Gday.

I've got an autometer Oil pressure gauge sitting around in my tool box that I'm thinking I really should install.

3 questions with the first one probably being newbish.
1)Do I have to completely/partially drain the oil to install it in the same position the standard idiot light is in?
2) What is the easiest way to remove the idiot light sender? From what I can see (which isnt much) it doesn't look like I can get a ring or open end spanner on there so whats the best approach? Water pump pliers?
3) From What I have read I can put the idiot light switch in the engine mount. Is this the best place and is it do-able with the engine in the vehicle?

Nick

 

You should be able to remove the sending unit and screw in the fitting for the gauge.There will be a small amount of oil leak out when it is removed. I am assuming the truck has a idiot light ,so remove the sensor and tape the end of the wire up. There was a write up a while back on a company that sold a adaptor, that would let you keep the idiot light and add the gauge in the same hole. You might do a search if you are interested in having both. I don't remember the the shape of the sending unit of hand ,but if you don't have a wrench that fits a pair of channel locks will probbly work.

 

Right, well I had a go. When I cleared the crap off the switch I found that I did have flats to grip on. Unfortunately I only have 5-19mm spanners, my adjustable spanners didn't go big enough and the water pump pliers slipped. So I did the traditional ask the neighbour thing and he came up with a pipe wrench. Not ideal but it worked.
Got it right out and was surprised at the flow of oil with ran out of the block and onto to a carefully placed diverter. (I lie. It was actually the lense of my hunting spotlight placed under my rig so I can see what I was doing.) So I put it back in then went and found the new sender.
Then realised I had no idea how to wire it as It had two posts, one labelled "G" and the other "WK" After doing some reading I found that it was a oil pressure sender/switch. "G" goes to the gauge and "WK" goes to the idiot light which triggers at 7psi (I understand the stock switch triggers at 4psi) Don't ask me what "WK" means because I don't know. If you do know I would be interested to hear.
Any way I took the stock switch out again and installed the aftermarket one. After finding that the "WK" terminal did the idiot light I was keen to see if I could make it work so I tried to hook it up to the stock idiot light but couldn't make it work so figured I should probably try the gauge before installed it and ran the wire. Sure enough dead sender. It goes to max when there is know ground applied and zero when there is. The sender body has continuity with ground, so its back to the shop tomorrow where they will hopefully give me a new sender (Bought it a while ago and only just got round to installing it. No box or receipt). So Iv'e given up and cracked a Tui.

As an aside does anyone see a problem with using the WK post to run an idiot light? I don't want to cut the cable for the stock light to put a spade connector on so may hook up a red LED or some such before I can get a T or get the stock switch installed in the alt. location. Main thing is I don't want an oil light coming on every time I am sitting at idle at the lights so that I just ignore it when I shouldn't.

Nick

 

Do you have a 20-22R engine? If you do, then there are two oil pressure ports on the right side of the engine block. Install your stock idiot light on the front port and install your gauge sensor on the rear port. I would run a single wire oil pressure sensor for the gauge and run the stock sensor for the light-keep it simple.

 

That's the plan but the gauge came with the dual pole sender and I don't have (or have the money to get) a spanner that will fit in the mount to tighten the stock sender in there. So until I can do that I was gonna hook up a IL to the sender, but like I said I don't want it coming on while I'm idling at lights etc but I spose some light is better than none.

 

hmmm gonna have to look at mine, I haven't recalled there being two ports. If so my gauge set is going in the truck sometime soon.

 

It's inside the motor mount in front of the oil pressure switch. As I understand it was for when the engine was put in the Celicas and the one used on the Hilux was blocked. Your aftermarket sender prob won't fit but your switch will if you get my drift.

 

My gauge set is a mechanical set, so I am positive it will fit in there. Not sure about the other guy though. Thanks.

 

Yeah mines electric sorry man I assumed yours was too. I really have no desire to have a tube with pressurised hot oil going into my cab, which is what I assume you are doing. Unless you're going Aussie style with the gauge out on the sill between the bonnet and windscreen.

 

Nah, gonna run it inside. Oil is ok with me, but if it was fuel that would be another story.

 

Oil I don't have a problem with, its the "hot, pressurised" part I'm not fond of.

 

haha understood. I spent many years in Quick Oil change places, so hot oil don't bother me no more. I can see the pressurized part though. Nothing the turn of a key wont solve.

 

I can`t see your block being different.

Does your vehicle have a low oil pressure shut off switch that shuts down the engine at low oil pressure??

That is the only reason I can see for any sort of pressure switch on a electrical oil pressure gauge.

A picture of this sending unit will help. Most electric sending units are not interchangeable and work only with one gauge brand.

all the electric gauges I have installed over the years get the ground from the engine block the other wire goes to the gauge then you have 12 volts from the light and a ground for the lights to work

As to mechanical oil pressure gauges I have run them for years as long as they are plumbed in correct there is very little chance of a ruptured line in the cab