[302Army187]

Looking to pick up a cheap oil pressure gauge.

Found a couple cheap one's. One from SunPro is only $20 but is a mechanical gauge, and i think you have to use some sort of hose?

isent OEM electric?


Im unsure. Ive been going off the OEM gauge and over the last 6mth's ive been loosing oil pressure after 20min of driving, so i guess it's time to get a more accurate gauge to keep a better eye on it.


any help with mechanical vs electric, and a brand to go with would be appreciated.

thanks

[sniperd]

OEM is electric..

If you use a mechanical one then pickup the copper tubing kit for it at the same place (Im assuming your looking at autozone?). And then all you have to do is run that tubing kit to the stock oil pressure sending unit and replace the stock one.

I bought a few T's and am running a mechanical, and the stock electric off the same T's (and a spot to hookup my turbo feed later).

It will be super easy if your ok with the one in the dash being 'off' and not working, if you want them both to work then your going to need a few extra splitters.

[sniperd]

FYI - Your going to lose oil pressure after driving, the oil becomes thinner and thus less pressure, The stock gauge is considered to be an on/off switch though, so I wouldn't even worry about what it says

[HOLLYWD69]

If you go with a mech. one I wouldn't put it inside the car. shift glow has some decent gauges for pretty reasonable prices. Thats what I have in my car.

[sniperd]

I have a mech inside my car and it works fine, I did use the copper hard-line tubing kit though.

[baine21225]

mech oil with the copper is usually ok in the car, its the fuel pressure that you shouldn't have in the car, unless you have an isolator for it (allows you to mount gauge in car without the actual fuel coming in) sniperd posed some good info as far as hooking it up, but i'd spend the couple extra bucks and get an autometer one, about 45 new, or much cheaper used

[HOLLYWD69]

Originally Posted by sniperd I have a mech inside my car and it works fine, I did use the copper hard-line tubing kit though.

They will work fine inside the car but if you do happen to spring a leak you have oil in your car.

[R0B0T]

i have had mechanical oil pressure gauges inside the car, both nylon lines and copper. use teflon tape on all the threads and you won't have a leak.

ricers and keyboard warriors always tell you to go electric. i've stuck with mechanical, no need to worry about if the electrical part of the gauge is giving you the wrong reading, and if you use the thick copper lines you will get faster readings.

[HOLLYWD69]

Originally Posted by R0B0T i have had mechanical oil pressure gauges inside the car, both nylon lines and copper. use teflon tape on all the threads and you won't have a leak. ricers and keyboard warriors always tell you to go electric. i've stuck with mechanical, no need to worry about if the electrical part of the gauge is giving you the wrong reading, and if you use the thick copper lines you will get faster readings.

It doesn't matter what you do you will eventually have a leak. Just look in your engine bay to see all of the little oil seepages. To each his own but I don't want oil pumped in to my cars interior!

[R0B0T]

Originally Posted by HOLLYWD69 It doesn't matter what you do you will eventually have a leak. Just look in your engine bay to see all of the little oil seepages. To each his own but I don't want oil pumped in to my cars interior!

so because parts of an engine get hot and warp and the vibrations loosen bolts and damage gaskets that means that an oil pressure gauge is gonna leak inside the car??? ok

[94bonestocker]

Originally Posted by R0B0T i have had mechanical oil pressure gauges inside the car, both nylon lines and copper. use teflon tape on all the threads and you won't have a leak. ricers and keyboard warriors always tell you to go electric. i've stuck with mechanical, no need to worry about if the electrical part of the gauge is giving you the wrong reading, and if you use the thick copper lines you will get faster readings.

I guess you can call me a Keyboard Racer then, or a Ricer if you want. Electric is alot nicer and well worth the money. Mechanical gauges in the car are o.k. till they leak. Then you'll wish you never did it.

Is it gauranteed to leak? Nope, but if it does you'll wish you had spent the money on an electrical gauge.

Now if you never plan on mounting it in the car, then just buy the mechanical gauge and make sure to run copper tubing to it and not that cheap nylon crap. It hardens with age and later on down the road it will be prone to cracking.

[HOLLYWD69]

Originally Posted by R0B0T so because parts of an engine get hot and warp and the vibrations loosen bolts and damage gaskets that means that an oil pressure gauge is gonna leak inside the car??? ok

Like I said to each his own if you want to pump oil into the interior of your car be my guest, i prefer not to. And it will leak one day.

[sniperd]

I used auto meter gauges also, I don't see how the copper is going to leak with the compression fittings on properly.

The thing is, It's always nice to buy the most expensive version of everything, but not always practical.

[HOLLYWD69]

Originally Posted by sniperd I used auto meter gauges also, I don't see how the copper is going to leak with the compression fittings on properly. The thing is, It's always nice to buy the most expensive version of everything, but not always practical.

I use to run tubing for a living, anywhere there is a splice it can leak. Like 94bonestocker said there is no gaurantee it will leak but like I said there is no gaurantee it won't and I prefer not to have oil pumped into my car just in case. Elect gauges are not that much more than mech ones.

[sniperd]

they are over double the price from what i have seen

[sickfox]

Originally Posted by HOLLYWD69 I use to run tubing for a living, anywhere there is a splice it can leak. Like 94bonestocker said there is no gaurantee it will leak but like I said there is no gaurantee it won't and I prefer not to have oil pumped into my car just in case. Elect gauges are not that much more than mech ones.

Alot of house's have copper plumbing and havent leaked in 50+ years, and if it does its a drip, sometimes their are breaks usually due to freezing lines or drilling/nailing into a wall. And then the unexplained "leak".

I just don't think you will have "oil pumping" into your interior from a minor leak through a compression fitting. If it was something so bad no one would use them and the would not be on the market anymore due to poor sale's.

[sickfox]

+ the electric can also fail you. mech. is more accurate reading and more responsive and cheaper.

[baine21225]

I'll take mechanical over electric ANY day of the week

[94bonestocker]

Originally Posted by turbofoxbody Alot of house's have copper plumbing and havent leaked in 50+ years,

When's the last time you've had your house down the 1320 or had the foundation constantly twisting back and forth under torque load?


I look at it as if I roll the car and or get into and accident, the last thing I want in the cockpit with me is Hot oil or water.

Originally Posted by turbofoxbody + the electric can also fail you. mech. is more accurate reading and more responsive and cheaper.

How do you figure a mechanical is more responsive and accurate?

The reason I ask this is because I haven't heard this before and I wonder if it really is true or just a "Tale".


From what I've read this WAS true in the old days when elecrical gauges first came out. But nowadays with newer technology electrical are up to snuff with mech gauges.

[sickfox]

Originally Posted by 94bonestocker When's the last time you've had your house down the 1320 or had the foundation constantly twisting back and forth under torque load? I look at it as if I roll the car and or get into and accident, the last thing I want in the cockpit with me is Hot oil or water. How do you figure a mechanical is more responsive and accurate? The reason I ask this is because I haven't heard this before and I wonder if it really is true or just a "Tale". From what I've read this WAS true in the old days when elecrical gauges first came out. But nowadays with newer technology electrical are up to snuff with mech gauges.

Last Thursday you?

Its information i have read, does not mean its true but i have read this on many different sites.

You are also correct the newer electric ones can keep up now-a-days, and you only have to worry about electric problems/bad grounds. And spending more cause u are afraid of a lil hot oil when rolling your car. You better not run any nos in your car either cause god forbid if you get in a wreck and something happens, You should probably play it safe and get that electric 5.0 conversion.