boostedem2

Someone please help me!! I am getting so pissed off. I have the autometer sportcomp mechanical oil gauge and I keep getting told different stuff. First I was told I don't have to run a t tap , then someone says I need too, can someone just pm me the right steps to installing my oil pressure gauge and what I need, like should I use the vaccumm line they provided or should I get a steel braid one? Thank you and someone please help me!!

civicsrcool

for the most part people wont just spoon feed you info here. but im pretty sure there is a DIY in the diy section of this site. check it out. there is definitely one on hondatech [seen it before].

briand17a2

Im using 1/8" diameter copper tubing with 1/8" NPT compression fittings on either end.

I used a 3-way 1/8" NPT tee to split the oil pressure sender signal into 2 separate ports, one to screw in the "your engine is toast" oil pressure switch, and I ran about 5 feet of 1/8" diameter copper tubing through the firewall, using the other port on the tee.

Brass NPT threaded fittings from home depot work just fine. Were not talking 2000 psi here. BUT...please use teflon tape on all of your plumbing / threaded fasteners for this sort of thing. You dont need oil leaks from gauges in the people compartment.

Also, go easy on the compression fittings. Its easy to crush the **** out of the 1/8 npt ferrules (the little dude that slides over the copper tubing prior to torquing down the cap fitting). If you crush the ferrule, it will crush the tubing, and you will think you have no oil pressure, or a catastrophic oil leak, whichever is worse for you at the time :-)

DO NOT thread the tee straight into the pressure sender port on the engine block. The idea is to have say, a little S-shaped section of tubing coming off of a straight fitting out of the block, which then goes to the T fitting.

Engine vibration will have the local thread material tripping ***** before you know what happened. If you remote the T fitting so its just hanging out somewhere "not threaded to the block", you will be in much better shape.

I've got the exact same gauge and I love it. After I got it all hooked up, I backed the gauge fitting off just a bit until I got a tiny drop of oil to come out (with the engine running). This way you get instantaneous gauge response to changes in system pressure. Probably overkill for most, but if I lose pressure, a half-second more heads-up might be the difference between a close call and some spun main bearings. Make sure you re-torque after you vent the line!! :-)

Granted, this is basically how I did it. I went with the copper tubing because it is a) way cheaper than BSS, 2) Its easy to bend, cut, shape, join, etc... 3) It doesn't cut holes in non-steel parts due to vibration. BSS lines will eat right through stuff if they rub long enough.

Sorry for the long post, but you wanted details, so heres ya go.

Good luck sir

briand17a2

You "can" use the nylon tubing they include in the kit, but seriously, if theres anything you REALLY dont want to lose during a rupture, its oil (unless your boosted, then I guess fuel & oil pressure are almost equally important).

Anyway, copper tubing is cheap, easy to work with, easy to find, and easy to find parts for at your local bigboxmart.

BSS is silly stupid overkill, unless you already have a cut section. Honestly, I have no idea how to attach ends to raw BSS hose, and still have it rated for 1000+ psi...

Either way would work fine though. Im anti BSS/AN fittings right now after getting one of those Function7 turbine oil inlet fittings with a -3AN fitting machined into it. Turns out that precut BSS with -3AN fittings is more expensive than everything else.

Sigh, the turbo build is just one long drawn out charlie foxtrot.

boostedem2

thanks for all the help !! I don't know wat ur problem is civicsrcool its a forum people help dude seriously but thanks for ur 2 sense

tfnaaf

iTrader: (2)

isnt the oil sending units thread bspt, NOT npt? I know it is on the older honda engines. Either way i would do a little searching before possibly messing up your block.

boostedem2

hey brian im going to try it today so do i buy everything from home depot?

speedfoos

iTrader: (17)

I'd just get one of these and screw the sending unit into that. It's what I'm using. A lot easier than ****ing with tubes and T-taps. Plus you have extra fittings for your feed line, temp sensor and on extra.

boostedem2

what is that called and how much

andyman97

iTrader: (14)

That's what I'm running, also. What oil pressure are you seeing at around idle, clint?

speedfoos

iTrader: (17)

Cold idle is right around 70 psi. A completely warmed-up, Clint just beat the **** out me from 1st-4th gear a couple times idle is around 10psi. Normal operating temp driving pressure stays around 40ish though.

I got mine from Ebay for like $30. Golden Eagle sells them for like $80. Machined aluminium is machined aluminium though. No sense paying another $50 for a brand name IMO.

This is the exact one (item and vendor) I have:

260220773892

FoSho

I modified a 42designs.com oil pressure sending unit relocation kit......

1 adapter to hydraulic hose, to a t-off to turbo, then into a 3 way CNC block.
The other two ports have my stock oil pressure sending unit & my gauge unit.

I have my oil temp welded into the oil pan.....

My oil pressure @ idle is 15-5 psi.........usually

briand17a2

*****, yea you're right... i threaded a 1/8" into the port though. It hasn't leaked, but I dont think i can back it off now.

I dont know where to look this up, but the sandwich adapter method seems like the best safe workaround, without finding a BSPT in the local area.

Really good point man, I totally forgot about that.

SScott912

i am also running a sandwich adapter for my oil pressure gauge the only thing about it is you have to watch for clearence my sender is facing towards the pass side there is just enough room for it to fit there and actually you can only run like 3 fittings on it instead of the 4 that it has because of clearence issues this is on my 04 civic 1.7L other than that i would reccomend the sandwich adapter simple to install and oil filter screws right on

xproductionz

iTrader: (14)

i would sell the mechanical gauge and get an electrical gauge... we had a 1 or 2 customers with problems of the gauge giving out and shooting oil into the car cabin