Oil temp gauge sender location

[edhorne]

Hope you're all having a good bank holiday monday.

Just thinking about an oil temperature gauge.

Has anyone used one of these:

www.holden.co.uk/viewProducts.asp?supergroup=&analysiscode=0163&groupname=Oil%20Related&group=018

Have a look about halfway down at the "Housing Temperature Gauge". Does anyone know what thread size I should get?

Cheers

Ed

[350matt]

The hose bore is definitly 1/2" but I think the fittings may be 5/8 BSP, how about unscrewing an end off the filter housing and measuring it?

Matt

[longbow]

Yeah, DT do all of this kit too. Many people have simply drilled and taped the sender into the oil filter housing with success, which is the the simplest way as you don't need to disturb any of the oil hoses. This is what I'll be doing next weekend!

[robertjp]

Its on my to do list...

I think www.thinkauto.co.uk may be worth a look too guys, they are slightly cheaper than DT IIRC

Could also think about a Mocal Oilstat at the same time?

Ed - take lots of photos, and let us know if you have any probs, will make it easier on the rest of us!

PS I have had conflicting messages about Oil pipe bore, would be nice to confirm they are 1/2"?

>> Edited by robertjp on Tuesday 30th May 08:28

[edhorne]

I didn't fancy doing any drilling incase any bits got into the oil system.

I thought I could screw it in somewhere along one of the pipes during my next oil change.

Cheers

Ed

[350matt]

Uumm you remove the filter housing off the car to do the drilling and tapping......

Its far easier and that way you can clean it out post machining. What I would reccommend is welding some extra material onto the housing first as while there's just about enough wall thickness in the std housing to hold a thread, it puts the sensor directly in the oil stream and will cause a pressure drop.

And the hoses are 1/2" bore as thats the size of the push-on oil thermostat I fitted a few months ago and it was a very tight fit!

Matt

[longbow]

Matt, any feedback on how the oil temp now runs with the thermostat in?

[350matt]

Much better
I fitted a SPA dual gauge at the same time with a little switch to flick between water and oil temp and the 'stat' opens at 76° and the oil temp tends to reach this pretty quickly within the first 3-5 miles, as you'd expect the water gets up to temp quicker as well. Highest oil temp I've seen so far has been 88° after sat cooking in traffic and then a bit of hoonage immediatly following.
Have also plumbed in my Accusump which has stopped the oil pressure drop-outs I was getting under braking, which is nice...

Matt

[cerbie]

I'm currently having three SPA dual gauges fitted in place of the Oil Prees/Water Temp, Fuel gauge and clock. Will post photos when the job is complete.

When it is finished I will have Oil Temp & Pres, Fuel level & voltage and Fuel Pressure & Water temp.

[longbow]

Good stuff, any chance of a pic of the accumulator installation and also what spec it is? I might do the same!!!!

[350matt]

Its the big 6 pint unit and its mounted in the engine bay just underneath the passenger side intake and then plumbed into the oil line post filter via a tee piece and I then use a solenoid valve to allow me to 'prime' the engine up to pressure before I start.

Matt

[longbow]

Hmmm... so do you engage the solenoid just prior to shutdown to trap the line pressure for when you are about to restart? And have you plumbed in a non-return valve to stop the accumulator discharging back down to the pump as oppose to into the block?? Sorry for the questions, the only experience I have with accumulaors is on helicopter hydraulics!!!!