive?) it looks a quality item.
Any thoughts ......
When swapping over then gauge a small trickle of oil comes from the engine block. The oil that escaped was very black when compared with the colour of the oil on the dipstick. Does the oil pressure sender sit in a location when the oil doesn’t actually circulate and therefore was the oil that escaped a lot older and dirtier than the majority that sits in the engine.......should I have drained more when swapping over th gauges to remove the old oil or doesn’t it matter ?
It will only be a 10- 15 minute job to jack it up and loosen off the new sender to allow more oil to escape......any point or am I just becoming a bit obsessive in lockdown ?
When swapping over then gauge a small trickle of oil comes from the engine block. The oil that escaped was very black when compared with the colour of the oil on the dipstick. Does the oil pressure sender sit in a location when the oil doesn’t actually circulate and therefore was the oil that escaped a lot older and dirtier than the majority that sits in the engine.......should I have drained more when swapping over th gauges to remove the old oil or doesn’t it matter ?
It will only be a 10- 15 minute job to jack it up and loosen off the new sender to allow more oil to escape......any point or am I just becoming a bit obsessive in lockdown ?
Macbags said:
Any thoughts ......
When swapping over then gauge a small trickle of oil comes from the engine block. The oil that escaped was very black when compared with the colour of the oil on the dipstick. Does the oil pressure sender sit in a location when the oil doesn’t actually circulate
Pretty much yes When swapping over then gauge a small trickle of oil comes from the engine block. The oil that escaped was very black when compared with the colour of the oil on the dipstick. Does the oil pressure sender sit in a location when the oil doesn’t actually circulate
circulation is passing the port not through it so oil is stagnant that the sender threads into and is upside down it also sees oil pressure pre-filter , in pic you can see sender is a short distance to flow circled 
Edited by Zener on Thursday 2nd April 11:15
Macbags said:
Just received a direct replacement from Caerbont and it was a 10 minute job to jack up the car put it on stands and replace the old for new.
Started her up and the pressure increased over 60 seconds to a steady 60 psi (?) where previously the old gauge registered c 30-35 before it broke.
Is it a question of the new gauge being:
1- more accurate
2- measuring on a different scale
3- it doesnt really matter providing there’s good pressure ....it’s a relative change in pressure in the future to watch out for.
Should I test with a wet gauge just to make sure everything is ok ?
As an aside I didn’t think sitting in the car reversing 5 feet, letting her idle to get warm and then a few blips of the throttle could be so rewarding.......need to sneak out for a round trip to the supermarket sometime soon !
I wouldn't worry about it, flow is more important than pressure anyway, as long as you've got 10psi per 1,000psi and your oil pressure relief valve doesn't allow the true maximum oil pressure to exceed 60psi at speed the pressure element can be ignored. Flow determines the volume of oil available at the journal, and that's what's critical especially on an older engine where spill at the journal will be greater due to bearing wear.Started her up and the pressure increased over 60 seconds to a steady 60 psi (?) where previously the old gauge registered c 30-35 before it broke.
Is it a question of the new gauge being:
1- more accurate
2- measuring on a different scale
3- it doesnt really matter providing there’s good pressure ....it’s a relative change in pressure in the future to watch out for.
Should I test with a wet gauge just to make sure everything is ok ?
As an aside I didn’t think sitting in the car reversing 5 feet, letting her idle to get warm and then a few blips of the throttle could be so rewarding.......need to sneak out for a round trip to the supermarket sometime soon !
As an engine wears it requires a greater volume of oil to fill the space between the bearing shell and the journal, at the same time the oil pump will have lost some of its efficiency due the wear within the pump itself, so it's a double whammy effect. The worn oil pump supply's less oil volume and there is greater spill at the journal, this can further accelerate bearing wear and mean an insufficient supply of oil reaches the furthest gallery discharge points from the oil pump, namely the valve gear.
Its an ever growing circle of doom known generically as engine wear, as the rocker shafts wear though lack of oil so you create yet more spill, this is very common on a Rover V8, new rocker shafts are available but the rockers wear too and these are tricky to source at reasonable cost if you want decent OEM quality ones, there's a lot of poor quality new rockers out there that will give you more trouble than sticking with your worn originals.
The easiest and most effective way of helping the spill situation on a worn engine is to increase the viscosity of the oil used, this is why oil sold specifically for older high mileage engines is always a heavier grade than standard, and you normally find it has a boosted anti wear additive package too. There are however pros and cons to this approach, a heavier oil will have poor flow characteristics when cold which can create wear issues all of its own, this is where modern multi-grade oils can really help, look for the widest difference between the 'W' number (winter viscosity) and the number that follows it.
For example you may be running a 15W/40 giving a viscosity gap of 25, this oil grade is fine on a new RV8 engine or a freshly rebuilt one where all the tolerances are tight, but less ideal on a worn engine., At the 70,000 mile mark or sooner you may wish to switch to something heavier such as the excellent HPR15 from Penrite, this is a 15W/60 giving a much wider viscosity gap of 45.
Penrite HPR15 also contains a high level of zinc which is there to act as an anti-wear additive, actually be it a worn engine or unworn one zinc in the oil used in a flat tappet engine is absolutely essential but Pentrite oils do have more of it than most, you'll also find because it's 60 weight at the top end you'll suffer less spill at the crank journals and the rockers when your Rover V8 is up to operating temp, especially when stuck in traffic idling in the summer months.
Finally Penrire HPR15 is a fully synthetic, synthetic oils last longer before they break down and they remain in grade far better when at operating temperature than a mineral oil will, best of all 5l of fully synthetic Penrite HPR15 is very competitively priced at £35, you'll need two 5l containers of course because the Rover V8 takes just over 6 litres to fill, but that just means you get free postage, and you'll be using some of what’s left over to top up between changes anyway.
https://www.classic-oils.net/Penrite-HPR15
If you wanted to get 500,000 miles out of your Rover V8 you'd use a high zinc oil from the outset and you'd replace your oil pump with a new one every 100,000 miles, I'd replace the water pump at this point too as many a RV8 has died because the water pump failed at the 120,000 mile point. Use a quality antifreeze and change it regularly, change your oil every 5,000 miles making sure it contains at least 1,000 parts per million (PPM) of zinc and slowly creep the viscosity up over the life of the engine without letting the 'W' number go above 20.
With that recipe, and gentle use while the engine warms up, there's absolutely no reason why your Rover V8 can't hit 500,000 miles or more, as many RV8s fitted in Rangies and Discos have achieved out in the US which is a territory where big mileages are far more common than in Europe.
Thanks both very informative. The previous owner used 20/50 mineral for the last 5 years or so. Given the lock down I’ll probably complete minor service items myself this year ..... oil change, plug change ( no evidence of them being changed in the last 5 years) I’ve already changed the gearbox oil..... probably won’t tackle the diff as I understand it’s a bit difficult. Got to leave something to the professionals ! Anything else that is sensible to get on with while we’re all sitting on our backsides?
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