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Oil temp sender.... Help please?

Posted: 03 Jun 2013, 11:22
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
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It's only 16mm deep!
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Checked the length of the sender unit
Thats just a shade under 23mm!
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Screwed in till it stops at depth.
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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!

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

Posted: 13 Jun 2013, 14:36
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.