Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 02:44:27 -0600
Reply-To: Max/Joyce Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Max/Joyce Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Subject: Re: Where do you mount your gauges?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Bus boys sells an oil temp senderthat screws into the oil drain plug hole.
It was a little pricey at $20, but the law of supply and demand wins again.
A female spade connector slides over the end. I do need to find a better
sized crush washer for sealing it to the block though. It came with a
threaded insert that loctited in, if memory serves. I don't know whether
the oil is reading cooler there than other parts of the engine, but it is a
relative indicator of engine temp. Will definitely heat up some water in my
mini camp stove under the van and pull the gauge sender for both the
aftermarket oil and the factory water temp sender and see where the factory
dash gauge reads at boiling(we're at lessthan 1000 ft. elevation here) and
then check the oil sender for accuracy. BTW, my old 79 type 4 motor used a
VDO dipstick sender and I did the boil test and it was right on 100 degrees
C. Will likely have to clip a ground wire to the block from the gauge
sender to get a reading. Been a while since I've done this test.
DM&FS
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alan Hosage" <UCMYVW@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 6:22 PM
Subject: Re: Where do you mount your gauges?
> What I have found while deciding on the same subject,
> First of all there is no oil temp sending unit that will fit or screw
> right in. The VDO sender will not fit in the oil plug hole and therefore
if
> you want oil temp you must drill and tap a hole in the case. Oil dipstick
> sending units are not recommeded.
> For oil temp you need to install a sending unit as well which will take
> some time. Visit the main Vanagon page for more info and articles on this
> procedure. Go under problems and then the low oil pressure light for the
> leads to it.
> What I did with my sender unit. Alot of people mention many differnt
ways
> to mount and run the hose, showing concern for bends and heat. I brought
my
> hose up the back of engine (towards front of van) and under thermostat
> housing. (I have a 2.1L) I tapped the hole on top of the driver side
> cylinder head and mounted the strap there along with its own ground wire.
It
> does have a bend in it but it is away from the heat of exhaust pipe, I do
not
> anticipate any problems from it being bent. And since it sits on top of
> engine it is accessable and stays pretty clean.
> As far as mounting. I have not mounted my gauges yet, but plan on doing
it
> soon. My first choice was to mount them on top of the dash between the
two
> defrost vents. There is a little lip there that the holder would fit
nice.
> The only problem is it will overhang a little bit, off the lip towards the
> window itself. I am not sure but I think the dash boards are a bit
differnt
> possible changing in 85 or 86, and I think this lip is a little differnt.
I
> have also seen pics of installations where they were mounted in the dash
to
> the left of the cig. lighter. This was a clean install, but you can not
see
> them very well and you will need to cut holes in your dash, with a hole
saw.
> I believe I will probably go with the cluster on top of the dash, I have
> been trying to find some differnt models with not much luck, to see if any
of
> them would fit better that others. Will probably just go with the VDO one
> that BD offers.
>
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