Date: Tue, 19 May 2020 20:35:02 +0000
Reply-To: "ddbjorkman@verizon.net" <ddbjorkman@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "ddbjorkman@verizon.net" <ddbjorkman@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: oil pressure gauge and temp gauge
In-Reply-To: <CANEuo0iKEcQ5sb1kw13z0fy8ng8q0k4sB=7_Y0uuPbn9YZ1C-w@mail.gmail.com>
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Thanks to both you gents for your viewpoints. Both have their merits and an owner can now make a more informed decision on which way to go and how far their skills will take them. It's great to have so many folks with so much information that they want to share with all of us.
Thanks to all;Dave B.
-----Original Message-----
From: kenneth wilford (Van-Again) <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Tue, May 19, 2020 8:30 am
Subject: Re: oil pressure gauge and temp gauge
Here is my take on the oil pressure gauge situation. You are driving down
the road. You have an oil pressure gauge installed. Every so often you
take a look at your gauge to see what your oil pressure is doing. It has a
"normal" range when at cold idle, hot idle, 65 mph down the interstate.
You figure out what this "normal" range is, and then file that away in your
brain. One day you look down and something is not right. Oil pressure is
much lower than it normally is and you react by pulling over and checking
things out. Or over time you start seeing a trend where the oil
pressure isn't the same at start up, or takes longer to register at start
up, etc. In effect you establish a "normal" and then when things are no
longer the way they should be, you can intervene in some way (pull over,
add oil, replace oil, replace filter, etc).
Accuracy, really has very little to do with it if we are being honest.
That is why in Ford pickup trucks and Jeeps, they have an oil pressure
gauge that is essentially a dummy light. If your oil pressure is above a
certain value, the oil pressure "gauge" goes to the middle and everything
looks fine. When oil pressure goes below a certain range, the oil pressure
gauge goes to zero to scare you so you will pull over and investigate. 99%
of the people out there this is what they are actually looking for even if
they don't realize it. The folks that call me wanting to buy our oil
pressure gauge kit, want to be able to disable that pesky oil buzzer system
in the cluster. Or if they don't, that when that buzzer is going off, they
can look at the gauge to see if it is a false alarm or not instead of
having to pull over and unload everything over the engine while on a trip.
They aren't really looking for accuracy. They aren't engine builders, or
engine testers, they are drivers and sometimes simple is better.
Our kit is simple. You remove your oil filter, you install the adapter,
reinstall the oil filter, you run a premade length of wire to the front
and plug it into the gauge that you mount on the dash. You still have to
wire the lighting and the power and ground but that is it. Very simple and
easy. Is there a "better" place in the system to look for oil pressure for
accuracy? Possibly. But is that what you really need? Most likely not.
You just want to be able to drive, enjoy your van, and not panic if the oil
light starts to flicker for no reason or the buzzer starts to go off due to
a flaky dash cluster, or bad wire. Or you want to see trends over time.
Either way you can do that just as well with my kit.
The kit is reasonably priced for what it is, and how it takes most of the
work and complexity out of doing this, so more people can do it and feel
confident in getting it done. You don't have to be an amazing mechanic to
install this, just competent.
So if you need accuracy for the sake of accuracy then you might, maybe get
more accuracy out of a VDO sensor and gauge but you are going to pay a lot
more for it. And then you are still going to have to rig up an oil line,
and stuff and things that will look like a rig up at the end of the day not
matter how good of a job you do.
Just my two cents.
Ken
On Mon, May 18, 2020 at 7:32 PM Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> For oil pressure and temperature gauges I'm a bit partial to the VDO.
> There are a few series. The international series looks a bit old school
> even with the brackets and nuts to secure them. For the Waterboxer you want
> the 80 psi oil pressure set up and the 300f or 150c temperature. My
> preference is to use the 2 terminal oil pressure sender as that also works
> the warning light and the higher pressure is more reasonable (~6.0 psi) to
> actually get your attention sooner. My installation choice currently is to
> use an M10 X 1/8 NPT adapter in the port at the center cam bearing. Then
> "Yor-Lok" compression fittings with 3/16 bendable brake line. Run tube up
> and use a hose clamp-conduit clamp to secure the sensor to the intake
> manifold. The sandwich adapter places the sensor before the oil filter and
> once you have good reading an oil cooling system is coming soon. The
> GoWesty adapter for the temperature sensor is an awesome solution.
>
> Autometer also has a nifty 3 gauge combination that is priced well and
> easily installs on the dash. The lighting could be better but the gauges
> work well.
>
> https://www.amazon.com/Auto-Meter-2391-Autogage-Electric/dp/B00062YW06/ref=sr_1_22?crid=2GWYUEBCGUNF5&dchild=1&keywords=autometer+gauges&qid=1589844242&sprefix=autometer%2Caps%2C151&sr=8-22
>
> https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqaEiIhKCAKbjcRiM6RjWA_Oj3vyGg?e=0hgRcA
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of Richard Koller
> Sent: Monday, May 18, 2020 4:54 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: oil pressure gauge and temp gauge
>
> Yes, I did. But I don’t want a digital readout thanks for reminding me
>
> On Mon, May 18, 2020 at 1:58 PM kenneth wilford (Van-Again) <
> kenwilfy@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > Have you looked at the kit we sell?
> >
> > https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
> > vanagain.com%2Fshop%2Foil-pressure-gauge-kit-for-all-waterboxer-vanago
> > n&data=02%7C01%7C%7C92c0c110cb6940566d3908d7fb6d9ff8%7C84df9e7fe9f
> > 640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637254320560474986&sdata=i1QNkQIRE
> > hTH5Y42oSMw119LUXCW4%2BxUKq32OG8TUCA%3D&reserved=0
> >
> >
> > On Mon, May 18, 2020 at 1:25 PM Richard Koller <brvkoller@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Vanagoneers,
> >> I realize this may be an ancient thread covered ad nauseam on Samba
> >> and this list, but I want to install an oil pressure and temp gauge
> >> in my syncro. I was going to opt for the Van cafe kit but it is out
> >> of stock so I want to put together the equivalent. I am thinking a
> >> stainless brake line from gowesty would work using a male M10 x 1
> >> adaptor at the low pressure sensor port to attach the brake line to
> >> and then replicating the other components for the in the kit. My
> >> question is it a mistake to use NPT 1/8 inch fittings in this
> >> process? I plan to buy the gowesty oil pressure relief plug with the
> >> built in port for a temp gauge.
> >> Thanks
> >> Rick Koller
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Thanks,
> > Ken Wilford
> > John 3:16
> > https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.v
> > anagain.com
> %2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C92c0c110cb6940566d3908d7fb6d9ff8%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637254320560479975&sdata=mmeQi4Ro9hWZ%2B02MiCZLD4mA5PC4GUqdzE0SZSnpbaQ%3D&reserved=0
> >
>
--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
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