Oil Pressure Gauge install questions

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65Valiant310

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Hey all,

Can someone walk me through an oil pressure gauge install while keeping the idiot light on the dash?

I have a 65 valiant with a late seventies 318 in it

Is it as simple as getting a t-fitting for the back of the block, mechanical oil gauge and running the plumbling under the dash and mounting the gauge?

thanks
 
a tee would accomplish that - keep in mind the stock sender is a larger size than tubing adapter. might take 2 or 3 fittings...
9171K31-120x80.jpg
 
I wouldn't run a line full of hot oil into the interior of my car.

Get an electric gauge.
 
Get the braided line for a mechanical gauge. Mechanicals are ALWAYS precise. If you ever have a charging issue, your electric gauges will reflect that. I will only use mechanical oil/water gauges.
 
thanks for all the replies

is there another spot in the rear of the block (318) for oil pressure?

just wondering in case a t-fitting is too tight of a fit for 2 oil pressure senders (stock and new gauge)

i havent decided whether to go mechanical or electrical
 
If your budget is not tight, go with electric. Contrary to popular belief, electric
gauges now days are all more accurate than mechanical gauges, and no, electric gauges will not read wrong with lower voltage until you get so low
you are going to notice other more serious problems.

Mechanical problems, Large senders to fish through the firewall for temp, hot
oil inside car for oil. For a mechanical water, unless you already have a large
port for the temp sensor you will need to put in an adapter for it. Capillary
tubing for temp senders is a pain to run.

Mechanical gauges accuracy about 5-6% on a GOOD gauge.
Mechanical gauges, low cost.

Electric gauges have small wiring harness or wires to run through the
firewall and the senders will fit right into your current block locations.
Only wires running into the car. Accuracy of about 2-3% on a good gauge.
Better gauges auto calibrate at every start up.

Electrical gauges typically cost more due to the cost of the senders.
 
I always use a mechanical gauge. Dont ever use the plastic line they come with. You will more than likely oil down your windshield.

Buy some same diameter copper line and brass ferules if not included with the gauge. Cheaper than braided and will never burst.

I buy a roll of line and have lots for future projects..
 
65Valiant310 said:
Hey all,

Can someone walk me through an oil pressure gauge install while keeping the idiot light on the dash?

I have a 65 valiant with a late seventies 318 in it

Is it as simple as getting a t-fitting for the back of the block, mechanical oil gauge and running the plumbling under the dash and mounting the gauge?

thanks
Click to expand...
thats it .. get goin....
 
Hope this helps.
 

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64 SRT8 Dart said:
Thread is darned near 5 years old!! lol

What's with all these old threads poppin up recently? lol
Click to expand...

Just because it's old doesn't make it any less relevant. I actually prefer bringing up old relevant threads instead of making new ones asking the same question as an old.

Anyway, I have a mechanical gauge in my Duster. Previous owner installed it. There's a big messy coil of thin tubing under the dash. Hard to reroute. I'll probably change it when I can because of the lessons I've learned.

Once I had a '65 Mustang that the previous owner installed a mechanical oil pressure gauge. I guess it was an 'el cheapo' because it used plastic tubing. Anyway, that tubing somehow found it's way onto the header.

Needless to say, it burned up while driving South on the 710 (Los Angeles folk will know) and was squirting a steady stream of oil onto the header. Smoke was pouring everywhere! I don't remember how I plugged it up to get home. That was like way back in '95 or something.

Moral of the story, run electrical because you don't want that oil line to break, especially at a point inside of your car.
 
Trying to run both types of gauges may be tricky. If you use a tee, it may make it tight for the firewall (allow for engine vibration) and also difficult to access the distributor for tuning if you can get it to fit...
 
JoesEdge said:
Moral of the story, run electrical because you don't want that oil line to break, especially at a point inside of your car.
Click to expand...

Some of us can't afford to run electrical gauges.

I had a plastic tube break on the inside of the car last winter, shot hot oil all over my pant leg and carpet. What a mess. Luckily I was a 1/8 mile from the house and made it home.

I replaced the whole gauge set with another mechanical one from AutoGage. I would eventually like to replace the plastic tube with something else though.
 
I can see one day a video cam being pointed at all temp,oil and alt gauges under the hood
and being seen inside our cars on a small screen :glasses7:
 
The 90s Dodge trucks used a dual sender. It had two pins on it. One was for the gauge and one was for the light. If the resistance values are the same, it would be nice to use it. It would be a cleaner install with less chance of leaks.
 
Motopsycho said:
run copper tubing
Click to expand...

Copper tubing will eventually get brittle from the vibration and crack. Called "work hardening".


I had the problem once in my 340 cuda. I got it home by starting it, getting up to speed, then coasting in neutral, and off at stoplights for 7 miles to get home. Now I carry an extra nylon tube kit in the glove box.
 
Spend the money AND time ONCE by installjng braided steel. It will never break or leak. Also, dont buy "autogage"... Its Autometer's budget line and they suck.
I have installed many styles of gauges over the years in customers cars and not once has a braided line failed in the slightest.

Right now in the shop we have a 66' cbevelle that the customer complains has a noise coming from tbe copper line. We are replacing it.
 
I want to replace my oil pressure warning light with an electrical guage on my '65 273 also. Looks similar to the 318. I searched in the tech forum but got no hits, so I looked here. Glad to find this thread. Guess I need a new sending unit and guage, but I assume that I can use the old wire. Thanks, Richard Sweet.
 
Richard Sweet said:
I want to replace my oil pressure warning light with an electrical guage on my '65 273 also. Looks similar to the 318. I searched in the tech forum but got no hits, so I looked here. Glad to find this thread. Guess I need a new sending unit and guage, but I assume that I can use the old wire. Thanks, Richard Sweet.
Click to expand...

Maybe think about running its own wire from the sender through the firewall to the gauge. This would eliminate having to pull the gauge cluster and try to splice into the factory wire. Then you can always hook it up back to stock in case you decide to sell it and removing the new gauge will be easier and cleaner if a new buyer doesn't want it.

You will be more flexible if you change your mind in the future.
 
I do not trust anything carrying hot oil into the vehicle, one failure is all it takes

electronic is the way to go
 
Oh crap, the sky is fallllliiing!!!

There are plenty of other things that could fail; route it well, keep the bends smooth, keep it away from sharp edges, rock on.
 
Does an electrical oil pressure gauge need a voltage limiter, e.g. a resistor to limit voltage? Will the gauge and sender both need a live wire to them? Will the length of wire be limited? Will the gauge and sender be matched or be specific to the engine? Will an after market supplier provide this information? I've had not been able to determine these things by viewing catelogues on line.
Thanks, Richard.
 
Most electrical gauges will come with a sending unit. They will be matched together. The new gauges do not need a resistor. There are three hookups at the gauge. A switched power wire, a ground(to ground the housing for a gauge light) and a sending unit wire. The sending unit wire goes directly from the gauge to the sending unit. The sending unit only has one connection.
 
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