Got a question for those running a autometer oil pressure gauge in a b18 or maybe even a b16. Where did you all install the sensor itself? Reason I ask, my old gsr block is a 95 which has the oil cooler. With my oil sandwich installed on top of the cooler the sensor cleared everything. my new block is a 96+ gsr block which doesn't have the oil cooler. With the sandwich installed the sensor doesn't fit right. The issue I'm having is it running into the water pipe or the block fitting I'm using to loop the 95 gsr water pipe back into the block. I can post pictures to better explain myself, just let me know and I'll upload a few.

 

Run a 90* fitting... problem solved. Any location after the pump but before the head is ideal. Some prefer to measure after the oil filter though. Reason being is there is some pressure difference from the filter.

 

I got the edelbrock sandwich adapter and used the extra port there. I didn't like the T fitting hanging off the stock oil pressure hole, I tended to hit it when I would change the oil. I have read a bunch people having problems with the sandwich adapters leaking. I was hoping that a bigger company I wouldn't have any, so far so good. To add I noticed the reading seems to jump more on the sandwich adapter as compared to the oil pressure sensor hole.

 

I just got rid of the stock pressure switch since it didnt tell me anything unless the engine was gonna get screwed lol.

Vdo has a 0-80 psi sensor with a low pressure light so its more or less like having the oe sensor built in

 

i put a 90 on the sandwich but the sensor then hits the oil filter itself

you wouldnt happen to have a pic would you?

 

What about a 45° fitting?

 

If it is hitting the oil filter then you didn't get the right 90* fitting. I am going to go out on a limb and say you used one of those brass block bodied 90* correct? Pictures would help here. With the 90* I run the OPS clears the oil filter just fine, but I like to get a full grip on the filter without risking anything so I clock it towards the transmission. I hate how big the body is on the AutoMeter pressure transducers.

PS - I tried posting a picture of my setup but I keep getting errors...

 

I have the B18B and just used an "ebay special" sandwich adapter with the oil filter and nothing else. It supplies oil to my turbo and pressure for my Autometer oil pressure gauge without using any 90 degree fitting. I have had zero leaks from anything, it works like a charm!

 

Yeah, it works great aside from the fact you are sending unflitered oil to your turbo... LOL!

 

True, but a lot of people run them with no problem. Yes you can find people who have had problems but the vast majority from searching do not. Is the T into the sending unit better, sure, but so what? The problem rate caused by the sandwich plate isn't enough to deter me. It just seems like a PIA to plug in 3 things into one port.

The reality: I guess because I change my oil like once a month/every other month and it's not my daily would likely be what gets me off the hook? LOL I also use a turbo timer which can help.

 

I ran a t off of the stock pressures sensor location. One feed runs to turbo and the other line to the fire wall where both autometer sensor and OEM sensor are located. Keeps weight off the fitting and don't hit it when I change filters.

 

Could you post a picture of this setup? I'm looking for ideas for my setup. I wanted to do this same idea with my sensors. It would be nice to see what it would look like.

 

this is what im dealing with. i have a 96+ gsr block my old water pipe and t stat housing is off my 95 gsr which is different. my oil cooler would have provided the space needed but i cant use it on this new block. how would i run this oil pressure sensor unit? any pics here is mine for starters



also i plan on looping the fitting on the block into the water pipe, again, since i dont have the stock oil cooler on this new block

 

run a short braided hose to the sender

 

You didn't say you had the huge cheap *** transducer. That changes things for sure. In that case I make a line go and feed a distribution block. Usually I bolt it to the intake manifold and leave sufficient flex in the supply line. In any case that is any interesting clocking position for your line output.

 

Transducer...man I had to look that word up to make sure I knew what it meant lol. No energy being used here. The angle of the feed line is at about 11 o'clock I don't see a problem with it there how it is temporarily. Oil is being feed to the turbo by pressure.

 

It is not strictly energy based... the sender is in fact a transducer:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transducer

I understand the feed is under pressure, I just never seen anyone point it directly at the intake manifold before like that. Hey, do what you want man.

 

I've had it running between the runners on my last motor and didn't see a problem. I might try the side this time not real sure yet, it's been awhile since my motor was in my car

 

An unfiltered oil feed causes huge turbo reliability issues in the long run. unfiltered oil feeds are what was causing that huge rash of precision turbo failures, contaminated oil was clogging the feed ports in the CHRA and the bearings.

ball bearing turbos are even more sensitive to oil quality and cleanliness.

I strongly advise anyone who uses a feed source before the oil filter to install an inline serviceable filter. your turbo will thank you by providing you with many miles of reliable operation lol.

as far as sender location, after the pump before the filter is fine. once the oil reaches operating temp there's almost no pressure drop across the filter, at least with a quality filter... not a fram.

Plus it allows you to monitor pressure out of the pump which is really more important. as oil runs through passages, filters, and lines there will be a small amount of pressure loss but under most circumstances it's irrelevant. pump output is more important to monitor.

 

Everyone has their opinion but the issues I have with running sensors before the oil filter are as follows:

- In the event an oil filter collapses you can easily spot this problem as the pressure delta is usually greater after the filter than before. Given, quality filters are usually a safe bet, but with 10's of thousands invested into something, why take the risk?

- I have seen transducers get clogged from unfiltered oil. Makes for bad times and can't always be remediated.

I may have one more but can't think of it right now. Meh, everyone has their own ways of doing things. In any event, if you are having issues with either locations then you have much more serious issues going on.

 

 

It's rare for a sensor to get clogged but it does happen. I've personally never had a filter collapse but I don't run standard oil filters.

since I'm not using the OEM oil pump I'll have a sensor on the pump outlet and at the oil inlet on the block after the oil has passed through the filter stacks and cooler. that way I can tell if a filter needs to be cleaned or if there's debris blocking passages in the cooler.

with my multi element filter stack the latter shouldn't be an issue.

 

The sending unit gets oil damn near right from oil pick up. Which is unfiltered if you want to be technical. So where do you suggest we get fresh filtered oil from, i thought all the oil in a closed system gets filtered at one point...

 

 

Yes, it is a closed system but metal and contaminants can be introduced into that system. If you start putting metal in your oil from a bearing or other component failing, it's going down into the oil pan. It can then be picked up by the pump and put into the main oil galley. If you're tapped into this galley before the filter, you'll be sending the contaminated oil to your turbo or whatever else you're feeding from this point. If you are tapped into the oil supply after the filter, the filter should catch the debris and give whatever is downstream a better chance of survival. The Golden Eagle sandwich plate distributes filtered oil to it's ports.