Electrical or Mechanical Oil Pressure Gauge

[MA70witBoost]

Hey, i was interested in getting an Autometer Oil Pressure gauge for my Turbo Supra. I was wondering wich one i should get. Im thinking electrical but i've never done this. If it is electrical, can i use the signal from the oem pressure sending unit or do i have to get other things?

 

[CyFi6]

I would go with Mechanical. They are more accurate and less prone to failure. The only danger with this is that you are running live hot oil into the cabin for the gauge, and in the event of an accident, if that line was broken, you could end up with a face full of hot oil.:icon_mad:

If you get an electrical gauge, you would have to run your own wiring. You cannot use the signal or wire from the stock gauge. Since i removed my water temp gauge, i simply spliced into the wire in the engine bay for the stock water temp gauge, and spliced into the same wire in the gauge cluster and used that as a sender wire for my oil pressure. Just made 1 less wire i had to run.

 

[Rennat]

i would go electric for any gauges i could. espeically oil and fuel gauges... do you REALLY want a line full of hot oil leading into your interior?

 

[foreverpsycotic]

I would get a Prosport electrical oil pressure gage.

 

[Ckanderson]

i would go electric for any gauges i could. espeically oil and fuel gauges... do you REALLY want a line full of hot oil leading into your interior?

.

My dad had a oil line break in his old car and had hot oil shooting all over his legs while driving.

F that.

 

[MA70witBoost]

ok... so electrical it is... as far as install? i should probably search for it. i wouldn't doubt i'll find it but what? to the wire feeding the info to the back of the oil pressure gauge from the cluster?

 

[HommerSimpson]

A Mechanical guage is far more reliable and acurate... run coper line not plastic... and you will never have a line break...

And even with the plastic line.. if done right you will never have a problem...

 

[IJ.]

I disagree

a "Quality" electrical is as if not more reliable "if" installed correctly.

 

[Rennat]

A Mechanical guage is far more reliable and acurate... run coper line not plastic... and you will never have a line break...

And even with the plastic line.. if done right you will never have a problem...

copper breaks a lot easier than the plastic lines to...
and if a mechanical line is better, why does the supra come OEM with an electric oil press. gauge? that right there is enough to tell me. now if you want an engine mounted oilpressure gauge, then i would say sure, go mechanical.

 

[MA70witBoost]

no, i want it mounted on my a-pillar. got my 30psi boost gauge, wideband a/f and i was thinking an oil pressure gauge seeing as i've read that the oem one on the cluster doesn't respond as fast and is "iffy at best". Im not sure. I've thrown idea's around as far as EGT, Water Temp (wich i might still get), or Oil Temp aside from the Oil Pressure gauge. I've spent too much money on this car to not be informed of EVERYTHING happening with that motor.

 

[CyFi6]

I am not happy with my prosport oil pressure gauge at all. Ive had nothing but problems with it and ive just sort of given up. I think the heat from the exhaust manifold (even with the heat protecting cover over the sending unit) messes up the sending unit. If you get one of their gauges i would recommend you buy some fittings/line for a mechanical gauge and remote mount the sender in a cooler area. Upon idle, my prosport gauge reads 0psi of pressure, yet my 3.5-4 psi warning lamp/ brand new oil pressure switch never turns on, what am i supposed to believe?

With a mechanical gauge hooked up, i can never get a good idle reading because stationary, the engine never reaches full temperature, only a couple minuets after some hard driving will the pressure read very low. I cannot leave the mechanical gauge attached and go driving because 1 it is sitting there loose and 2 the ports are so close to the exhaust manifold im sure it would melt off the hose from touching = instant engine loss.

 

[HommerSimpson]

I disagree

a "Quality" electrical is as if not more reliable "if" installed correctly.

LOL well pooie on youie ...
I always figured mechanical would be more reliable...nothing to break less parts... blah blah...I was going to leave my ele oil in when i replace the boost guage with volt guage... and then run a manual guage off the turbo .... Pluse with ele guage as soon as you turn key off guage goes to 0 atleast with mechanical you can watch the pressure drop slowly...:}

 

[IJ.]

LOL if I turn the key off I usually get out of the car and walk away :icon_razz

 

[Rennat]

I am not happy with my prosport oil pressure gauge at all. Ive had nothing but problems with it and ive just sort of given up. I think the heat from the exhaust manifold (even with the heat protecting cover over the sending unit) messes up the sending unit. If you get one of their gauges i would recommend you buy some fittings/line for a mechanical gauge and remote mount the sender in a cooler area. Upon idle, my prosport gauge reads 0psi of pressure, yet my 3.5-4 psi warning lamp/ brand new oil pressure switch never turns on, what am i supposed to believe?

With a mechanical gauge hooked up, i can never get a good idle reading because stationary, the engine never reaches full temperature, only a couple minuets after some hard driving will the pressure read very low. I cannot leave the mechanical gauge attached and go driving because 1 it is sitting there loose and 2 the ports are so close to the exhaust manifold im sure it would melt off the hose from touching = instant engine loss.

what do you mean you can never get a good idle reading? maybe you have other problems with your oiling system... what does the stock gauge read? and if your engine never reachers full operating temps just sitting there, then you have something else wrong, sounds like you got some other issues though...

 

[frontierguy25]

You need to order the premium guages from prosport, not the performance, because the premium has a much better and more reliable sending unit. Also try and wrap it with some heat sheild wrap and you'll be fine.