Oil temp sender.... Help please?

An alchemy of sparks, copper wire and earth

Moderators: User administrators, Moderators

Locked
bootie3367
Registered user
Posts: 279
Joined: 28 Nov 2011, 17:48
80-90 Mem No: 10560
Location: Enix pueblo, Almeria, Spain

Oil temp sender.... Help please?

Post by bootie3367 »

So while I had the oil filter housing off to cure a small leak I decided that it would be a good time to fit the new gauges I had bought.
Digital LED jobs, not sure of the accuracy but hey, they look nice :wink:

Thought I would check that everything would go together nicely with the new T pieces I bought but ran into a small problem.

I'll let the pics speak for themselves.
Checked the depth of the 1/8"npt hole
Image
It's only 16mm deep!
Image
Checked the length of the sender unit
Thats just a shade under 23mm!
Image[/url]
Screwed in till it stops at depth.
Image
Image
I am able to wiggle it slightly when it's screwed in so it will not hold back any pressure, cannot tighten up for the obvious reason so what am I to do, send back the T piece or send back the sender and gauge and try for either a different T piece or a different sender unit?
I really would like to keep the gauge as it matches the pressure gauge (that fits in the T piece as nice as you like).
Would it be possible to modify the sender unit?? Nah that would make it wrong as I'm guessing they are made a certain way (length) to transmit a certain temperature range???

Anybody with any knowledge able to point me in the right direction please?
It's 23mm long from the shoulder to the tip!
'89 Westy Joker Hitop
1.6TD JX engine

ed_crouch
Registered user
Posts: 9
Joined: 09 Jul 2012, 21:47
80-90 Mem No: 0
Location: North Hampshire

Re: Oil temp sender.... Help please?

Post by ed_crouch »

OK, you'll be much better off fitting the temperature sensor in the sump.

The reading you get will reflect the bulk oil temperature much more closely. No-one really puts temp senders in the gallery feed. Pressure, sure, but the temp sender needs to go in the sump.

If you have a steel sump (i.e. an I-4 engine), weld a threaded bung into the sump comfortably below the oil line, and there ya go. Oh, you will want to add an earthing strap to connect the sump to the engine block satisfactorily - that temp sender earths through the body as it only has one connection oin the top.

If you're fitting it to a CU/CV/CT/Wasserboxer, take off the plate under the end of the dipstick and either make a new one out of billet ally (or get me to make you one for a few quid as I have a lathe and a milling machine) with a threaded hole in it, or weld a threaded bung to the plate and again make sure its well earthed to the crankcase.

Surprised no-one else pitched in, but that is my advice.

Ed.
1982 Autohomes Kamper, 2.0 CU, Automatic.

Locked