[jolobo]

Anyone installed an oil pressure gauge on 68 ford galaixe or similar? If so where is the oil pressure sending unit and basically how to connect this thing?

 

[puttster]

Good choice of gauge IMO. Is it electrical or with the tube? Are you replacing a gauge or an idiot light? Or are you adding a gauge to the light.

 

[JCAllison]

Anyone installed an oil pressure gauge on 68 ford galaixe or similar? If so where is the oil pressure sending unit and basically how to connect this thing?

Hey Mr. JLB,
Ms. American 3.14159 has a set of Ford Gauges under the Dash. Volt Meter, Oil Pressure, and Water Temperature. The Oil Pressure Gauge has a "T" installed on the top of the Oil Filter fitting and both the Oil Pressure Gauge and the Sender Fitting for the Oil Idiot Light are connected to it.

Also, usually that Oil Pressure Gauge will have a plastic tube between where it connects to the Engine and the Gauge. That can be replaced with a 1/8" Copper Tube.

HTH

JC

 

[jolobo]

I got the idiot light and I guess replace the light or whatever is easiest. I just need to know what's really going on with the oil pressure.

Good choice of gauge IMO. Is it electrical or with the tube? Are you replacing a gauge or an idiot light? Or are you adding a gauge to the light.

 

[jolobo]

oh forgot to mention it has little tube on it and two electrical wires I think they are for the lil bulb to give it light

I got the idiot light and I guess replace the light or whatever is easiest. I just need to know what's really going on with the oil pressure.

 

[puttster]

Absent a pic of what you have... the tube connects like this: slide a nut onto the tube, then slide a ferrule on. Then stick the tube into the gauge, then the ferrule (part way), then tighten it down with the nut. It might have come already assembled like this.

Down by the oil filter, unscrew the idiot light sender. Slide a nut onto the tube, then a ferrule, just like you did at the gauge. Now notice you have a female at the engine and a female on the tube. So look at the fittings you have and come up with something to screw into the engine that will let the two females hook up. You may have to go to a plumbing place for some brass NPT pipe fittings. Like a Tee and a plug and a male-male nipple. If so,bring the old sender with you so you will get the right size stuff.

Then you are good to go, no electricity needed.

edit, pic of kit. See the two nuts and two ferrules? The other fittings are for screwing in the engine so the tube, ferrule and nut can tighten in there.

 

[fordman289]

Hey Mr. JLB,
Ms. American 3.14159 has a set of Ford Gauges under the Dash. Volt Meter, Oil Pressure, and Water Temperature. The Oil Pressure Gauge has a "T" installed on the top of the Oil Filter fitting and both the Oil Pressure Gauge and the Sender Fitting for the Oil Idiot Light are connected to it.

Also, usually that Oil Pressure Gauge will have a plastic tube between where it connects to the Engine and the Gauge. That can be replaced with a 1/8" Copper Tube.

HTH

JC

I did something along the lines of what JC mentioned Ms. American having in my '67. Mine had some cheapo three gauge set with electrical senders that was somehow rigged into the stock idiot light wiring and were reporting incorrectly when I got the car. Replaced that with a Sunpro three gauge mechanical set. I installed a T on top of the oil filter housing so I could retain the idiot light and use the mechanical gauge. I picked up a braided line to run into the cabin and it mates to a short copper jumper to connect to the oil pressure gauge.

As mentioned I would plumb it all in copper and ditch the nylon line, if that line blows you are going to have oil dumping into the cabin...

Picture of the T:

 

[jolobo]

Greg, Tom and JC thanks a million once again. I was incorrect when I said its an electrical gauge and I got the tube, nothing was included. Anyway Greg that tube you got connected its going straight to the T end at the oil filter and the other end at the cabin you got the tube connected to a Copper jumper that goes to the gauge correct?

Here is a pic of the mechanical gauge I have:

Oh yea anyone have a link to site where I can buy the tubing, fittings, remember I am overseas and the basic things we find in the states are near impossible to find here?

I did something along the lines of what JC mentioned Ms. American having in my '67. Mine had some cheapo three gauge set with electrical senders that was somehow rigged into the stock idiot light wiring and were reporting incorrectly when I got the car. Replaced that with a Sunpro three gauge mechanical set. I installed a T on top of the oil filter housing so I could retain the idiot light and use the mechanical gauge. I picked up a braided line to run into the cabin and it mates to a short copper jumper to connect to the oil pressure gauge.

As mentioned I would plumb it all in copper and ditch the nylon line, if that line blows you are going to have oil dumping into the cabin...

Picture of the T:

 

[fordman289]

Yes the braided line I have is for oil but IIRC the ends are AN threads. I have a 3/8 NPT to whatever size AN fitting at the T and then I don't recall exactly what I did in the cabin (this was back in '09). I seem to recall that I couldn't find a way to connect the braided line directly to the gauge. There probably is a way and I may not have looked hard enough.

I picked up the line and adapter from Summit, I bought a oil pressure gauge line kit at the local parts store that had the ends and compression fittings. Summit should have everything you need and I would bet they will ship overseas.

 

[mot250]

New to this forum from Northern IL but looks like I came to the right place for some answers for our classics.

I, too, am trying to install a set of the 1.5 inch Sunpro triple gauge pack in my 67 Galaxie XL (also a 390). That T-fitting as pictured by Fordman289, and the space I see under my own hood, looks really tight to fit the t-fitting and the original idiot light sender. Does anyone know what thread size is needed to t into the top of the oil filter housing? Otherwise I was just going to remove the sender and take it with me to the local NAPA.

Now, for the engine temperature gauge also included in the Sunpro kit, I was thinking of tapping into the thermostat housing, removing the air bleeder plug and putting the temperature sender there, hopefully using the adapter fittings included in the Sunpro kit. Is that a good place or is there a better location?

Thanks in advance!

 

[fordman289]

Does anyone know what thread size is needed to t into the top of the oil filter housing?

Now, for the engine temperature gauge also included in the Sunpro kit, I was thinking of tapping into the thermostat housing, removing the air bleeder plug and putting the temperature sender there, hopefully using the adapter fittings included in the Sunpro kit. Is that a good place or is there a better location?

Thanks in advance!

It's 3/8" if I recall correctly. As far as the temp side goes. I found a thermostat housing for an FE from a '69 that had a threaded inlet on it and relocated the idiot light sending unit there and put the gauge sending unit in the intake. Only problem with this is my 390 was the early '67 version with the large thermostat and the '69 used the smaller one. I modified the housing to take the larger stat, but there are adapter plates available (think survival motorsports sells one).

 

[mot250]

It's 3/8" if I recall correctly. As far as the temp side goes. I found a thermostat housing for an FE from a '69 that had a threaded inlet on it and relocated the idiot light sending unit there and put the gauge sending unit in the intake. Only problem with this is my 390 was the early '67 version with the large thermostat and the '69 used the smaller one. I modified the housing to take the larger stat, but there are adapter plates available (think survival motorsports sells one).

Excellent! fordman289, thank you on both counts. If my stock idiot light temperature sender wiring will reach to the T-stat housing I may then do the same. My 390's t-stat housing already has the threaded port.

I'm pretty sure my car was built in May of 1967 (or slightly before May) so that may be one of the later builds. My dad made a last minute decision to factory order this car after seeing renditions of the upcoming 68 model year body changes.

 

[KULTULZ]

Now, for the engine temperature gauge also included in the Sunpro kit, I was thinking of tapping into the thermostat housing, removing the air bleeder plug and putting the temperature sender there, hopefully using the adapter fittings included in the Sunpro kit. Is that a good place or is there a better location?

The coolant temp sender needs to be located upstream of the thermostat. If located @ the thermostat housing it will not measure true coolant temp until the thermostat opens (remember, the thermostat fluctuates in opening/closing) and even then will not give a correct reading.

There should be a fitting source in the manifold coolant jacket before the thermostat.

 

[fordman289]

The coolant temp sender needs to be located upstream of the thermostat. If located @ the thermostat housing it will not measure true coolant temp until the thermostat opens (remember, the thermostat fluctuates in opening/closing) and even then will not give a correct reading.

There should be a fitting source in the manifold coolant jacket before the thermostat.

:tup:

I didn't mention it, but this was why I put the sender for the gauge in the intake and the other for the idiot light in the thermostat housing. If you didn't care about keeping the lights functional then it wouldn't matter.

 

[mot250]

The coolant temp sender needs to be located upstream of the thermostat. If located @ the thermostat housing it will not measure true coolant temp until the thermostat opens (remember, the thermostat fluctuates in opening/closing) and even then will not give a correct reading.

There should be a fitting source in the manifold coolant jacket before the thermostat.

Yes, that is kind of my dilema. I was considering the sender location being after the thermostat, it would read cold until the engine warms up enough for the t-stat to open, and would fluctuate with the opening and closing of the t-stat as driving (or idling) conditions change.

So if I leave the idiot light sensor where it is, in the manifold water jacket, then I know I'll at least be warned when/if it gets too hot (especially if t-stat fails in closed position) by the idiot light on the dash in my line of site. The gauge (sender in the t-stat elbow) would only give my an idea that the car was running at normal operating temperature or lower (t-stat closed or only slightly open) but if it got too hot and the t-stat was open, then I'd have a clue as to how hot it was actually getting.

If I put the gauge temp sensor in the manifold water jacket and move the idiot light sensor to the t-stat neck, then I'd have to pay more attention to the gauge on a regular basis because if the t-stat fails to open, I may never get the idiot warning light on the dash to come on.

The problem is that the placement of temperature gauge is out of my line of site while driving (pass side under the glove box, mounted without drilling any new holes in the dash). So it would be a little more distracting to have to look over there regularly or even occasionally to verfiy the coolant temp was always ok. Plus it is the small 1.5 inch gauge, and my aging eyes do not adjust to focal distances as fast as they used to.

I don't want to cut the underhood wiring to extend the idiot light wiring to reach the t-stat elbow either. I really just wanted to install the gauge so I can have some idea of the actual temperature. Even if it is not accurate due to sender location in the t-stat neck, it is still more accurate at telling a temperature than a red light on the dash being on or off.

In short, I'm still leaning toward the T-stat neck location for the temperature gauge sender. If the gauge readings are too irratic once I have everything installed, I may change things.

 

[puttster]

Kind of OT for oil pressure but... I, too am a great worrier of water temp. So I had an extra hole put in between the regular sensor and the thermostat for a gauge. Then I used the tee for the heater hose to add a 2 PSI oil pressure switch (pic) which will inform me when water pressure drops, say due to a busted core plug. Finally I am going to put in an overflow reservoir and I already have a level float switch to put in there. Basically four senders for water. Can't be too careful...