Gauges

[Bart]

Hey,

Just after abit of advice with putting gauges into cars. Correct me if im wrong but the 4AGE uses an electronic sender thats mounted on the block near the firewall for oil pressure. I'm looking to put a gauge in the the air vents above my head light switch and maybe a oil temp on the otherside. Just after some expert advice as to know to go about it. Do i have the option of mechanical or electrical or should i be piggy backing from the existing wires and go with elec.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[350hp4agte]

on a 4a motor from my understanding that sender you are talking about is for the oil light so you will have to get an adapter like a t that screws into the block where the sender is that you speak of, and buy a pressure sender seperate for what ever style of guage u buy.

oil temp is also a seperate sender normally goes in the sump so you will have to get a fitting put in your sump for that its alot of work for a guage you probably dont need (if you have oil pressure then your oil is cool enough) if your really worried about oil temp might be a better idea to get an oil cooler if you dont have one already

[resol]

when you buy after market gauges they come with their own 'senders' (sensors). whether they are mechanical or electric you will need to run some kind of wire/tube to the engine bay from the dash.

mechanical gauges are cheap, and require pressured lines to run into the cabin which is technically not road worthy.

electric gauges are more expensive, easy to hook up, and ACCURATE. i'd recommend them over the previous.

if you need help hooking them up and arent too sure how to go about it, consult your local auto elec.

or PM me

-dan

[Bart]

Thanks for the replys. Id prefer an electrical setup as a mate had a mechanical one in his ba falcon and all it did was leak. Im looking at a autometer gauge. With these senders that you speak of, do you know where these are normally/meant to be mounted?

Bart

[Jonny Rochester]

Towards the top of the photo on the left side of the block is the big oil pressure sensor, standard on the AE86. Because the AE86 has a oil pressure gauge standard. Normal cars have a oil pressure switch in place of this, to control a oil pressure light on the dash.

The Toyota and Nissan oil pressure switch or sensor uses a 1/8" tapered thread. It is 1/8" BSP 28tpi.

The aftermarket oil pressure sensor you buy will be 1/8" NPT 27tpi, and you will also get a 1/4" NPT addapter. The tapered 1/8" thread looks the same, but isn't.

You need a strait adapter from 1/8" BSP to 1/8" NPT, or you can buy a double adapter from VDO to run both gauges. People use this to sometimes run the aftermarket pressure gauge, as well as retaining the original switch to run the light on the dash. VDO #230.036. I have the part here if you can't find it.

As for wiring... fairly easy. 1 wire from sensor to gauge. Power and earth to gauge. Can't get much easier.

[trueno85]

would the motor still have the sensor even though my ae86 has a digital dash with no oil pressure gauge?

[Jonny Rochester]

With the digital dash, the sensor is just a switch (on/off) like on normal cars, to control a oil light on the dash.

ADM AE86 and JDM AE86 with analog dash has the sensor (variable resistance) to control the pressure gauge.

[trueno85]

oh right thats what i thought, so i would need to use the aftermarket sensor with the double adaptor

[Chairs with flares]

You could always put the senders in a oil filter sandwich plate. They're pretty common with 4 1/8 NPT size holes, or you can get them with 2 sender fittings and fittings for oil cooler hoses...

[dave2221]

is the sender in the same spot for a 20v silvertop?