TheSamba.com :: View topic - Oil Pressure and Temperature Gauge Install

Tue Apr 25, 2017 11:06 am

I got two aftermarket gauges (Prosport Comp) and was planning to use a Glowshift sandwich adaptor to run the senders to. Turns out, in my set-up there's no room for the Prosport sender to attach to the sandwich adaptor! So now I'm looking to figure out some other options.

Has anyone installed aftermarket gauges using the 42 Draft relocation kit? Here's a link to their product: http://www.42draftdesigns.com/vw-audi-oil-pressure-relocation-kit/

Any other thoughts/product advice is welcome.

Tue Apr 25, 2017 11:23 am

No advice but that’s a good idea and thanks for finding it. I was wondering how to run more taps out of my oil system. Its a diesel so the filter is already to big to add the ‘sandwich’.

Tue Apr 25, 2017 12:06 pm

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1381302

Would this also be an option?

Tue Apr 25, 2017 12:28 pm

On a somewhat related note (since I am considering adding both oil pressure and oil temp gauges) -- has anyone see a 3-gauge pod that will allow one bigger gauge such as a 3-3/8 tach in the center with a smaller one on each side.

My instrument cluster has the clock, and adding a separate tach in addition to a pair of smaller gauges to the cover for the existing instrument cluster would be a great solution. I'm afraid a 52mm tach is just to small to read at a glance -- since you'd be glancing at it much more often...

Tue Apr 25, 2017 12:43 pm

Surfersf wrote: Has anyone installed aftermarket gauges using the 42 Draft relocation kit? Here's a link to their product: http://www.42draftdesigns.com/vw-audi-oil-pressure-relocation-kit/

I installed the 42 draft kit about 3 years ago. Works great. Relocated hi press sender, low press sender, and added oil press sender to the top (I believe I requested a longer hose). Used the factory hi-press port for oil temp. VDO gauges.

Tue Apr 25, 2017 1:00 pm

One warning about oil temp sender. From 42draft designs site.

"The spare port cannot be used for an oil temperature sender. Though the sender may fit, there is no circulation of oil in this adaptor. Temperatures may never exceed 200."

Tue Apr 25, 2017 1:07 pm

TKentT wrote: On a somewhat related note (since I am considering adding both oil pressure and oil temp gauges) -- has anyone see a 3-gauge pod that will allow one bigger gauge such as a 3-3/8 tach in the center with a smaller one on each side.

My instrument cluster has the clock, and adding a separate tach in addition to a pair of smaller gauges to the cover for the existing instrument cluster would be a great solution. I'm afraid a 52mm tach is just to small to read at a glance -- since you'd be glancing at it much more often...

Maybe this is an option? This is an MGL Avionics multi purpose gauge. I'm running two of these. Not hooked up yet. There is a picture somewhere in my Samba Gallery.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/in/mgl_temp/1105720.php

Tue Apr 25, 2017 1:11 pm

I made my own. Hose attached to engine stock sensor location near pushrod tubes, hose goes to a manifold made of 1 inch aluminum bar stock several inches long drilled and pipe tapped for the hose and three senders, one new oil pressure gage sender, and the two stock pressure switches found on the vans with the dynamic oil alarm. The manifold has a thru hole near one end for attching with a bolt to near the top of the bell housing near the top center front of the engine bay opening.
By moving both stock pressure switches, this freed up the stock second switch location near the water pump for a temperature sender for a near gage, you have to get the right length sender so as to not block the passage (mine is all vdo brand stuff).

1.... If you add a temperature sender to a remote manifold, the temperature output will be less than if the temperature is picked up in the oil passage, where the oil flows past the sender, in a manifold block, the oil is stagnet, not flowing from the hot motor, so a temperature reading there would be falsely low, and very very slow to respond to an over heat condition. Thus if you have a two pressure switch motor (2.1 liter) use the port near the water pump for a temperature sender, it is a tight fit but placing the temp sender here will assure accurate oil temperature with best responce time.

2.... put the gages up were you can see them with eyes on the road, the lower corner of the windshield has a nice spot where cage cans can be placed between the windscreen piller and the stock dash gage coverluc lower on the dah near radio and such means you need to take the eyes off the road to read them, if they are meant to warn you put them where they will.
no good being warned your oil pressure just started jumping down and back for the last 2 minutes, then dropped to zero for 15 seconds more before you saw it just after you came to a sudden stop off the highway after you heard a loud racket, a sudden loss of power and saw smoke out the back.

good luck

Tue Apr 25, 2017 1:51 pm

Surfersf wrote: ...Has anyone installed aftermarket gauges using the 42 Draft relocation kit?...

I used it for my pressure gauge (no temp gauge). Well made and works as expected.

Tue Apr 25, 2017 2:00 pm

Good point RMCD, not a good option for temp measurement.

Tue Apr 25, 2017 3:19 pm

Thanks all for your experiences and thoughts! Sounds like i could relocate the the block sender using either Rocky Jennings or 42 Draft kits, hook up the idiot light and pressure senders to the whichever re-locator kit I decide to go with, then use the block port for a temp sender. Does that sound correct?

Btw, I have a 1.9 WBX.

Tue Apr 25, 2017 3:37 pm

Surfersf wrote: Thanks all for your experiences and thoughts! Sounds like i could relocate the the block sender using either Rocky Jennings or 42 Draft kits, hook up the idiot light and pressure senders to the whichever re-locator kit I decide to go with, then use the block port for a temp sender. Does that sound correct?

Btw, I have a 1.9 WBX.

That's what I did: low-side port for the relocator; hi, low, and pressure attached to relocator block; hi-side port for a temp sender. This is on a 2.1.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:23 am

Anyone have ideas for the single port 1.9 wbx? Not sure where to plug the oil temp sender if the re-locator is plugged at the port. Thanks again!

Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:32 am

Perhaps you can use the port for the high pressure switch on the dual dynamic warning system. Since there's an inverse relationship between pressure and temperature, you can mostly infer where your oil temps are by glancing at the coolant temp and oil pressure gauges.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:30 pm

Surfersf wrote: Anyone have ideas for the single port 1.9 wbx? Not sure where to plug the oil temp sender if the re-locator is plugged at the port. Thanks again!

there are drain plug mounted oil temperature senders, that way you read the sump oil temperature, that is a fairly common place to read oil temperature. short of that a sort TEE fitting at your existing port may work well enough as the sender will be inch of so from the flowing oil in the oil passage.

I am note sure but you may be able to drill into your 1.9 case and tap the hole in the same position that this is done for the rear most pressure switch as found on the later 2.1 liter motors.

so three options
1. sump drain plug sender (alternatily drill and tap in sump for sender), this will give good results

2. Tee fitting at the one stock pressure switch port, with temp sender in that tee along with hose to pressure gage sender. this may give slightly reduced temp readings and respounce times.

3. Drill and tap for sender in the stock 2.1 liter rear switch location, this will give good results.

good luck

Wed Apr 26, 2017 3:51 pm

if i had more time and a drill press, i would put an oil temp sender in the slotted oil pressure relief plug.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1096241

Wed Apr 12, 2023 4:23 am

chimivee wrote: Surfersf wrote: Has anyone installed aftermarket gauges using the 42 Draft relocation kit? Here's a link to their product: http://www.42draftdesigns.com/vw-audi-oil-pressure-relocation-kit/

Looking for something like this, but it no longer seems to be available from them. Any suggestions?

Wed Apr 12, 2023 4:28 am

@JEL91Westy - you can find a brass Y fitting in many FLAPS stores. i can't remember where i got mine, but it wasn't anything special for the vanagon. same for the extension hose. as shown in the picture, there are a variety of ways to attach it - personally, i would rather not mount with the body of the pressure sender. i lashed it on via the Y fitting but in a similar location.

Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:17 am

JEL91Westy wrote: chimivee wrote: Surfersf wrote: Has anyone installed aftermarket gauges using the 42 Draft relocation kit? Here's a link to their product: http://www.42draftdesigns.com/vw-audi-oil-pressure-relocation-kit/

Looking for something like this, but it no longer seems to be available from them. Any suggestions?

I had no issue with the originally suggested solution of a sandwich adaptor and the prosport gauges and senders. This was on a 2.1 so the oil cooler may have been what made the difference.