Gauge Senders-best location

ED_MX5 · Postby **ED_MX5** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 1:05 am

Gday,
So due to Continental (VDO GAUGES) having $100 minimum order at work, I helped out a customer wanting 1 gauge buy buying three for me :roll:

I have Oil pressure, Oil temp and Water Temp.
Oil Temp I will take from sump, unless there are any reasonable alternatives someone can suggest with it reading engine temp too from being tapped into motor.
Oil pressure I was considering using a T piece I have in my shed to utilise the original hole where factory oil sender is so I can maintain both. Any better ideas?
Considering buying Maruha thermostat adaptor to mount sender for coolant temp. Anywhere else I can go without cutting my hoses up?

Cheers for the info in advance.

Nevyn72 · Postby **Nevyn72** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 8:55 am

Oil temp/pressure: If you're considering getting a filter relocation kit these often come with ports for senders, this is what I use for my oil pressure source and later on oil temp when I add it. Alternatively you could get a sandwich plate (fits between the filter and block, I believe Yemin uses one) and these generally have 2 ports fitted.

Water Temp: I use the Maruha sandwich plate and it's a beauty, very expensive though. I also had to tap the sensor port a bit deeper to get the sensor to turn more than half a turn. It's tapped NPT-27 and you will need the appropriate tap (NPT-27 or BPT-28) depending on what your sender is. The only real alternative for the NB engine is to put an inline piece on the top hose, cheaper but not as neat.
NOTE: with either of these options you will only get a reading after the thermostat opens which is why I kept the factory gauge active.

ED_MX5 · Postby **ED_MX5** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:42 am

I will be doing a relocation kit. What kit did you buy mate?
Is there any location it will give me a reading all the way through the range for water temp?
cheers for the feedback.

Nevyn72 · Postby **Nevyn72** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:50 am

I got one of the eBay oil filter relocation kits (90% of them are the same and appear to be the same as the Work engineering one) and like most people I've had a hell of a job trying to stop the blardy thing from leaking!

It's one of these without the cooler.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/UNIVERSAL-22 ... 702&_uhb=1

As for the water temp, I believe the NA6 series heads had a spare port at the back of the head you could use (if you could get to it), unfortunately my NB SE doesn't have one there (I think all NB's are the same) and the ECU needs the factory sender to remain in place.

ED_MX5 · Postby **ED_MX5** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:37 am

I wonder if it's possible to make a double adaptor for original sender.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 11:08 am

If you do a coolant reroute you can have a spare sensor in the reroute spacer.

It just use the stock 323 temp sensor port which is at the back of the head. Right PITA to access with the head in the car though.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 11:09 am

Different senders have different voltages at set temperatures.

ED_MX5 · Postby **ED_MX5** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 11:41 am

Yeah I know they do.. I more so meant to have a adpator to fit both sensors in the same location. Is there room?

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 12:00 pm

What I've seen people do for pressure is run a braided line to a block multi port block on the body. Lots of bad reports of issues with adapters with sensors hanging off the threads only.

Temperature you would need to make sure both sensors have adequate coolant flow past them which would make a double adapter hard.

ED_MX5 · Postby **ED_MX5** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 1:13 pm

Yeah true.. had not considered that yet. I'll have a look when I finish work. I'll figure something out.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 3:52 pm

Avoid a T for the oil pressure as the weight of 2 sensors combined with engine vibration could fracture the T. Consider a hose and mounting the T in the engine bay somewhere.

ED_MX5 · Postby **ED_MX5** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 5:45 pm

Magpie- any suggestions on a kit available possibly?

ED_MX5 · Postby **ED_MX5** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 6:41 pm

I'd like to add another posing question to the mix.
I have bought the sump plug sender for oil temp.
Does anyone believe that somewhere else would be better? and why?
I like to try and know everything happening in my engine, and want it reading right.
Cheers guys.

Had an idea btw, I am now thinking of buying the thermostat sandwich and swapping the factory sender to the sandwich, and putting my new sender where the factory one was. Only problem is thread, still working on that one.

and1 · Postby **and1** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:25 pm

I used a remote oil thermostat for an oil cooler which had ports for sensors. So that covered oil pressure and oil temp.

IMG_1787 by AndyPhan123, on Flickr

IMG_1792 by AndyPhan123, on Flickr

I wouldn't tee a pressure source either as people have said the loads it would take will fatigue the tee piece.

I'm just not comfortable with a sender sticking out under the oil pan either. It only takes a scrape to cause a potential giant oil leak.

For the coolant temp I had done a reroute and so just used an inline adapter

IMG_1932 by AndyPhan123, on Flickr
You will notice the gauge temp increase with it place here as the jiggle valve on the thermostat will still allow flow through. It will lag the stock sensor though.

I find it quite accurate here as the temp will float at or just above the thermostat opening temp (82 deg C) during cruising and light load.

The Maruha piece will work too but it costs way too much for me to justify (adapter cost me less than 20 bucks on ebay!)

Nevyn72 · Postby **Nevyn72** » Sun Aug 17, 2014 3:29 am

Here's a picture of my oil filter relocation kit fitted with the two sensor ports visible (I have the pressure sensor fitted but not connected in this shot).