Oil pressure gauge

[kowalski]

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

[hoevesruperd]

i am also interested in this but have no clue where to start, maybe oil temp would be nice at the same time

[kowalski]

bump?

[Wise Old Dog]

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.

[jakeb]

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.

[RED IS 91]

some good reading and parts here ,,,,,,, read the whole thread

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=96720

[kowalski]

great thanks

[ak96ss]

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, www.gaugeman.com, seems to have gone out of business. :(

[AL GReeNeRy]

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!

[1991 E30 M42]

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.

[bmwpower]

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?

[kowalski]

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.

[1991 E30 M42]

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.

[1991 E30 M42]

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

[kowalski]

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.

[Wizard]

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=ite m300190501565

These gauges look perfect in an E30

[BrandC]

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, www.gaugeman.com, seems to have gone out of business. :(


AK96ss: Does this adapter allow you to read both oil temp. AND pressure?

[rob_e30]

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.

[BrandC]

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?

[rob_e30]

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.

[1991 E30 M42]

pics