oil temp. gauge install

Solid · 01-13-2009, 05:59 PM

I got a DDM gauge pod for Christmas and about to get boost/vac and oil temp. gauge. Before I buy those, I was trying to find any posting on oil temp gauge install and it seems like many people posted with "almost impossible" note on them.

was anyone able to install an oil temp. gauge on GXPs? and if so, could you please post how to do it?

thanks in advance.

Dark Tech · 01-13-2009, 06:34 PM

if you get the interceptor guage that ddm offers, its a digital gauge that will display oil temp, ambient temp, boost, ect.... I have one, and its the way to go. This plugs into the OBD II and its easy to install.

On the side note when you install the pillarfiberglas the best thing to attach the tweater to the pillar is a fiberglass quick patck kit of some sort.

Solid · 01-13-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Tech

if you get the interceptor guage that ddm offers, its a digital gauge that will display oil temp, ambient temp, boost, ect.... I have one, and its the way to go. This plugs into the OBD II and its easy to install.

On the side note when you install the pillarfiberglas the best thing to attach the tweater to the pillar is a fiberglass quick patck kit of some sort.

sorry

could you elaborate that bit more please? I'm bit new to the tuning scene.
OBD II (On Board Diagnostic II), is this something I need to purchase seperately?
how does it work? and if I purchase an another oil temp. gauge, would I be able to connect to the OBD II?

OBD II aside, is there any other way to read oil temp?

madmods · 01-13-2009, 07:12 PM

I think your oil pressure will be a better choice then the oil temp. btw the water temp reading on our cars are very accurate. I have an external AEM water temp sensor to match it.

Solid · 01-13-2009, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madmods

I think your oil pressure will be a better choice then the oil temp. btw the water temp reading on our cars are very accurate. I have an external AEM water temp sensor to match it.

would this be the right way to go about doing the oil pressure then?
where is the oil pressure sender?

Solid · 01-13-2009, 07:44 PM

aeroforce does sound good..

It really is tempting thing to do, but it's so much money for just a read out.
I do agree it does more reading than any gauges, but something about needles moving up and down.. and less expensive....
thanks for the info tho, I will seriously consider it.

but for now, I think I will stick with manual boost gauge and oil pressure..

now.. any tip on how to do oil pressure please??

skotty · 01-16-2009, 12:21 PM

there are oil galley plugs on both sides of the block. they have a allen hole in them for removel. they have a strange thread on them though? i have drilled and tapped them or welded -an fittings to them in the past for oil feeds or temp or pressure gauges.

ROBOWO · 01-16-2009, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solid

aeroforce does sound good..

It really is tempting thing to do, but it's so much money for just a read out.
I do agree it does more reading than any gauges, but something about needles moving up and down.. and less expensive....
thanks for the info tho, I will seriously consider it.

but for now, I think I will stick with manual boost gauge and oil pressure..

now.. any tip on how to do oil pressure please??

Installing an oil pressure sending unit is not as bad as you might think. There are 3 oil galley plugs just below the exhaust manifold. The one closest to the front is the easiest to get to. Here is what you are looking for to remove.

This is what I used to remove the plug without having to remove the exhaust manifold.

There really isn't enough room to screw the oil pressure sending unit directly into the oil galley hole. Unlikely you'd ever find one with the correct threads. I installed a fitting in the hole, then added a 45 degree adapter, then a 2 foot nitrous line and the appropriate fittings to screw the sending unit into. The fitting that goes into the block is 12mm with a 1.75 thread pitch. My setup is pictured below. Any good performance shop should have the parts. If you print the 1st and third pictures and take them with you, they should have no problems supplying the necessary parts.

Not a difficult install overall, just takes a couple hours at most. If you have any other questions or concerns, PM me and I'll be glad to assist further if I can.

ender · 01-17-2009, 10:38 AM

Most folks think pressure is more important than temp, but as you get deeper into the performance realm, you learn that temp is more important. Both would be ideal, but with a non built motor, you know your pressure is gonna be fine.

But you want to watch your temps for at least 2 reasons:
1. To know when you can get on it. Oil temp is a better indicator than water temp.
2. To know when your motor is being pushed too hard. Lap after lap of WOT running, you need to know whether your oil is cooking.

Russ

rich71 · 01-17-2009, 04:30 PM

what is the proper average oil temp? What is the minimum temp before leaning into the throttle?

BaldTurboFreak · 01-17-2009, 07:00 PM

oil needs to get up to 180 before you kick it in the pants.
Mobil 1 is ok up to about 250-280 deg. Then I get worried.

shabby · 01-17-2009, 07:27 PM

I wonder how accurate the oil temp readout from the ecm is, must be some kinda formula like the cat temp readout.

V10Venom · 03-27-2009, 08:51 AM

Hey Sang, I know on the 2.4 there are plugs that you could tap into and I believe that was what ROBWO was referring to. I don't know exactly where they are on the 2.0 though. Did you ever find out? There has to be a sensor somewhere considering I know the dashhawk can read it but where it's at is a mystery.

V10Venom · 03-27-2009, 08:56 AM

Personally though, I would go for a AEM Wideband and a AEM boost gauge. Even if for now you wanted to go with a narrowband and cheapy boost gauge that'd be fine. Those would probably serve you better.

sodamninsane · 03-27-2009, 11:18 AM

Oil temp is modeled in the engine controller. Frankly it's really accurate for daily driving. It's easy to model because in daily driving circumstances oil temp closely follows coolant temp. The oil is heated by the coolant on it's way to gallery, the sump temp obviously can be much cooler depending on the climate you are driving around in.

If you want an accurate sump measurement you can just drill a thermocouple into the drain plug and read that. If you want an accurate gallery measurement, a thermocouple in one of the plugs would suffice, although it makes them hard to work with because they are allen heads.

You could also put a thermocouple in through the filter cap. But I wouldn't recommend that because the plastic will expand differently than the NPT metal fitting and it will leak. Sooo thats usually a no no.

Anyway, the ECU is calibrated to shut the phasers off around 150C oil temp (modeled, 302F). Oil typically starts to break down around 150C.

There is no "oil" temperature that needs to be reached before getting on the throttle. you just spend more work pumping the stuff than normal, but the thicker oil is better for the bearings. It gets hot when it's squished in the bearing interfaces anyway.