oil pressure port

by crice63 Mon Sep 11, 2017 1:39 pm

I'm looking to install a sender for an oil pressure gauge in the port above the oil filter. The port by the dizzy has my warning light sender in it and I'd just as soon leave it if I can. The plug in the lower port looks like it needs a square bit. Anyone know what size that is?

The gauge is from a 76 C10, the ebay seller said, though the truck forums state that '76 would have been mechanical only? This one has no port for the mechanical hookup so it should be electric. I was trying to match the font a bit. Here is the mock-up

oil pressure port 36998557772_088edb4f6b_z

oil pressure port 36998557772_088edb4f6b_z

by Joe73 Mon Sep 11, 2017 2:38 pm

I've always run a brass pipe nipple and a tee next to the dizzy so I can run the light and a mechanical gauge.

by crice63 Mon Sep 11, 2017 3:18 pm

Joe73 wrote:I've always run a brass pipe nipple and a tee next to the dizzy so I can run the light and a mechanical gauge.

It doesn't get too crowded up there? If I took the dizzy out no problem, but I'd rather not do that if I can avoid it. Mechanical gauges are more accurate I hear, but I'd rather not deal with the possibility of behind-dash hot oil leaks. the fail-safe for the gauge is the light!

by thatfnthing Mon Sep 11, 2017 3:25 pm

I did the same thing Joe did until I also needed yet another fitting for the TPI oil pressure switch -- then using brass fittings, I put together a whole 'manifold' of sorts for all the sensors, mounted it to a block of wood, and attached the assembly to the firewall and ran a short hose back the original block port by the dizzy. It ain't pretty, but it works.

Mechanical gauges are not only a PITA (you're dead on with the oil leak thought, which is a matter of 'when', not 'if'), but they are less accurate than electrical gauges, not more.

by Joe73 Mon Sep 11, 2017 4:34 pm

And I only run the steel braided line for the oil. Never the white tubing.

by pila Mon Sep 11, 2017 9:01 pm

The white plastic tubing is an invitation to disaster.. A a pipe (NPT thread) is a simple way to add another port...

oil pressure port P1010787_zpsv6w03n3z

This is on a Caddy engine, bit it's basically the same area as a SBC....

And X2 on what Joe said about a braided SST hose for oil pressure...

by pila Mon Sep 11, 2017 9:03 pm

For some reason , my picture didn't come through ! Mad

by fasrnur Mon Sep 11, 2017 10:08 pm

Isn't this an oil passage also?

by Podor Tue Sep 12, 2017 7:39 am

fasrnur wrote:

Isn't this an oil passage also?

That is an oil pressure port, but not all blocks have that plug. At least on the small block side, only 4 bolt main blocks (with few exceptions) had that plug. That little plug is a great way to spot a good block at the junk yard.

by McCauley5983 Tue Sep 12, 2017 10:47 am

Remote mount sending units is the new way find a nice place to mount them run braided hoses to them then make a harness cleans everything up no more clearence issues and everything is in one place
oil pressure port Dsc01310

by thatfnthing Tue Sep 12, 2017 11:03 am

That's much prettier than mine. Smile

by McCauley5983 Tue Sep 12, 2017 1:05 pm

It's prettier than everything under the hood of mine right now got to love what pictures you can find online though

by crice63 Fri Oct 20, 2017 8:25 pm

So I have an oil pressure gauge set up in the cluster, still need to run some wires for it. I'm going to try Joe's suggestion of running a T fitting and putting both senders up by the dizzy. For some reason I got stainless instead of brass--will this be a problem? Also, should i use tape when I install it? I always thought to avoid tape or putty so as to keep scraps out of the engine, but the gauge sender came with tape already on it.

oil pressure port 37820788181_ba31c4da3d_z

oil pressure port 37820788181_ba31c4da3d_z

oil pressure port 37820788141_595873022b_z

by Joe73 Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:16 pm

Mines brass with tape since the 80s with no problems. But I'd rather have stainless. But make sure the stainless is non magnetic or it will rust and not corrode like good stainless.

by bracketchev1221 Fri Oct 20, 2017 11:09 pm

When you tape it, start the tape 1-2 threads from the end so the tape end doesn't get cut off and fall in. Second, wrap the tape so that when you finish wrapping it it fades away from the direction of tightening. This wraps the tape tighter as you tighten the fitting

by Hs1973 Sat Oct 21, 2017 2:51 pm

I have my vdo oilsender hooked up to the oil filter port. It is not a problem and i have both idiot light and oil gauge. However i have been forced to wrap the sender in heat blanket, cause the heat from the manifold kills the sender after 500 miles if not wrapped. Other than that its no problem at all.

by crice63 Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:14 am

I didn't get the sender installed today but did make some progress by making myself a bench tester out of a model train transformer. My multimeter tells me that it is putting out 15.5 volts and variable 0-6 amps.

First I tested it on the 73 amp gauge I had sitting around.

Seemed to work, so I tested to see if my oil pressure gauge was alive.

I hunted around the interwebs and decided that the hot wire is on the right and the ground is on the bottom; the input from the sender should be on the left, but all I could do on the bench is to see if it would peg, which it did.

oil pressure port 37843632301_3e3f0d6637_z

oil pressure port 37843632301_3e3f0d6637_z

Might was well see if my tach is alive. I think the top three posts are the operative ones, left for tach signal, top for power, and right for ground.

oil pressure port 37585745700_36f5705ebb_z

oil pressure port 37585745700_36f5705ebb_z

So power to the tach with no signal sends it to 4200, not to peg like I expected. And with power off, I moved the needle to zero and it migrated up to 750. I don't know if this tells me anything except that it has a life of some kind. At least I know now how to set up the test with a signal from the dizzy.

by Hs1973 Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:53 am

All my gauges shows different readings with key off. As soon as ignition is on the needles go to 0 exept my volt meter of course. My tach needle sits around 1200 Rpm with key off. So i guess its normal.

by pila Sun Oct 22, 2017 6:26 am

The VDO gauges are good stuff, in my experience. I used them in boats. I believe they are made in Holland (?) Still have a few around here I believe....

by Hs1973 Mon Oct 23, 2017 2:36 pm

They go for Being one of the better brands, im however a little surpriced that the sender gave up after only a short time, i blame the heat so i wrapped it with hedder bandage. We will see if it holds up.

by crice63 Tue May 22, 2018 11:01 pm

At long last, got the oil switch and sender on. I guess I can call it an oil pressure manifold. In the second pic you might be able to tell that the sender sticks out pas the back of the block, so I have to remember to remove it if I take the transmission off or do anything that will cause the block to lean back. Now I need to make the sender wire. No one seems to sell the little hooded connectors like the stock one on the switch. I guess I will figure something out.

oil pressure port 42290260791_b2be51dd23_z

oil pressure port 42290260791_b2be51dd23_z

oil pressure port 42198509822_3598082f49_z

by g3chevy / Mr Pontiac Tue May 22, 2018 11:47 pm

Looking good Clai! Where did you get the fittings? Here is a link for the pigtail connector I think you're looking for.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ACDelco-PT196-Oil-Pressure-Switch-Connector/292007290569?epid=109930754&hash=item43fcfda6c9:g:HEUAAOSwGOxW~xJB

by Joe73 Tue May 22, 2018 11:54 pm

https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-PT196-Original-Equipment-Multi-Purpose/dp/B000C9U1Z8

by crice63 Wed May 23, 2018 12:49 am

Thanks Joe and Bill, you guys are good. I searched up and down on "Chevy/GM oil pressure switch/sender connector" and did not find it. I need to sharpen my skills.

I got the fittings at a local hardware store. I went really just seeking information and the guy who helped me turned out to be a camaro guy. He knew exactly what I was doing, hooked me up with the non-magnetic stainless and also the alternate thread tape for stainless. He said the same thing you guys did about wrapping it a couple threads down to preserve the ground connection. It will be a while before I start it up to look for leaks, but it's done for now.

by Hs1973 Wed May 23, 2018 2:33 pm

I had the same issue with waiting both idiot light and gauge. I put my gauge sender in the oil port right next to the oil filter. It works fine, and i did not have the trouble with space around the dizzy. I did however need to wrap the gauge sender in heat shield as it is close to the exhaust, and i made the first sender die in a short time. With the heat shield it works just fine now.

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