Autometer Oiltemp gauge installation

[jp]

I'm going to install a oiltemp gauge from autometer, but I don't know how to feed it with data. If anyone have done it, were did you install the sensor, did you use a electrical or mechanical sensor?

All the best from Sweden!

 

[luc]

JP,

Electrical and mechanical each have their + and -.

Electrical gauge have only an 180 degree (geometic,not temperature degree)display but are easier and safer to wire since you only need 1 electical wire from the sender.

Mechanichal have a 270 degree display but are harder to connect since a hard line (Bourdon tube) need to be connected to the back of the gauge.

As for location of the sender,it depend on which oil temperature you want to get.
do you want the oil temp as it goes to the engine or after going through the engine (oil pan).

For the oil temp going to the engine, the easiest way would be to get/manufacture a T adapter that will go between the oil cooler return line and the oil filter block.

For the oil pan,assuming that there is no spare hole/drain in it,you can either remove the pan and drill and tap it for the sensor or use the original drain plug that you can drill and tap.

I am also wandering if the computer don't already has this information and if it will not be possible to find the circuit and user it to feed the electrical gauge.

Since the 2003 SRT has a electical oil temp,it would be interesting to see which sender/circuit it is using.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

This is more for looks and simplicity:

I drilled and tapped the pipe plug hole just above the drain plug. If you have a pan off, you'll see this is the thickest part of the pan (and it's not too thick there, either.) But fine for "fine" thread.

I used an electric gauge; I think Luc means 90 degree range. (If there's a 180, please let me know.)

Although I bought an autometer gauge, I used an extra Viper coolant gauge for the dash. It had the same needle swing range, same temperature labels, and of course, looks like it should be there.

The only downside to all this is that the oil thermostat is 220F and the max the gauge reads is 250F, so the needle appears to be always near the end of it's range.