Autometer water and oil press gages

[crewdogch47]

Good day guys well I am trying to install  two aftermarket autometer gages its a water temp and oil press. What are the best places to tap into the oil and water temp? In Fairbanks they don't have any place that I can pick up brass fittings , I would have to order parts offline . Any help on this would be great. 

[banzai510(hainz)]

oil line as a 1/8 British Pipe thread in a L series motor block. so you need most likely a adapter . Most in the kits are 1/8 NPTF threads  so you need a 1/8BPT to 1/NPTF brass fitting.

 

key is use a autometer line not a cheap Taiwan china as they crack due to the heat cycle and later is moved. I would fine a braided covered line

I myself went back to stock sender after I had a line cracked  and caught it before I ran out of oil.My 510.

 

water I still use the stock sender. as I didn't know the fitting size.

 

Is this electric or mechanical gauges.???The new electric ones are cool. I have some but never installed .

[datzenmike]

 

I would try to get a 1/8" BSP TEE also, and keep the stock red light working as well. The after market gauge probably has the low pressure red warning light but usually gauges are not always in the dash but below it and not as easy to spot unless actually looking.

 

[G-Duax]

Yup, I came off the block with a nipple, then a T, with  the gauge line, and the stock sender both.

But I used 1/8 npt, as there is so little difference between the brit stuff, and the National Pipe standard, that if you use any common pipe sealant, they work just fine, even on 5000 psi hydraulic systems.

In fact, a major Euro hydraulic manufacture (Danfoss) suggests to do just that.

And when using brass fittings, it is soft enough to reform to the BSP.

Don't use Teflon tape, but an actual pipe sealant.

 

In aluminum manifolds with BSP ports, I will run an NPT tap into the hole, as cast aluminum is not as strong as the brass fittings, and can crack easily.

Same with thermostat housings.

Edited December 27, 2018 by G-Duax

[bottomwatcher]

I tried using a standard sendor on mine and didn't want to force the fit. Forcing never works out well. Rector seal is what you are recomending G Duax? Use the proper sendor will make the most sense for relability it make take a while to get the right part but always worth it.

[Crashtd420]

You can put a bspt into an npt, but the npt into a bspt is tight.... maybe if the npt had a few extra threads at the small end you might get lucky and seal, but usually your only catching 1 or 2 threads, that's just asking to be stripped...

And adaptor in the block is better, when I rebuilt my L block I retapped the sender hole to use a npt tee to feed an oil spray bar and the original sender for the idiot light...... 

I think the replacement senders are all npt anyhow..... so its worth retapping if it can be done , or just get the proper adapter.....

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

18 hours ago, G-Duax said:

Yup, I came off the block with a nipple, then a T...

I have seen too many fittings crack from the weigh of tee'd off fittings. If I do need a tee, I simply mount it on the fender well, and then run a -3 or -4 AN hose to it from the block.

 

It's pretty easy to tap the block to 1/8-28 (NPT). If you are super careful, you can even do it with the engine in the car/truck. Coat the tap with white grease and take small bites. Use white grease so you can see the chips. Suck it out with a vacuum cleaner and then clean the threads before final assembly.

[Stitebunny]

Working on the same thing. What threads are the water temp sensor? 

 

Have a gauge but need to get the proper sender to match.  

[crewdogch47]

I don't know. I am trying to find out my self. I do know that's its BPT. After a trip to the local box store I hope I found the right size. It fits my  temp gage but the threads that screw into the housing after three turns it snap the lower housing . If any one has the right size that would be a great help. I am trying to install the sensor  in to the old stock sensor spot. In Fairbanks they don't have any BPT so all my parts have to be ordered on line, thanks again .