Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 21:16:56 -0300
Reply-To: David Etter <detter@MAIL.AURACOM.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Etter <detter@MAIL.AURACOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Adding oil pressure and temp gauges?
In-Reply-To: <467EF2C6.5020904@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Mike:
1x # 350-040 VDO electric Oil Pressure gauge - Bus Boys 52mm $31.25
1x #360-006 Dual contact VDO oil press. Sender - Bus-Boys $37.50
Old prices above... and maybe eGauges are cheaper..
Now! There is already one pressure sender installed in the Head.
Remove that and install your new "Dual Contact" pressure sender.
Everything is M10 x 1 but you can use 1/8-27 NPT stuff.
I didn't because I didn't wish to push the threads; keep everything
standard I always say.
Just follow instructions with the "dual contact" sender - the
existing sender wire is for the idiot light and provision is provided
in the 2 contact posts for this.
That's the pressure sender and gauge taken care of... now...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The oil temperature Gauge.... There is a VW OEM 300 deg Temp sender
(# 049-919-563A) for VW gauges that will work with the VDO gauge.
It's cheaper but it's shorter element bothers me. I want my element
thingy to stick as far in as possible to be as accurate and fast
reading as possible. So I opted for the more expensive VDO #323-423
(below). It's element is a little longer and size matters. It's also
very skinny and looks like it would screw right in out of sight, but,
it doesn't and there's more room to work with now. Both are M10 x
1...
1 x #310-106 Oil Temp Gauge 300Deg VDO (Vision Series) 52mm from
$25.55 http://www.egauges.com/default.asp
1 x # 323-423 300 Deg Oil Temp sender M10 x 1 $25.00 eGauges also
Some people use a "T" at the Oil Filter Mount to install the Temp
sender PLUS keep the existing second Oil Press sender. I opted for
removing the existing pressure sender from above the Oil Filter and
relocating it up to the Head beside the other one by installing the
"T" at the head (I now have two pressure senders coming off the same
head orifice. One is OEM and the other is the VDO "Dual contact"
sender.)
I didn't like the idea of having a "T" adaptor at the oil filter
location because I think that the "T" would elevate/set the
Temperature sender too far away from the circulating oil, as well as
perhaps cause fitment problems with both sets of wires. Others have
said that the VDO temp sender's element MAY be a problem in that
since it is longer it MAY not fit in the "T" along with the OEM
press. sender. This is why using the OEM VW temp. sender would be
shorter and not cause fitment problems at the "T". Then again it is
further out and away from the circulating oil.
The increased distance is over an inch and maybe there won't
be a probem with detecting rapid oil temp changes or even accuracy,
but I didn't wish to take the chance.
Here is where the "T" adaptor comes from...
T Adapter - VW, male, M10 x 1 Part No: 240-850 eGauges $6.65..
eGauges "T" adaptor is too short to be used by itself on the head.
You probably will have to go to a Metric supply shop like "Bosch" and
pick up a short 'extender" (about 1/2 inch long) for your new "T"
fitting. That is because once mounted on the head the "T" doesn't
supply the side opening far enough away from the block to allow you
to rotate/tighten the OEM pressure sender. That "T" from eGauges is
too short. Maybe some other supplier has a taller "T" adaptor.
Good Luck! and YMMV.
David (dsl82westy)
P.S.: Caveat: I have a 1.6 TD diesel and use the second Oil Pressure
sender as a switch to close the circuit on a relay that charges my
house battery. I believe however that the WBX has the two pressure
senders. one is 0.3 millibars and the other is 0.9 millibars approx.
not that it matters a crock in my case.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Can anyone recommend the bits I'd need to buy to add oil pressure and
>oil temp gauges to Mellow Yellow? A one-vendor solution would be helpful
>but not necessary. I have an auto transmission if that affects mounting
>options.
>
>--
>Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>KG6RCR