Oil pressure guage help

[PCGUY112887]

I never thought putting an oil pressure guage on would be such a huge pain.

This is on my 3500 with an Autometer oil pressure guage setup. Sender is electronic and all, I thought it would be simple.



First I was told I could put the sender in where the red circle on the left is (little plug with the square hole in it). I did and all was good, but the big strut mount that bolts right next to it was in the way. Managed it to get it around, then I went to put the compressor back on and the sender is really in the way of the compressor, had to take the sender out to put the compressor on.

So next I got the bright idea to try to put it in where the plug on the right of the oil filter is. That was a mistake, that is a coolant plug not oil! Lots of coolant went all over.

Now I am not sure what to do.... can I somehow get a short piece of stainless steel hose that will go into the plug on the left of the oil filter, then put the sender on it so the sender will hang next to the compressor? Any other ideas? I know someone has had to do this before.

[Ray Hamilton]

I have an S10 where the filter sticks straight out of the adapter. I have a gauge and a light, 2 sensors. I put a "t" and a short nipple before the light sensor and the gauge line stuck out the side so I could reach it from the fender well. However, if I would've wanted to lose the light sensor the oil pressure gauge would've screwed right into the adapter. There should be two places on the adapter to access. Use a copper line, too close to the exhaust for a plastic line.

[PCGUY112887]

I am kind of confused at what you mean. What adapter do you speak of? Do you mean that you just put a T where the stock oil pressure sender is, and put the stock sender and your aftermarket sender on there?

Room is kind of tight near the stock oil pressure sender due to my headers.

[86euro]

Just thread in a 90 degree elbow fitting and screw the sender into that.

[gpse3400]

on the GEN3's there is an oil gallery acess to the right of the filter. its a bigger thread....the 3500 should have this?I'd take a look at the sesnor by the bellhouseing with the wiring plug gonig into it. that should it over there...Looks like an oil pressure sender plug..

[Ray Hamilton]

There's a "spacer" between the block and the oil filter, I called it an adapter. On my S10 you could use either hole on the firewall side of this "spacer". On mine I have a "light" sensor" and a stock "gauge" sensor. The light sensor was shorter so I put the "t" in front of that one, or you could eliminate it entirely and run right into the "spacer".

[PCGUY112887]

OK well I think my idea of going in the plug that is in the first red circle in the picture is out of the question. There is no good way for me to reach it to even get the plug out, let alone fit a bend in there. I tried to hold up an elbow piece to get a estimated fit, and any way I put it the sender will either hit the headers, be in the way for the oil filter, or hit the block... it's a huge mess.

I think I may be able to put a T fitting on where the stock oil pressure sender is... I have not yet decided if I can fit both the stock sender and the new sender there.

Seems like a much easier way to do this would be to just tap into the signal wire of the stock oil pressure sender... but I guess that woulden't work since they probably output different voltages/resistances? The autometer instructions suggest totally taking out the stock sender, but I don't know if I really want to do that.

[3400-95-Modified]

Taking out the stock sender may result in your fuel pump not coming on or staying on... I think there is a fuel cutoff for no oil pressure.

do you not have a gauge on your dash for this?? I'm just trying to figure out the need for the gauge.

[Ray Hamilton]

Do you have 1 or two holes in the aluminum piece that the oil filter screws onto. (adapter, spacer, whatever) If you just have one sender, probably on the top, there should be another threaded hole on the bottom, maybe plugged, that you could use. The reason I left the light sensor on mine is the light would stay on all the time if the sensor was gone (I think).

[PCGUY112887]

There is no aluminum piece that it screws into, it just screws into the block.

3400 my dash has no oil guage. On GP dashes, all we get is a low oil level level light in the dash.

[IsaacHayes]

If you cant put a T from the stock sender and run both then I'd just give up on the guage...

[Ray Hamilton]

Oh, I thought you said it pointed to the rear. I was thinking of a RWD.