Oil Pressure sensor for track?
 

What's best practice for mounting digital oil pressure sensors for track only applications?

Options appear to be:
- Straight into the block
- Sandwich plate between the block and oil filter (don't have one fitted currently)
- Remote mounted block (ECU manufacturer specifically says: "TI" Pressure sensors must not be mounted directly into the fuel rail or engine block, they must be remote mounted and connected via a flexible hose)

Thanks

Simply mount it where the stock electrical pressure sensor is currently mounted. Autometer (Summit probably does too) sells an adapter from the BPT thread the sensor uses to the NPT thread your aftermarket sensor probably uses.

I would suggest remote mounting it. They're much more sensitive to vibration compared to the NB switch or NA "real" oil pressure sensor.

What year engine? On the VVT, there's a port on the VVT housing you can remove, tap for NPT, and thread commonly found adapters into it. On non-VVT, grab a steel adapter for turbo oil feels and instead use it for oil pressure.

My usual hardware is a 1/8NPT male to -3AN male steel adapter, to a length of -3 pre-made brake line, to a -3AN male to 1/8NPT female steel adapter.

I have an AEM mounted directly to the block in place of the factory oil pressure switch on a VVT motor... with an 1/8 BSPT to 1/8 NPT adapter of course.

Been 3 years on a dedicated track car with 88 durometer AWR engine mounts, delrin suspension bushings, and 1200lb front sprung Xida's... If vibration would kill one of these sensors I would be the test case...

Now that I say that it will probably die tomorrow...

Someone should mount it directly to a K24 to really test it.

I should note I've had similar results as rjacobs with solid mounted sensors, they occasionally survive. The good AEM SS sensors can be $150+, just worth it in my mind to buy ~$25 in hardware to remote mount it just in case.

They would need red loc-tite on it to keep it from vibrating out before it failed LOL.

I have a steel adapter to go from the block to an AN braided line, which goes to another adapter that the sensor threads into. The sensor itself is mounted to the chassis with rubber isolators and there’s slack in the AN line to allow engine movement.

I haven’t had a problem with this yet.

Edited to add: this is on my K24-powered car, because I didn’t have red Loctite handy… 🤣🤣

Vibrations usually don't loosen oil pressure adapters; they cause them to break at the threads. So, thread locker isn't going to solve that issue. Remote mount with a quality line is the more robust setup.

I dunno about the rest of the crew, but I was trying to be funny. Further proof that I can't funny early in the morning.

Here's a link to the post where I show off my solution.

These are the McMaster part numbers that I used, as well as a 10" 4AN hose with one straight end and one 90 degree end.

• 4545K162 37 Degree Flared Fitting for Steel Tubing, Male Adapter for 1/4" Tube OD x 1/8 BSPT, 4500 PSI $4.89
• 50715K171 37 Degree Flared Fitting for Stainless Steel Tubing, Adapter for 1/4" Tube OD x 1/8 NPT Female $10.73 (ouch)

The downside with remote mounting is on the dual sensors (pressure and temp) you'll get inaccurate temp readings.

Out of curiosity, does anyone here have first hand experience with a cracked oil fitting, such as a brass tee? I know best practice is to remote mount, but I'm curious how common of a failure it is, especially since FM still packages a brass tee in their turbo kits.

it was a joke

Thanks for the replies. It seems like best practice is remote mounted, although there is a chance chance that mounted to the block via adaptor might survive (as per rjacobs above). I'll head down the remote mounted route...

My haltech pressure/temp combo sensor survived two years directly mounted to a K24. Then one day in the garage(thankfully) it just... started pissing oil though the connector.

Its replacement was mounted to the frame rail in a cushioned adel clamp with a 12" run of 3an line feeding it. Pressure remained accurate, but temp took a looooog time to heat(due to the deadheaded line). I eventually moved to dedicated pressure(same framerail location) sensor and temp sensor(threaded directly into the pan).
Interestingly enough I never had issues with this sensor unthreading or cracking... I did use the locktite white threadlocker+threadsealer combo on it.

Original I had it off a tee from the passenger side stock location where the other side of the t went to feed my turbo. I relocated it to a male male an adapter further down the line just because it was such a pain in the ass to have it hidden up under the intake manifold. I have a street/track setup car so my vibration isn't nearly as bad as others.

To update this, I originally had the oil pressure sensor mounted about 3 feet into the turbo feed line. I was getting what seemed like very low oil pressure for having an 80PSI oil pump. At WOT I was getting 39 to 44PSI. I actually had a glow shift oil pressure sensor/gauge setup, literally next to it on the same line and was getting about 5PSI higher at any given RPM. I ended up moving the oil pressure sender to the start of the line right out of the block and now I get +15PSI more than I was getting, so at WOT I get roughly 55 to 60PSI. I dont think there is anything wrong with having it mounted on the turbo feed line, you just have to adjust for the loss in pressure in whatever system/reading you want it tracked in. I'll leave mine in the 'stock' location for now and see how it holds up. I'm certainly not driving my car as hard as the rest of you, so I don't expect any issues, but I'll definitely be keeping a lookout.