M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS

DISCUSSION => Swaps, Turbos, Buildups => Topic started by: kowalski on January 11, 2008, 04:21:45 PM

Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: kowalski on January 11, 2008, 04:21:45 PM
Alright people, I'd like to know what my oil pressure is these days, the motors got 320,000 km's on it and still seems to run great. I had a little scare this last week when the oil light came on, but i swapped out the sensor with my buildup motor and the light is off now, so it was just a crapped out sensor.

Regardless, I would like to put in an oil pressure sensor, so does anyone know where i can get the T fitting I need to do so? This motor only has to last another 4-5 months and then it gets retired!

Mike
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: hoevesruperd on January 11, 2008, 04:44:45 PM
i am also interested in this but have no clue where to start, maybe oil temp would be nice at the same time
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: kowalski on January 14, 2008, 01:45:07 PM
bump?
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: Wise Old Dog on January 14, 2008, 03:36:19 PM
I've seen the small manifold block that goes where the oil pressure switch goes. On the side of the filter housing. Allows 2 lines to be connected. They are sold on e-bay, not expensive. Or you could spend $100 on the filter housing top that is ported for 2 fittings. My son has one, looks good. There is also an oil drain plug that has a hook-up for a temp gauge.
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: jakeb on January 14, 2008, 06:09:07 PM
You can get a sensor that does both.  But you would have to hack into your harness somehow to connect the different sensor to the dash light.
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: RED IS 91 on January 14, 2008, 06:45:47 PM
some good reading and parts here ,,,,,,, read the whole thread

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=96720
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: kowalski on January 14, 2008, 07:30:47 PM
great thanks
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: ak96ss on January 15, 2008, 04:52:04 AM
FWIW, this is what I have:

(http://lh4.google.com/2006TopBanana/RpHhRslIQ8I/AAAAAAAADG0/3_aRwlG8F3s/s800/p3130143.jpg)

Unfortunately, the place I got it from, http://www.gaugeman.com, seems to have gone out of business.  :(
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: AL GReeNeRy on January 17, 2008, 06:42:43 AM
http://flyingbrickperformance.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=32_50

those should work for both 325s and 318s.  they also got cheap gauges!
Title: Uuc
Post by: 1991 E30 M42 on January 17, 2008, 11:17:34 PM
UUC Motorwerks makes a billet oil filter cap that has two 1/8th npt ports for gauges, and it also comes with plugs so you can use one port or none. On the UUC site it says that the cap only fits E36 & E46 cars but it fits the E30 and I have been using it for about 2 years.
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: bmwpower on January 18, 2008, 05:58:45 AM
Quote from: 1991 E30 M42;41363
UUC Motorwerks makes a billet oil filter cap that has two 1/8th npt ports for gauges, and it also comes with plugs so you can use one port or none. On the UUC site it says that the cap only fits E36 & E46 cars but it fits the E30 and I have been using it for about 2 years.


Any reason you decided to go with a mechanical oil pressure gauge rather than electrical?
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: kowalski on January 18, 2008, 01:40:48 PM
the uuc one looks really tall... what does the inside of it look like? seems like it might be bypassing the oilfilter if thats all empty space up there.
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: 1991 E30 M42 on January 18, 2008, 11:36:04 PM
Quote from: bmwpower;41368
Any reason you decided to go with a mechanical oil pressure gauge rather than electrical?


I wanted to use Auto-Meter gauges and I also wanted full sweep gauges rather than 90*, and that would have cost me $200 rather than the $50 I spent on the mechanical.
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: 1991 E30 M42 on January 18, 2008, 11:38:10 PM
Quote from: kowalski;41386
the uuc one looks really tall... what does the inside of it look like? seems like it might be bypassing the oilfilter if thats all empty space up there.


The inside looks very similar to the factory cap but its all machined, and there is no oil filter bypass, it actually clamps down on the filter tighter then the factory unit
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: kowalski on January 19, 2008, 01:27:17 AM
Quote from: 1991 E30 M42;41411
The inside looks very similar to the factory cap but its all machined, and there is no oil filter bypass, it actually clamps down on the filter tighter then the factory unit

good to know. this is what i shall do then.
thanks.
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: Wizard on January 19, 2008, 12:35:54 PM
Go to you local junkyard and see if they have some older model Audi's or VW's (86-90 models).
Most of these had VDO gauges in them that would read Oil Pressure, Oil Temp and Volts. YOU MUST GET THE SENDING UNITS ALSO. Here is an example (although pisspoor one) of what I mean:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VW-MK1-Cabriolet-3-VDO-Gauges-Oil-Press-Temp-Volts_W0QQitemZ300190501565QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item300190501565

These gauges look perfect in an E30
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: BrandC on January 19, 2008, 10:07:40 PM
Quote from: ak96ss;41243
FWIW, this is what I have:

(http://lh4.google.com/2006TopBanana/RpHhRslIQ8I/AAAAAAAADG0/3_aRwlG8F3s/s800/p3130143.jpg)

Unfortunately, the place I got it from, http://www.gaugeman.com, seems to have gone out of business.  :(



AK96ss: Does this adapter allow you to read both oil temp. AND pressure?
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: rob_e30 on January 22, 2008, 12:34:06 PM
That adapter allows you to keep the stock switch and add one additional sender (pressure or temp).  I have the same and use it for pressure.
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: BrandC on January 22, 2008, 06:36:34 PM
Quote from: rob_e30;41528
That adapter allows you to keep the stock switch and add one additional sender (pressure or temp).  I have the same and use it for pressure.


Where'd you get the adapter from?
Title: Oil pressure gauge
Post by: rob_e30 on January 23, 2008, 12:00:45 AM
Same guy that appears to be out of business.  It's pretty simple... a brass block with two female threaded fittings (one for each sending unit) and a banjo bolt to attach it to the oil filter housing.  It's a bit hard to see in the photo, but it's shaped almost like an arrow head with the tip flattend, or perhaps a trapazoid.
Title: pics
Post by: 1991 E30 M42 on January 28, 2008, 07:45:23 PM
pics