Technical Oil Temperature Gauge

About five years ago, I bought a bunch of gauges on closeout from Summit. They have proved to be good gauges, so I have decided to use them as much as I can. I would really like to have an oil temperature gauge on my vintage race car, and was wondering if I could use one of the water temperature gauges for this. The gauges I have only go to 300 degrees and I wonder if that is enough for oil temperature? Also, can I just weld a bung into the oil pan? If so, where to put it.

 

If your oil gets up to 300 I would be worried. It’s breaking down and not doing it’s job, so I don’t know why the gauge wouldn’t work.

i think the oil pan would be the only logical place to put it.

 

Can’t answer your specific questions, but I might still have a oil temp gauge or two left over from my dads Peterbilt days that have the “oil temp” labeled on the face. Probably SW gauges. I’ll look this weekend and if I find one, will PM you for info on where to send it. I’ll never use them.

 

You probably could, the gauge does not what is hot or not hot. That said I got an oil temp gauge that actually says oil temp on it in the garage that I will probably never use. Its electric so you would have to capture a sender for it.

 

To answer your question, yeah, i'd think you should be able to use the water temp gage as oil temp--it really doesn't care the medium it sees since its a filled system (assuming its mechanical) and responds only to temperature. 300 would be hot oil, a concern.

 

To answer your question as to where to put it, put it anywhere it is out of the way, for your application and weld the bung in the pan close to the bottom on the side, so that the business end of the sender will alway be submerged in oil!





Bones

 

I have a water temp gauge reading oil temp. The sending unit is in the side of the oil pan near the bottom of the sump. It works as it should. As others have said, if it's reading 300 degrees it's too hot.

 

I would think the sending unit in the pan might not read the real temp. oil in the bottom of pan has time to cool, the hot oil is on the top.