Oil Pressure Gauge - Sender Relocation

[Bravnik]

Ok so I installed a 2 Gauge A-Pilar Pod with Boost / Oil Pressure. This DIY will not include the install on this as there are others for Pod installs and I forgot to take pictures.

However, it will cover the problem I ran into with our Sender.

First off, I purchased a 1/8 adapter that had 1/8 NPT Female to 1/8 BSPT Male as I read that our Sender tap was 1/8 BSPT. THIS IS NOT TRUE (More about this later)

My DYI starts with the Car on Ramps, bottom splash guard removed.

Note: You don't need to drain the oil. Only a tiny dribble came out of mine and simply wiped the area clean with a towel.

Here are the items I purchased for the install.



The items that you see are 6ft copper tubing, a 2in clamp, Sender, 2x compression connectors and the one circled in green is the 1/8 NPT F to 1/8 BSPT M. The other items is a rubber mat with a sticky back that I used to create my clamp for my Sender as seen below.



I made the holder using the clamp and by cutting the rubber backing (The rubber backing was some stuff I had left over from my Mazda Sirius installation).

After I completed the clamp, I mounted the sender using an available mounting spot that was created from the removal of the factory airbox and the MS CAI Installation.



I then connected the copper tubing and ran it to the bottom of the car. I then removed the factory sender. The sender is located right next to the oil canister so you can't miss it. This is what is looks like removed. Also note, that the threads are not 1/8 and they are NOT BSPT as far as I can tell.



So when I descoved that my $15 1/8 BSPT adapter was a waste, I didn't know what the hell I was going to do. I had purchased the copper tubeing setup from Kragens and in it were the compression connectors, tubing and another connector that I assumed I would not have to use. It is a 1/8 NPT to 1/4 NPT adapter (circled in Green).



I looked at the threads on this adapter and compaired them too the threads on the original sender and they seem to be the same type. So I put some pipe tape on it and tenderly checked to see if it would go in without issue. To my surprise it went in just fine. So I have no clue, but it appears that our Sender thread is 1/4 NPT and not 1/8 BSPT. Not sure if 1/4 NPT will thread into a 1/4 BSPT hole, but this did and there is not leaking which I feared.

Here is the final hookup under the car. I know the pic sucks but I have everything put back together now. I will update the pic tomorrow when I take it all back apart and check again for any leaks.



I drove the car around quite a bit. I did have a small leak on the compression adapter connected to the sender. I just tighted it a bit more and the leak is gone (was scared to tighted the copper too much).

Here is the final install of my Pods. I hope this helps others in their installations. If you have any questions just shoot me a PM.



Here are a few more pics of the finall install as well as one of my baby!

 

[BlackJack]

Just what I needed! I'm planning on getting an Oil Pressure Gauge but I wanted to find how-to's first.

Can you provide more pics of the locations and exactly where the sender was? Also, you used the copper tubing instead of the clear plastic tubes it came with or? Can I still use the clear plastic tubing? Also what are the black holes for? Power wires?

Sorry for the questions, just clarifying things before i come to get the gauges.

 

[Bravnik]

When you look at the oil canister you can't miss the sender as it is right above it.

I suppose you can use the plastic tubing, but I would not recommend it as if it comes in contact with any heat it could melt the tube.

The black holes I think are Firewall pass throughs so the edge of the hole going through the firewall does not cut the tube. As I used a Electrical Gauge I didn't need that and I used the hood release hole to run the wires from the Sender to the Gauge.

The job is really easy. The hard part was getting the gauge pod properly trimmed so it fit snug and getting it mounted. After that the rest was easy.

 

[BlackJack]

Thanks for the reply! That's definitely on the list now. If only I could find an A/F gauge how to...

 

[ZooMIN3]

wow, this is for the oil pressure gauge install? you just made it seem dummy proof!! rolf

I guess I just may go with an oil pressure gauge eventually.

 

[ZooMIN3]

Thanks for the reply! That's definitely on the list now. If only I could find an A/F gauge how to...

I have an A/F gauge on my other car....I'm tempted to do this install for the A/F on my Speed3. The install is pretty basic. You just install the one wire to your O2 wire, and I believe, if memory serves me right, wire in for positive and negative wires for power.... I'll have to look into it.. But here is something to get you started....an ECU digram for our Speed3!!


I got this from another post, I forget where, but it will help you install your A/F gauge since the wire you'll be looking for is a WHITE wire in PIN number
2Q.

Its amazing what you can wire up with a diagram/schematic, eh? lol

-J


I am so tempted to do this HOW To on the A/F gauge... but its an Autometer CarbonFiber faced A/F gauge, I don't think it'll go together with a boost, and oil temp gauge that I plan on ordering from Prosport... (braindead

 

[Haltech]

I have an A/F gauge on my other car....I'm tempted to do this install for the A/F on my Speed3. The install is pretty basic. You just install the one wire to your O2 wire, and I believe, if memory serves me right, wire in for positive and negative wires for power.... I'll have to look into it.. But here is something to get you started....an ECU digram for our Speed3!!


I got this from another post, I forget where, but it will help you install your A/F gauge since the wire you'll be looking for is a WHITE wire in PIN number
2Q.

Its amazing what you can wire up with a diagram/schematic, eh? lol

-J


I am so tempted to do this HOW To on the A/F gauge... but its an Autometer CarbonFiber faced A/F gauge, I don't think it'll go together with a boost, and oil temp gauge that I plan on ordering from Prosport... (braindead

It wont be accurate whatsoever unless you get a WIDEBAND setup, period, end of story.

 

[ZooMIN3]

It wont be accurate whatsoever unless you get a WIDEBAND setup, period, end of story.

Really? Like, say; the AEM gauge that costs around $400MSRP, but go for about $200 at some web sites?

say this one?

AEM A/F Ration

All info is much appreciated. If I'm going to attempt this, I'd want to do it right the FIRST time! lol

 

[Jays07MS3]

Really? Like, say; the AEM gauge that costs around $400MSRP, but go for about $200 at some web sites?

say this one?

AEM A/F Ration

All info is much appreciated. If I'm going to attempt this, I'd want to do it right the FIRST time! lol

Yeah thats a wideband sensor so you'll be fine. Like Haltech said, never waste your time on a narrowband since they're really inaccurate so you can never tune using them. Our cars come stock with a WB O2 sensor so you might want to look into tapping into that. Or you can get a gauge like the DashHawk that will read our stock WB O2.

 

[ZooMIN3]

Yeah thats a wideband sensor so you'll be fine. Like Haltech said, never waste your time on a narrowband since they're really inaccurate so you can never tune using them. Our cars come stock with a WB O2 sensor so you might want to look into tapping into that. Or you can get a gauge like the DashHawk that will read our stock WB O2.

Ours come with a wideband? lol Sounds good. So, if I tap into that wire, the same one mentioned with the ECU diagram, I'll be good to go for accurate readings?

 

[BlackJack]

Bravnik: Two more questions (and I know i'm being paranoid, but I just want to be ready):
-Which adapters did you exactly use? I'm reading that you got an 1/8NPT to 1/4NPT adapter, that's it?
-Did you have to dump the oil in order to replace the stock sender?

 

[Bravnik]

The package that you get is an Autometer Oil Pressure setup. I got mine at Kragens in CA. It includes the copper wire, compresssion adapters, the 1/8 NPT to 1/4 NPT adapter. I was surprised that the Sender thread was 1/4 as everything I had read said it was 1/8 BSPT.

Again the 1/4 NPT adapter fit and the threads looked the same (big and wide spaced vice tiny and closely spaced) so I assume they were the same. It went in without any weird force so hmm. It fit.

Now that does not mean it is NOT 1/4 BSPT, so be carefull and go gently but get it tight. And by all means don't forget to use thread tape on all threads.

Oh - And you don't need to drain the oil. A tiny bit comes out (dribble basically) but nothing you can't simply wipe off with a paper towel.

 

[ByrdMan23]

This thread helped so much! If anyone is wandering of another store that would have these compression senders and stuff, Ace hardware had the exact items i needed to relocate mine. Have everything hooked up no leaks and the gauge works great!

 

[mike2225]

Can I suggest that you use an electric sender.

If that tube ever pops off you till have Hot Oil entering the car at 50+ PSI.

It is cheaper to buy the mechanical one... But I feel that the electric is worth it.

I also agree with this, the oil line to the my gauge came out and leaked oil all in my car. I had to take my cd player and eveyrthing out to clean it.What a PITA!

 

[ByrdMan23]

uhh guys.... this is a electrical oil gauge.... no oil line runs into the car. we simply relocated the sender (which is electrical). I actually ran mine today and used the same method as bravnik. but yea mechanical is a big no no... but as far as prosport goes they have a electrical one

 

[iBoost]

hey Bravnik can you please post some more pics of the install.. ( maybe step by step if you can) some of us are slow here.. *cough* lolz... and do we need this..?
http://prosportgauges.com/oil-filter-adaptor-plate.aspx

 

[Bravnik]

The install is pretty simple to be honest. Sorry I don't have any further pics but I can explain.

1. Raise Car - I used Ramps for this.
2. Remove bottom skid pad
3. Locate the factory sender - If you're looking at the oil canister you can't miss it. It is the green sender in my pics.
4. Remove Factory Sender - If you do this you will not have any idiot light notification if you lose pressure. You can T it off if you want but that is someone elses job to do a write-up on.
5. Insert Adapter into old sender hole - Use pipe tape and the adapter is the one circled in green in the pic. I purchased the AutoMeter Oil Pressure installation kit from Kragen's and it was included.
6. Connect the Copper Tube to the Adapter inserted in step 5 using the compression adapter included in the kit.
7. Run the copper tube to your sender relocation point. I relocated the sender that came with my gauge to a spot by the battery box. This area was open due to my installing the MS CAI.
8. Terminate the copper tubing at the sender that came with your gauges using the supplied compression adapter.

That's really all their is too it. You mount your new sender and wire it as described in the gauge installation instructions. Make sure you use Pipe Tape on all connections and you should be golden. The hardest part in the entire install is finding the right AutoMeter Oil Pressure installation kit. You will need that adapter that is in the kit to get this to work.

Oh and the MazdaSpeed 3 uses a canister oil filter and not a standard filter like most cars in the US use. So the adapter you show is worhless for us. UNLESS - You get the PG Conversion Kit and convert from a canister to an oil filter. Then it will work.