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oil pressure sending unit question

colbystephens

colbystephens

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so my machinist put a plug in the back of my block where my oil pressure sending unit goes, and i didn't notice till i got the engine into the truck. is there a product out there where i could hook a sending unit up to my oil cooler lines? i think that would be an easy quick fix. any ideas?
 
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If you can't easily pull the plug (I can't in my case, but my intake is a HAIR different than yours I expect lol) you can probably tap into the block right above the oil filter. Some blocks are not drilled here, but most are. It can be 1/8", but I think most are 1/4 at that location, but you can buy adapters from hardware stores. That would be the cleanest install if you can't simply remove the plug the machinist installed.
 
no, i can't remove the plug and install it b/c it's on the back of the block too close to the firewall - there's not enough space for the added length of the threaded portion of the sending unit. there's enough space only if it's installed in the block prior to installing the engine in the engine compartment. so there's nothing i can put in line with my oil pressure lines?
 
People replace oil pressure sending units all the time without removing their engine. You might be missing a part or something. Depending on what year your rig is and is you have a gauge or light makes the sending unit different and may require a long threaded pipe that makes the sender stick up further.
 
i have a 6.2 diesel. they are in a frustrating place. is there a guage out there which can be put in series w/ the oil pressure/cooler lines?
 
Not to my knowledge. I take it your sending plugged hole is behind and at the base of the dist?
 
well the dizzy part yeah, on 350's its in the same exact spot. You can get a electric oil pressure sending unit in there, its a tight fit with your hands, but it can be done.
 
heck, just go mechanical.. thats a tiny fitting.. 1/8 npt to the hose/hardline, prolly 1" in height.. or run a 90 1/8 npt fitting, then the mechanical fitting..

atm-3226_w.jpg
 
Is that the ONLY location on a 6.2 that you can get a pressure reading from? There are a few taps on the SBC's, perhaps there is more than one on the diesel?

I wouldn't recommend ANYTHING inline with the oil cooler lines unless I was replacing them at the same time. Those things are really bad about springing leaks (especially the newer rubber only ones) and a leak from those lines is potentially a lot worse than one from a 1/8 fitting.

With my 350 the SDPC TPI intake covered the stock oil pressure hole, so I moved it down to the oil filter, but needed to use a few pieces from the local hardware store to get everything to clear the block. 45's, 90's, all available in 1/8". I don't like adding anymore connections in lines than necessary, but if you want to hook it back up, and that's the only location, there's gotta be two inches between the firewall and the port, doesn't there??
 
ryoken said:
heck, just go mechanical.. thats a tiny fitting.. 1/8 npt to the hose/hardline, prolly 1" in height.. or run a 90 1/8 npt fitting, then the mechanical fitting..

atm-3226_w.jpg
Click to expand...

sorry, i'm not too familiar w/ this stuff yet. can you explain this a little more?
 
colbystephens said:
sorry, i'm not too familiar w/ this stuff yet. can you explain this a little more?
Click to expand...

You can get a cheap mechanical guage for like $25 at the parts store. It just screws in. You can get a copper line, or the nylon line. Both have brass fittings. I think they are supposed to be more accutate than elecrical gagues. You just have to be careful where you route the lines, don't want to spring a leak. I have one and it works fine.
 
yup, what 78 said.. more accurate.. And I've had a dozen or so in different vehicles and have yet had one leak... just hunt around summit, jegs, etc for mechanical oil gauges... any decent one will come with the hose and fittings..
 
Maybe your missing the point here... Your buying a whole new gauge, not using your existing electrical one... They come with tube and fittings... you put a fitting in the block and run the tube from the fitting and hook it up to the back of the gauge..

heres the unit i run, (couldn't find a pic of the back of an oil pressure gauge to show you how it hooks up) note the comment in the lower right corner on how it comes with tube and fittings...

http://www.autometer.com/cat_gaugedetail.aspx?gid=2717&sid=9

Tho, I just thought of something I've never seen before that would work if your are insistent on using your current electric unit.. Little hokey, but it would work...

you could use the fitting and hose from a mechanical, run the tube to a remote location away from the block (maybe on the firewall) and hook an electrical sender up there, using the same style fitting you put in the block, then a 1/8 npt coupler, then an electrical sender to feed the signal to your current gauge..

Damn, there you go, 2 avenues to pursue....
 
ryoken said:
Maybe your missing the point here...
Click to expand...

i think that is a good statement. :haha: it makes sense now. thanks for the info - that does give me a couple different options to consider!
 
Yeah, didn't mean for that to come off harsh or anything... If you get stuck on any of it, give us a holla... :D
 
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