Hey guys,
I want to add oil pressure and temperature sensors for datalogging, in addition to the stock oil pressure gauge.

I don't want to tap my oil pan. I don't want to use an adapter/tee fitting on the stock gauge location because that **** cracks and leaks.

What I was thinking is something along these lines -
Miatacage.com. Oil Pressure Sensor Relocation Kit.

Replace the stock sensor with a braided line that goes to a distribution block of sorts and feeds all 3 sensors (stock OPG, oil pressure, temperature).

Has anyone done it or used that kit? My concern with that is the fact that the sensors won't be in direct oil flow, so readings might be off. Alternative would be to do an inline distribution block on the turbo feed side. I don't really like that idea because oil failure points right near the turbo hot side is bad.

 

FWIW, I use a remote manifold for three sensors. All pressure however. I would think to get correct temp readings you would need to go inline or possibly threaded into the oil pump relief port by the alternator.

 

+1. I delete the stock OPG, but use a braided line and a GM 5-volt sensor to feed oil pressure to the Racepak. You can do the same and just use a tee that's isolated from the motor with a short length of -4AN line.

The oil temp is harder, as a manifold like that wouldn't see any flow. You really want to put it in the oil pan, as much as that sucks, but the other option would be to put it in the feed line to your oil cooler somehow.

 

The temperature sender, I could put it inline with the turbo oil drain.
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You can use the stock location and make a small bracket that attaches to the manifold to give it extra support.

I have mine attached with a BSP fitting. Its worked pretty well so far ( 30k miles, 8 track events, and plus many auto-xs).

 

I have mine on the sandwich plate for the oil cooler.

 

I've been looking into this as well. I'm swapping my factory OPG for a 0-100psi VDO or similar using for cheap. It should output off resistance vs oil pressure.

I modded the factory NB gauge with resistors, but you may not have to in a early NA chassis.

Then I'll spice off the gauge line to the MS3 and have oil pressure readings in the datalog stuff.

Then I should have an actual gauge in the cluster and a working input for the MS3. Bonus if it works in ShadowDash.


PS: I believe the early NA cars read psi on the factory gauge so a 0-80psi 180ohm sender would match the factory psi's better. A 0-100psi 180ohm would throw the scale off I think.

 

I want to have 2 sensors so then you add a tee to the equation blah blah blah I don't want to make a bracket for 2 sensors.

 

I'd expect it to read hot, both from ambient draw off the turbo and from the turbo heating the oil up. A sensor in the feed line to an oil cooler is as close to the sump as you can get.

 

Not hard, I have a tee on there. You only need to bracket the Pressure sensor. The Tee may have an effect on how the pressure and temp sensors operate. I am sure someone with more experience can explain on this one.

You can also add a 1/8" NPT fitting on the oil cooler lines, or the sandwhich plate (if you get one of those).

 

Maybe dumb question, but why two pressure sensors?

 

Its usually for more than one gauge or computer reading.

For example I have a sensor for a fail safe ight and engine killer. It will light up at a set pressure and kill the engine if it gets lower than that. A second sensor for an aftermarket pressure guage and the factory sensor too. I dont so much need the factory setup but Im not taking the time to remove or swap that gauge and I dont want it to be a dead spot in the cluster.

 

It seems (though I haven't tried it) that you could use a single sensor for all of those things provided only one of the devices has a "pullup" resistor. It's easy enough to have a Megasquirt just read the analog voltage at the sensor or the gauge or wherever you want to tap in.

I suppose it wouldn't be possible to use two device that require different sensor calibrations, perhaps aftermarket and OEM gauges, but a programable ECU or datalogger should be able to work with any sensor... I would think.

 

Hey Lenny, Did you ever get anywhere with this sensor relocation? My old oil pressure setup will not work for me with the new turbo location and i still want to see if i am about to destroy my bearings.

 

Nope, never did anything.

 

Any reason I shouldn't use this kit to feed oil to the turbo? Block->Firewall mounted T with sender -> Turbo?

 

Its something I've considered doing more than once. In for opinion.

 

I used this sender. The VDO gauge was from a Volvo that I had lying around.

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