Re: [T3] Oil pressure/temperature installation

["DAVID WYATT" <drwwyatt@msn.com>]

I agree with Jim. I have installed oil pressure and temperature gauge on my 
old F150. When the plastic gave up I did just as well listening to the 
engine and feeling its pulse.
Dave


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Adney" <jadney@vwtype3.org>
To: <type3@vwtype3.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 7:15 PM
Subject: RE: [T3] Oil pressure/temperature installation


> On 23 Aug 2006 at 21:05, Keith Park wrote:
>
> > First off, use Brass elbows as they will transmit heat to the temp 
> > sensor
> > much better than cast iron, you need 2 elbows with the temp sensor and
> > second elbow in the first, then the idiot light sender and pressure line 
> > in
> > the second.  I don't trust the accuracy of the electonic oil pressure 
> > gauges
> > so I use a mechanical one and an oil line but you cant use the littl one
> > that comes with the gauge as its too long for the thick oil to get quick
> > response.  I use a copper line instead, I think its 1/4", copper is a 
> > must
> > where it goes into the engine as the plastic will die from heat in a 
> > year or
> > 2.
>
> The response time will bo fine as long as you bleed the air out of
> the line. Plastic line certainly has some potential problems, but
> copper will also work harden and break, AND it will short out the
> starter if you run it by there. (Had a friend who did that.)
>
> The down side of all of this is that none of the affordable gauges,
> either mechanical or electric, are very accurate and most of this
> extra gauge stuff is just for show anyway. You're really better off
> just learning to listen to your engine and developing an
> understanding of what's good for it and what's bad for it. Keep in
> mind that temps and pressures are just data unless you know what's
> really important. That kind of understanding doesn't come
> automatically when you install a gauge.
>
> It's just too easy to confuse data with understanding.
>
> I put an oil pressure gauge on my first square. It was cool at first,
> then I got bored with it. After the line kinked, broke, and leaked
> about a quart of engine oil out around the battery, I took it out and
> never put it back in.
>
> YMMV.
>
> -- 
> *******************************
> Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org
> Madison, Wisconsin, USA
> *******************************
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>