Oil Pressure Gauge

danman132x · Post by **danman132x** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:32 pm

Well guys I have done some searching on buying me an oil pressure gauge. I know I want an electrical one, and not mechanical. I want to get one, not for racing reasons or the looks, but to have a gauge in the car that should be installed from factory on all cars, just to be safe. Is it possible to use my current oil pressure sensor, or do I have to use a T adaptor as I've seen in a few posts? I also need a place to buy a nice oil gauge (and maybe volts, etc...) because I'm going to get an A-Pillar pod for 2 gauges. I want it to kind of match the stock white faced gauges on an R/T, not some old style black/white. Thanks for advice and help

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:52 pm

Nice question!

I'd like to know as well. I think I read about it somewhere but can't remember where I saw it.

bad04srt · Post by **bad04srt** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:52 pm

look at the faze guages at advance....they are realtively similar to our stock white guages....autometer looks alot alike as well

Post by **jonnymopar** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:09 pm

Autometer Phantom and Phantom II series look great with the white gauges in my opinion. Even the font is a good match. I went with Phantom II for my oil pressure gauge because I wanted through-the-dial lighting like on the cluster.

Just curious... why not mechanical? A 90-degree sweep electric gauges costs around the same as a 270-degree sweep mechanical. 270-degree, you can pretty much read out of the corner of your eye. Not as easy with just the 90.

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:18 pm

jonnymopar wrote:Just curious... why not mechanical? A 90-degree sweep electric gauges costs around the same as a 270-degree sweep mechanical. 270-degree, you can pretty much read out of the corner of your eye. Not as easy with just the 90.

I don't like the idea of running oil lines up to the passenger compartment of the car...

That's why I'd like electrical.

DJ CptnCrnch · Post by **DJ CptnCrnch** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:52 pm

yes u need to make a T adapter...if u dont then u will throw a code...i think all 03+ threw a code if u didnt have the T....its really hard to get a T behind the block too...very very very small space

Post by **Diablo0** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:38 am

It can be done with the T connection but as you know it is a tight space. But I do believe it can be done and also yes, without the stock oil pressure switch you will throw a code on 03+ years.

As for gauges, you could always look at the Mopar line which has the purdy Mopar M on the face of it.

gski4life · Post by **gski4life** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:19 am

I'll see if I can get a pic of my T that I used for my turbo setup. But I got it from a plumbing store for like $5. Its got to be screwed in a certain way to clear the corner of the block too

Post by **jonnymopar** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 9:05 am

I don't think he's talking about getting rid of his existing sensor, I think he's asking if it's possible to use it to drive an electric gauge. I would guess not, but I don't know for sure.

I was able to use a T-fitting on mine, but I screwed it in so one side of the T is screwed into the block using a male-male adapter. That way, it not only cleared everything, but I was able to direct the nylon hose away from the exhaust and up toward where I ran it through the firewall. Even with the electric sender, it will make it a little more convenient when it's directed up toward you.

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 9:11 am

Yikes. It all sounds so complicated... So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the mechanical and electric oil pressure gauges? I don't want to screw with my oil line(s) too much and I definitely don't want oil lines running into the passenger compartment... Just doesn't seem safe. Help?

Post by **jonnymopar** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:42 pm

03sxt wrote:Yikes. It all sounds so complicated... So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the mechanical and electric oil pressure gauges? I don't want to screw with my oil line(s) too much and I definitely don't want oil lines running into the passenger compartment... Just doesn't seem safe. Help?

These are from my own personal experience:

Mechanical
--------------
Advantages: inexpensive, always full-sweep, immune to voltage fluctuations because it doesn't use any power to make the measurement - just backlighting
Disavantages: need to be careful running the nylon tube (I kinked mine and it leaked where it kinked), rare occasion they might leak

Electric
--------------
Advantages: no running fluid lines into your interior (peace of mind I guess), wire is easier to route than nylon tubing
Disadvantages: expensive, especially if you want the full-sweep (my strong personal preference)

There may be more, but from my own experience, that's what I get. As far as running an actual oil line into your dash, I've said this in one other post: they've done this for decades with success. I'm on my second car where I installed a mechanical oil pressure gauge, both daily drivers, and no problems so far. Hell, my Daytona, I had a mechanical oil pressure gauge that had been installed in at least 2 other cars before I got my hands on it and even that was trouble-free.

Post by **Diablo0** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:46 pm

Using the stock sensor, you can't... won't allow the gauge to function. Reason being is that the stock switch is just that, a switch that only switches on and off when it reaches a certain pressure.

Kevin_GP · Post by **Kevin_GP** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:46 pm

I have autometer phantom electric oil psi and it blends in nicely to the R/T cluster. I do not like electric at all though, pretty inacurate and my sender failed and I have read that is a common problem. I have a mechanical one but have not installed it yet. I would never use that nylon tubing, i bought braided -4 line to run into the cabin. Here is a picture of my electric that will soon be replaced.

FTWNeon · Post by **FTWNeon** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:54 pm

Kevin_GP wrote:I have autometer phantom electric oil psi and it blends in nicely to the R/T cluster. I do not like electric at all though, pretty inacurate and my sender failed and I have read that is a common problem. I have a mechanical one but have not installed it yet. I would never use that nylon tubing, i bought braided -4 line to run into the cabin. Here is a picture of my electric that will soon be replaced.

Take pictures when you do, I'm kinda intrested to see it with an line

Post by **jonnymopar** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 9:00 pm

FTWNeon wrote:Take pictures when you do, I'm kinda intrested to see it with an line

Definitely. I'm curious to see how that will mate to the back of the gauge. Response time should kick ass with a larger line like that.