Oil Temp Sensor Placement
 

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Where do you guys install your oil temp sensors?

In the pan, below the oil level, on the intake side.

/thread

Mines off the oil pump. Don't know the advantages or disadvantages to either placement.

Have also seen (not on a miata) one on the end of the dipstick.

Ebay sandwich plate behind oil filter that I use to feed my external oil cooler.

So do you have an external thermostat for the oil cooler? I was looking at the MOCAL sandwich plate which does not have any extra ports in it but does have a thermostat built in

I currently have mine t'd into the oil supply line...this is temporary. When I swap in my fresh motor it's gonna be in the sump on the intake side of the engine.

I bought my sandwich plate with the intention of using a RX7 oil cooler which has an internal thermostat. I ended up not being able to put it where I wanted initially so I used a different cooler I had with no thermostat. It never gets cold enough here for that to be much of an issue. It's not a daily driver either.

I have mounted mine in the oil pan near the drain plug on the '99 and in the pan near the dipstick on my previous '94. I went with the passenger side this time to keep the wire further away from the hot parts.

That's where mine is too

+1.

How much hotter is the compressed oil than the oil sitting in the pan? I'm not an engineer, this is a genuine question.

Oil is in-compressible :loser: I'm assuming you mean pressurized. I don't see why it would be any hotter except for the fact that there is less thermal mass when it is running through small orifices vs. sitting in a pan (so it can heat up faster)

You can do this with a $8 drain plug adapter. It puts the sensor kinda low to the ground (pigtail is about even with the bottom of the subframe) so it's not the optimal permanent placement, but it's quick and easy and will suffice until you pull the pan and have a proper bung welded in.

This is what I am doing for now. Like you said, quick and easy. Might even put some sort of plate under it for protection or extend an underpanel that far back. Wouldn't want to rip it off on track or bottoming on something.

You could also drill and tap sandwich plate for 1/8 npt if not already tapped.

I just drilled and tapped the pan itself in both of my installs, its fairly thick in that area.

I'll drill/ tap it while the engine is out. I am building a shortblock now anyway.

no clue. im assuming that the only extra heat I would get from that spot is from the oil pump. but i dont know for sure.

I dont think NA's have that plug. but it has been a while. i asked a friedn with a 94 and he doesnt remember one there.

Wheres the $8 oil adapter from>?

Pics of sensor placement in pan for reference?