Mechanical Oil Pressure Gauge Installation--PHOTOS

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: cmorr
Any concerns the clear plastic tubing in the engine compartment will melt ?


As long as you keep it away from really hot spots, it seems to hold up surprisingly well. I've run it for several years at a time... but color me dubious too. I still don't trust plastic with 80 PSI of hot oil. All my vehicles with mechanical gauges now have copper capillary tubing instead of plastic- available at most auto parts stores with a "performance" section.

One surprising downside of the copper capillary tubing was that it REALLY carried mechanical engine noise to the passenger compartment on the Ram 1500 (can't notice it over the Magnaflows on the '69 R/T, but it probably is there also ;-) ). To fix that, I slid tight-fitting vacuum line over the whole length of the capillary inside the engine bay. That damped the noise completely.

OBTW- here's the gauge installation on my Ram:

http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/440_Magnum/media/OP_0w20_4_7.mp4.html

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: Hootbro
That looks freakin ghetto to say the least.

Unless you are running some super duper tuned hot rod setup where you need to monitor an actual specific oil pressure, the factory gauges or idiot lights are enough.

Just because you "can" do something, does not always make it a good idea to actually do it. This is one of those cases.


OK, I agree that zip-ties and the nylon capillary tubing aren't the slickest way to do an install...

BUT I totally disagree on idiot lights/idiot gauges that don't ever move being "enough." Sure, the average driver who doesn't understand the oiling system won't get any benefit... but if you know what to look for you can immediately tell if your oil is losing viscosity during extended high-temp/high-load situations (I put the gauge in my Ram for towing with Xw20 oil- no problems by the way). You can tell if your filter media has collapsed (been there, caught that on one of my old vehicles many years ago). You can tell if your bearing clearances have opened up excessively. You can tell if a bearing has rotated and blocked an oil passage BEFORE the bearing welds itself to the crank and spins in the block.

In short, you're right for the average joe in a commuter econobox... but none of us are really that guy or we wouldn't be on this forum!

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: cmorr
Any concerns the clear plastic tubing in the engine compartment will melt ?


As long as you keep it away from really hot spots, it seems to hold up surprisingly well.


Just to clarify: I was talking about the nylon gauge capillary tubing in this post. NOT the tygon tubing the OP installed over it- that stuff won't last any time. the heat and vapors of the engine bay will either soften it to goo or harden it to chunks. the UV in the cab will turn it dark brown and harden it. Not suitable for this application.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum

OBTW- here's the gauge installation on my Ram:

http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/440_Magnum/media/OP_0w20_4_7.mp4.html


Your gauge is working just like mine does hot. Idle is around 20 psi and rev to 4000+ and it goes to 85 psi. The big quesiton is what does yours go to on a cold morning? How cold does it get in your part of Texas? What is the cold start pressure and cold rev (but not to 4000) pressure?

By the way, nice rock steady idle at 600 rpm. Many EFI will idle at 800+ or did you have it in gear?

 

[TallPaul]

Me and zip ties go way back. Here is the gauge I ran on the F150 for 8 years with no leaks and the nylon line was not protected at all:
Oil Gauge mounting photo F150

 

[Donald]

Reminds me of the gauges my Dad installed on his 1960 Chevy wagon.

1) Pulled a round blank from the instrument panel and installed a square ammeter that was made for electronics than an auto.

2) Pulled the radio blank and installed a piece of 2x2 wood across. Then drilled some holes and ended up with oil pressure, gas pressure and vacuum mechanical gauges, all installed with copper line. The gauges were the round ones, threaded on the bottom like you would see on a boiler, not a car.

But he like it.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Reminds me of the gauges my Dad installed on his 1960 Chevy wagon.

1) Pulled a round blank from the instrument panel and installed a square ammeter that was made for electronics than an auto.

2) Pulled the radio blank and installed a piece of 2x2 wood across. Then drilled some holes and ended up with oil pressure, gas pressure and vacuum mechanical gauges, all installed with copper line. The gauges were the round ones, threaded on the bottom like you would see on a boiler, not a car.

But he like it.


The good old days, like with my '77 F100 where you could get up under the dashboard and work and there was a big flat surface to mount all sorts of stuff.

 

[MarkM66]

Curious as to why you didn't just get an electric gauge. Sender, and wire to gauge.

 

[TallPaul]

Biggest problem was there is not much room to mount the sender. If I extend out like I did with the mechanical line, it will put the sender in the way of a tranny R&R. Or I can put the sender in the original port if it is narrow, some are, some aren't, so I would have to get exact dimensions. It is so tight that I could not fit a T without a 4-inch extension. Also electric is more wiring and generally less responsive, though higher priced aftermarket electric OP gauges should be pretty responsive. And finally, I had a couple mechanical gauges laying around.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: TallPaul
And finally, I had a couple mechanical gauges laying around.


I think this is the real reason you used a mechanical gauge

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Originally Posted By: TallPaul
And finally, I had a couple mechanical gauges laying around.


I think this is the real reason you used a mechanical gauge

And I still have one more. What to do with it? Mountaineer, no. Can't have wife dealing with potential ruptured line. Aerostar, no. It's a beater and is rarely driven. Son's S10 and Motorhome are Chevys and have working gauges. Of course I could compare mechanical to factory electronic gauge.

I have installed mechanical OP gauges in two motorhomes and my F150. Never had a problem. The stories I hear of problems is someone lets the line fall onto the exhaust manifold, or they didn't install the ends of the nylon line correctly into the fitting and it popped out. Mine is correctly installed and opposite side from the exhaust manifold.

 

[morris]

thanks to Steve, for something to think about. i have used steel break tubing, i recommend it, youll sleep better. sometimes the factory DOES know the right way to do some things.

 

[meep]

kudos to doing the install. if you think about it.... there are compliments and critiques and even criticisms in this thread, but IMO everyone here discussing gauge installs narrows down the pack quite a bit. Very few people do it. And it's harder on newer vehicles with round, rubbery dashboards. It took longer for me to shape the 3-pod (over center stack) in my minivan than to install the gauges themselves.

I used a mechanical once with vinyl tubing and it never let me down. Since then I've had 3 electric sets, and I've lost 3 pressure senders over the years. SunTune, SunPro... maybe if I went with a more expensive brand I'd have better luck, but I do like having gauges. The triple in the van already saved my butt, giving me a heads-up for an electrical issue.

enjoy your work!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I think once my Focus is out of warranty, I'm going to install an *electronic* oil pressure gauge and some sort of volt meter.

 

[cchase]

From a general engineering design standpoint, no one installs electric gauges for things that matter.

 

[morris]

why wouldn't a buzzer be better? after all you cant keep your eye on a gauge all the time. they used to put them on semi-trucks.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Morris

Our service trucks all have a chime and an idiot light that goes on anytime an abnormal reading is displayed on a gauge.

I'm sure many other cars do this as well.

 

[morepwr]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
^^^Hahaha, spoken like a true rodder!

I absolutely agree. Once you get a hot oil baptism one day you'll be averse to ever running a real mechanical oil pressure gauge!


ugh. So true.

 

[meep]

funny: two Totally different schools on mechanical vs electrical.

nobody argues about idiot lights!!!

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: cchase
From a general engineering design standpoint, no one installs electric gauges for things that matter.

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