<VV> Oil Pressure Gauge

[Sethracer at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/21/2005 9:17:52 AM Pacific Standard Time,  
tampatexan at earthlink.net writes:

What are  the pros and cons of using a mechanical oil pressure gauge with 
the  necessary 15 foot oil pressure line??  Electric gauge isn't much 
more  expensive, but I already have a mechanical gauge...   comments??

Jim Houston
'65 Monza Coupe



If it is a street car, I suggest going to a nice electric gauge. On a race  
car, you have other options. I ran a 1/4" tubing from an oil cooler line in the 
 front, directly to the gauge. In reality, you will only have the oil in the  
whole line if you do have a leak. The pressure will compress some of the air 
in  the line and the oil will move some of the way up, but not too far. The  
most important thing about installing an electric oil pressure gauge is the  
manner and location of the mounting of the sending unit. Remember, the stock  
pressure switch "feed" is located "inside" the fan belt. You will need to  mount 
the sender in a location safe from fan belt attack (this holds true  for the 
tubing as well, if you run a mechanical gauge.) I have seen a nice,  short 
tube from the motor to the frame rail, where the sender was mounted. Don't  use 
hard tubing for this run, the movement of the motor could eventually crack  it. 
If you run plastic tubing to the sender, be sure to ground the body of the  
sender, simulating the mounting into the oil filter adapter. If the body is not 
 grounded, you will have erroneous readings. If you count on the  threads to 
be the ground, don't use teflon tape. Oh, be sure to install the  original 
pressure switch, or an equivalent replacement. Don't rely on seeing the  gauge. 
You still need the warning/idiot light!   One other note on the  mechanical 
gauge. Feeding a couple of wires through the underside passages of  the Corvair 
is a lot easier than feeding a piece of tubing.  - Seth  Emerson