Club 80-90 Forums

Although this is a general technical question I suspect syncro owners will have more experience than 2Wd owners.

Basically I am fed up of braking down and being towed back by the RAC...three time in the last 5 times out.

I've had overheating problems and now twice the oil pressure warning light and buzzer is coming on (1600TD).

So I want to fit gauges, for oil pressure and temp and water temp to start with.

Can any one give any recommendations? there is a whole range out there, I'm told 52mm is the most versitile but.....

Electric or capilliary? any prefference.

Look forwrad to comments too keep my RAC subscription down!

I fitted an oil pressure gauge to my 2wd 1.6td camper last year for similar reasons to you. Electric ones are the simplest and I got mine off ebay for under £20.


Mark

i have used vdo (as per vw on there dash). if i had the money it would be stack's but they are big money. vdo work well and are easy to read. this is my set in the cab, oil pressure and oil temp. just working out what too put in the 3rd opening. thinking of a vacume gauge (trying to work out if this a gimic or not) , or an amp meter, but the amp meter means running long heavy cables up to the front and back to the battery.

i dont think that water temp gauge is needed if the one on the dash board is working correctly. if working correctly it will tell you if the water temp, if the water level drops (flashing led) if the water gets too hot (flashing led). i can also tell when the fan will kick in by the location of the needle, (comes on as the needle just passes half way)



neil

i'm wanting some gauges, but where do you get all the fittings and bits and pieces to fit them to the engine?

pocolow wrote:Electric ones are the simplest

Not only the simplest, but I _really_ don't like the idea of running a pipe containing pressurised hot oil from the engine bay to the dash if I don't have to...

All I need do now is shout at Demon Tweeks _again_ to find out What the blithering heck the one I ordered about three weeks ago is. <grumble>

I found a 3 gauge vdo unit* [volt, oil pressure and oil temprature]on top of a rubbish bin!!! and used that, and a dual oil pressure sender,a sump temprature sender and of course wired the volt gauge to the ignition switch.
The volt meter is handy as it shows when things are switched on and when the rad fan comes on ect.
*found on golfs ect.

AdrianC wrote:

pocolow wrote:Electric ones are the simplest

Not only the simplest, but I _really_ don't like the idea of running a pipe containing pressurised hot oil from the engine bay to the dash if I don't have to...

All I need do now is shout at Demon Tweeks _again_ to find out What the blithering heck the one I ordered about three weeks ago is. <grumble>

You don't, fit a sender on the engine, run a wire receive the signal read it on the gauge. Mind you get the right sender for the gauge - ie: vdo 5 bar needs 5 bar sender.

Do a search on eBay for a brand called TIM much cheaper than vdo ones and look the same. Also look for Jaguar guages, you can get a full set of clocks really cheap

I have oil temp,
oil preasure,
boost guage,
actual water temp (this is vital IMHO)
volt guage (also vital IMHO)

Jed

dave friday wrote:I found a 3 gauge vdo unit* [volt, oil pressure and oil temprature]on top of a rubbish bin!!! and used that, and a dual oil pressure sender,a sump temprature sender and of course wired the volt gauge to the ignition switch.
The volt meter is handy as it shows when things are switched on and when the rad fan comes on ect.
*found on golfs ect.

Brilliant - and that is (apart from alot bought them) have this sort fitted. Although do you really think oil is gonna get to 170degC?

Then you could always overdose and spend a small fortune...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIpHyQuw6zk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Im not a lover of adding gauges but Im considering guaging up the two batteries and twin water temperature gauges, one taken from the engine and one on the return pipe from the radiator. Not sure yet.

Although do you really think oil is gonna get to 170degC?

No, 130 C quite enough

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Di ... nstruments

PC52 wrote:

AdrianC wrote:

pocolow wrote:Electric ones are the simplest

Not only the simplest, but I _really_ don't like the idea of running a pipe containing pressurised hot oil from the engine bay to the dash if I don't have to...

All I need do now is shout at Demon Tweeks _again_ to find out What the blithering heck the one I ordered about three weeks ago is. <grumble>

You don't, fit a sender on the engine, run a wire receive the signal read it on the gauge. Mind you get the right sender for the gauge - ie: vdo 5 bar needs 5 bar sender.

Yes, that's how the electrical pressure gauges work - but there are also mechanical ones, which take a pressurised oil feed via a capillary tube all the way to the gauge.

Mechanical :-
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Performan ... 13/0/16425" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

jed the spread wrote:Do a search on eBay for a brand called TIM much cheaper than vdo ones and look the same. Also look for Jaguar guages, you can get a full set of clocks really cheap

I have oil temp,
oil preasure,
boost guage,
actual water temp (this is vital IMHO)
volt guage (also vital IMHO)

Jed

jed

dont those gauges get quite hot from the hot air running through the tunnel or it doesnt matter if they do?

Epiphone wrote:dont those gauges get quite hot from the hot air running through the tunnel or it doesnt matter if they do?

I'd be more concerned that they were WAY out of eyeline, so very difficult to notice any changes in their readings.