Oil Pressure Gauges

[xXSprint SEXx]

Which gauges do you guys use/find best? Also, does anyone know the bolt size that connects to the engine?

This one seems ideal as it could probably replace the volt gauge although I'm not sure on the connection sizes. Anyone know if it'll fit?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SMITHS-OIL-PRESSU ... 500wt_1198

[Oli_88]

Iirc I've got all the bits you need saved in my watch list.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPITFIRE-DOLOMITE ... 2152wt_698
There's the adaptor that goes where the oil pressure switch is.
As for the copper pipe, that's dropped off my watch list. But it's there somewhere.
That gauge will look pretty nice in a Dolly. You'll need a gauge holder though, or to be clever fitting it somewhere else.

[JPB]

Use a nylon pipe rather than a copper one, unless of course you like the worry about whether the engine end of the pipe has fractured yet, which, in an engine that rocks about on soft mounts as a slant can (when cold and you didn't give it quite the right amount of choke), is almost inevitable.

Mine, which is out of the car at the moment as it's a warranty replacement for one that didn't read the temperature correctly, is a dual one that takes the place of the coolant temp. gauge, just have to transfer the black bezel to it so it matches the other instruments, fit the grommet that lets the capillaries throught the bulkhead, and soon, it'll be back in there, working, 'cos I tested the temperature bulb in a pan of water against a known, accurate thermometer this time:


Thread on the coolant capillary fitting is the same as the original, electrically operated one but needs an extension (available from Speedograph Richfield or Holden) to fit to the Dolly inlet manifold otherwise the bulb is too long for the available space. Thread on the oil pressure pipe is the same as that on the pressure switch and both are fitted into a T-piece that fits in place of the original switch, TP7 I think, but check on Speedograph's comparison chart as I can't be certain without the numbers in front of me.

[james_r_lucas]

One of those gauges, and this fitting kit is what I used on my 1300

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Smiths-Oil-P ... 19c685206b

[xXSprint SEXx]

One of those gauges, and this fitting kit is what I used on my 1300

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Smiths-Oil-P ... 19c685206b

By that do you mean the one I originally posted?
Do you happen to know if the fixings would be the same as an 1850 and whether the gauge is the same size as the rest (replaceable with the volt gauge)?

[JPB]

Mini fittings aren't the same, 1850 has a TP7 thread.
Both the gauges shewn above are standard, 52mm ones, but rather than lose the battery condition one, why not fit the dual type? This has the added advantage of a temperature reading that's always visible and isn't subject to the vagaries of the electric type. That one only had to be exchanged because the bulb was faulty, but that's unlikely to happen when it's in, and was a fault of the factory's soldering. That's equally unlikely in either of the above, I put it down to my luck.

[Oli_88]

1/8NPT thread JPB, same as the adaptor in my first post

[james_r_lucas]

Whoops, The mini kit fitted my 1300 fine, but I didn't realise the dolomites were different!

[xXSprint SEXx]

Any other kits people know fit?

[JPB]

Ask Holden or Richfield for the right one, my T-piece (looks the same as the one in the mini kit but has the correct (part number TP7) thread).
My capillary came from that same eBayist as sold James' fitting kit. Here is that capillary, the fittings between the gauge and the T-piece are standard, hence "mini", the TP7 thread is on the male part of the T-piece.

So you need a stock capillary, a T-piece with a female and a male thread to match the oil transfer housing, (part number) TP7 if it's a TR7 one, imperial if it's the original, and one NPT thread to match the engine bay end of that capillary, Richfield's comparison chart HERE. Easiest way is to ring and ask them, they'll send the right stuff, don't forget the extension piece for the temp. bulb if you do the logical thing and fit a dual gauge, so avoiding losing others or cutting the dash, that's in the picture at the top line of those shewn on that link before.

[xXSprint SEXx]

Okay I think I understood all that.

So, would the Smiths (Mini) gauge and this kit http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Smiths-Oil-P ... 19c685206b but with a TP7 T-piece fit?

I'm sure this seems more confusing that it actually is.

Are all pipelines and their end-threads interchangeable?

Sorry for my confusion

[JPB]

The pipes are all interchangeable, the differences are between the threads that go into the oil transfer housing on the engine which, unless yours has a cover taken from a TR7 engine, will be an NPT thread as identified earlier by Oli.
There's no point in having a mini fitting kit for a slant though, since you'd still need to sub in the correct T-piece, available from Richfield and Holden as shewn in the links earlier. Buy the nylon capillary from that seller, as I did, but have the fittings from one of those two places.

I still don't get why you'd want to lose an instrument - your battery condition gauge - when there's an option that lets you keep all that are there and add the one you want into an existing spot, which also gives you an accurate temperature reading that's unaffected by regulator performance.

The dual gauge has the additional advantage that its readings work though a full 180 degrees, where the originals only sweep through 90 degrees and even the full face one only manages 270 by the time you take into account the distance between the end stops.

[killysprint]

I've used a gauge from a late MGB as the instrument graphics are the same as my sprint. Also has the factory fit bulb - so is the same colour at night, and is mounted under the dash next to the heater outlet in a black bezel - looks almost stock.

As everyone else has said use the plastic tube to connect from the engine - Copper ones easily fracture - it happened to me and makes a proper mess.

[Oli_88]

By copper, I did mean Cupro Nickel, but I wasn't aware plastic tubing was available.
Plastic ftw.

[stokieat75]

Have bought one of those combined oil pressure/ temp gauges today, what Tee piece do i need for the oil pressure pipe and what adapter do i need for the temp sender bulb to replace electric sender, both for a 1500. Have looked on speedograph website but am not sure what to buy.