11 replies to this topic

[Puddings]

right im after fitting a oil temp gauge but dont know were to take the temp from? the sump?

thanks,

[Big_Adam]

Seen it taken from two places. The sump (via a weird sump plug) and via the oil filter housing with an extra bit welded onto the housing for the sender.

[Puddings]

were they electrical or mechanical?

[dklawson]

I've only found a couple of obscure references for how to hook up an oil temp gauge on an A-series.

Mocal makes an inline housing (hose barbs in and out) with a tapped hole for the temperature sender. This housing is supposed to be installed in a rubber hose that replaces the oil feed pipe on the front of an A-series block. Visit MiniSpares and look up part MOCOT2. You'll need to buy a rubber hose and install this part in the middle. Perhaps you'll need to buy an oil cooler hose kit and cut the ends off both hoses to mount this sensor in the middle. MiniSpares sells at least two different oil cooler hose kits (MOC1013 and MOC1014).

I've added oil temp gauges to non-Mini cars. I found this to be an unimpressive gauge telling me information I really didn't need. I should have spent my money elsewhere.

EDIT: by the way, if your gauge is electric, you'd need to run a ground wire between the engine block and this Mocal oil sender adapter housing since the housing will be mounted in rubber hoses.

Edited by dklawson, 15 June 2007 - 03:57 PM.

[Puddings]

thanks have got a oil cooler with a Oil stat and rubber hoses so wont be that hard to plumb that in.

But don't you want the temp of the oil around the gearbox where the bearings are not the temp of the oil coming from the block?

[Dan]

The sump temperature is pretty irrelevant. For one thing the sump is cooled and for another it doesn't really matter how hot it is. The gearbox bearings are a lot less fussy about oil than the engine bearings are. In any case the gears themselves provide plenty of local oil heating and that's why the sump is finned. The thing you want to know is the temperature of the oil reaching the main gallery and crucially the bearings. For that you need to measure the oil as it leaves the oil filter really. You can either try to drill and tap the filter head itself or use an adaptor that somebody makes (can't remember who but Somerford comes to mind for some reason) that fits between the filter head and the block for this very purpose.

Edited by Dan, 15 June 2007 - 04:07 PM.

[dklawson]

Dan, the part you're talking about is probably the Mocal part I mentioned above as it goes in the oil line between the filter head and block.

[Dan]

Nah, it's a custom ally billet that fits behind the filter head, using longer studs to hold both of them to the block. I'll try to find a link.


Ok, I'm back.

THIS is the very thing sold by Mini Mania. Can't find a seller over here at the moment but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Somerford. They are overhauling their website currently so I can't be sure.

Edited by Dan, 15 June 2007 - 05:35 PM.

[mini13]

I would fit a gauge into the pipe that goes from the block to the oil filter and use a capilery type gauge as i find these more acurate.

Personally I wouldnt want to disturb the gauge fitting every time I change the oil so woldn't fit it where the sump plug is, also when fited there you lose the ability to fit the magnetic sump plug.

[dklawson]

Thanks Dan. I wasn't aware of that part. That adapter doesn't look like it's got a tapped hole large enough for the capillary tube sender. I suppose you could always bore it out and re-tap it. I don't see any point in mounting an oil temp gauge off the side of that spacer block since the bulb/sender would no longer be in the flow of the hot oil. It's a nice concept though and one that could be duplicated by anyone with a lathe and a mill.

[dn89mini]

I use the Mocal adaptor in the pipe from the oil filter housing. I replaced the metal pipe with 1/2 inch rubber and put the adaptor and sender in there, seems to work fine.

This one

http://www.merlinmot...oduct_info.html

[dklawson]

You know, I was thinking about this the other night as I've been looking at the early vertical oil cooler offered as an option on Mk1 Minis.

The A-H Sprite/MG-Midget were supposed to use a spacer block between the filter head and the engine block. I wonder if it wouldn't be fairly easy to buy a used one of those and have it drilled and tapped for the temperature sender. The part would look similar to the one Dan posted the link for but I believe the Spridget spacers were cast iron.

That Mocal adapter costs about as much over there as it does over here!