"How to" request: electronic oil pressure guage install

[Tzar177]

i bought this adaptor: 1 Aftermarket Gauge without stock sender
1/8 BSPT male to 1/8 NPT female
Part number: 4860K141

My sender will screw a few threads into the adaptor then stop. shouldnt i be able to screw it all the way hand tight? havent tried with tools yet, didnt wanna strip the threads before gettin it onto the car....

 

[livelyjay]

I am guessing the problem is the sending unit is longer than the adapter will allow. Use teflon/thread tape and screw it in until it stops. If you can get more than three threads you should be safe. Install it and check for leaks every day for a few days. If it's not tight enough it will leak slowly, so it won't be catastrophic. Worse comes to worse you'll have to get two more fittings to allow for the extra length in the sending unit. 1/8 NPT male to 1/8 NPT male and 1/8 NPT female to 1/8 NPT female. That would give you enough room if what you have doesn't already work.

 

[Maestrokneer]

Ok....I need major help and FAST!

My car is up on jack stands, sitting in my driveway without oil, and I can't move it until I get this damn pressure gauge installed.

So I've taken off my oil filter, and I can see the stock sender unit (barely).

My question is, I can barely see and touch the stock sender unit so how in the hell am I supposed to:

1) Remove the Stock sender unit? (adjustable wrench?)
2) Attach 1/8"NPT-1/8"BPT adapter with thread sealant? (I have the Nismo one Jay found earlier)
3) Reattach the Stock sender unit, and braided hose to Autometer Sender Unit?

Once my arm is up in this narrow window of space (see picture), I can't even see what I'm doing. It's all by feel. Is this what you all did? Or did you take off the black bracket? It's hard to see what that's supporting when you're on your back under the car, so I wasn't sure if that would be ok.

I would much appreciate any tips/comments you all have that could help. Thanks,

Maestro

 

[Maestrokneer]

bumpety bump

 

[khaosman]

Take the bracket off for sure, that is easy. It is just a couple 14mm bolts IIRC. You can put the sealant on your adapter before you mount. You also might be able to attach a couple of the accessories to it while it is out of the car and then screw it in. The line you will have to do while it is on the motor though.

Don't over torque it and break it

 

[Maestrokneer]

Thanks khaos.

Anyone else care to share what they did?

For those that kept the stock sender, was it a pain to connect it to the adapter once the adapter's in the block because of the wire coming off of it? Did you just leave it hanging there in the interim? That's the one step I'm fuzzy on.

Thanks,

(3 hours till dark.....here's hoping)

 

[khaosman]

You can remove that wire super easy. It is just a female spade connector, just pull it off.

 

[Maestrokneer]

good to know. Thanks again khaos.

Sadly, I wasn't able to get the bracket off. I got my 14mm socket out and was wrenching the hell out of those bolts, but to no avail. It only had an 8" handle on it, but still.....I had to have been putting at least 50ft-lb of torque on that sucker.

Not sure if they used locktite on it or what....

Did you have any problems getting those bolts off?

 

[khaosman]

No not really... you could try heating it up with a torch if you have one. Or just use a big breaker bar. Those bolts should be torqued around 40ft-lb. I'd try a bigger bar if you have one. Or slip a pipe over the end of it.

 

[Driver_X]

Has any one tried on of those oil filter sandwich plates?

They basically just bolt in between the block and the oil filter. They allow you add up to 4 different sensor using 1/8 npt fittings? Probably should take no more than 15 to 20 mintures to install. Price wise, its about the same for doing the 1 after market gauge, plus the stock sener. Let me know what you guys think about this!!!!! I've PM on member that has a plate to see what effects he had notice, but I dont think he has had time to put it on yet!
click here for the actual listing on ebay.

 

[Driver_X]

more pics of item

 

[starscream2k1]

if that plate/adaptor thing works i'll be going that route since it makes it 100% easier to do....

 

[livelyjay]

I have heard the sandwich plate does not work because it pushes the oil filter too far away from the block. It makes it physically impossible to change your filter because the plate pushes the filter too close to other things that sit just beyond the filter.

 

[starscream2k1]

what about this... since the stock location is already a PITA. Get the sandwich plate there and run your sensors and gauges and whatever. Then get a oil filter relocation kit and relocate the filter. Would that work? the only thing i would worry about is, is it going to read the oil pressure correctly and all that?

 

[livelyjay]

Actually, I have a relocation kit sitting in my garage right now. I am going to be relocating the filter somewhere to the passenger side of the engine compartment. I'm going to mount the filter adapter to a hard point, like the fender wall or something. Where the hoses come into the filter adapter I am going to put in a brass tee and add the oil pressure sending unit there.

Yous suggestion would work, but it would likely cost more that way then just adding in a bunch of fittings near the filter adapter in the relocation kit like I am doing. You're not supposed to hang the oil pressure sending unit off the engine block, you're supposed to remote mount it. So when using the sandwich plate you may get some leaks down the road unless you remote mount the sending unit and run a stainless oil line to it.

 

[starscream2k1]

Actually, I have a relocation kit sitting in my garage right now. I am going to be relocating the filter somewhere to the passenger side of the engine compartment. I'm going to mount the filter adapter to a hard point, like the fender wall or something. Where the hoses come into the filter adapter I am going to put in a brass tee and add the oil pressure sending unit there.

Yous suggestion would work, but it would likely cost more that way then just adding in a bunch of fittings near the filter adapter in the relocation kit like I am doing. You're not supposed to hang the oil pressure sending unit off the engine block, you're supposed to remote mount it. So when using the sandwich plate you may get some leaks down the road unless you remote mount the sending unit and run a stainless oil line to it.

but isnt the stock one in the same place? like the sandwich would have it so the stocker and the aftermarket one are both near the same place? how would a leak happen? (sorry i didnt know that could happen since its close to the block...)

 

[livelyjay]

The reason why the leak would happen is because the oil pressure sending unit is heavy, and more likely than not the attachment point is made out of brass, which is soft. Engine vibrations will cause a lot of stress on the attachment point because of the weight of the sending unit. This stress will eventually lead to a leak and possibly a complete failure in the sending unit. The stock sending unit is no where near as big as an aftermarket sending unit, this why it can be attached to the block without any problems. If the sandwich plate is made out of billet aluminum, you run a smaller risk of leaks, but it's a risk I for one would not be willing to take.

 

[starscream2k1]

what if i were to like brace the sender unit or something. I really just want to eliminate all the adaptors and stuff. hence why i like the sandwhich plate..... seems complicated that way with so many adaptors...

 

[livelyjay]

Bracing it would be sufficient, but another alternative would be to remote mount it with a stainless steel oil line. So you would have the following:

Block
Sandwich adapter -> oil line -> oil pressure sender
Relocation adapter -> oil lines -> relocation adapter -> oil filter

 

[starscream2k1]

which method in your opinion is better... (with your requirements being ease of installation, and most reliable (against leaking and s***)?

secondary to that would be price and ease of changing parts etc...