I want to fit an Oil Pressure gauge to my V8 110

[Oakmaster]

I want to fit an Oil Pressure gauge to my V8 110 – Is there an idiots guide?

What to buy,

where to fit it? (and how)

and where to buy the kit?

Lastly can you get a gauge with a range that puts 30 Psi in the middle of the range?

[western]

for the genuine LR parts refer to page 264 in http://www.retroanaconda.com/landrover/parts_books/110/3_engine_200TDI_300TDI_V8_p168-299.pdf

item 11 = oil pressure sender, item 9 = oil pressure switch for existing oil light on dash.

the oil pressure gauge will be in the body electrics section under instruments.

[neil110]

Got one of them fitted, it is really easy to do.

You will need he pressure transducer DRC2479 to screw into the blanked off port on the filter head, http://www.brit-car.co.uk/product.php/415474/0/oil_pressure_transducer_v8_def_rrc

the necessary wiring and the gauge. From memory the part no of the gauge is PRC7320 and the price is eye watering. http://www.brit-car.co.uk/product.php/127539/0/indicator_assy___oil_pressure

Or you could go here for a suitable gauge and sender unit.

https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/s/instruments-gauges

[Yolandi]

fitting one is very easy, basically look for where your current oil pressure sender is screwed into the filter head, take it out, screw in a T piece, avalible on the net and the above links (use ptfe tape on the threads) screw your existing pressure sender into one of the t piece outlets and the sender for your gauge into the other, then connect up.

all parts are avalible on the web, im doing this to my 200tdi at some point and wil probably get my stuff from ebay, give me a min i have an amazing drawing my brother did

[Yolandi]

here it is in all its glory

[western]

On 10/03/2016 at 8:43 PM, Yolandi said:

fitting one is very easy, basically look for where your current oil pressure sender is screwed into the filter head, take it out, screw in a T piece, avalible on the net and the above links (use ptfe tape on the threads) screw your existing pressure sender into one of the t piece outlets and the sender for your gauge into the other, then connect up.

all parts are avalible on the web, im doing this to my 200tdi at some point and wil probably get my stuff from ebay, give me a min i have an amazing drawing my brother did

my 200tdi oil pressure sender, 

[neil110]

On the V8 filter head there is already a tapped port for an oil pressure gauge sender in addition to a port for the sender for the oil pressure warning light, it is capped off with a threaded plug. Simply remove the plug and screw the transducer in. Job done There is yet another port on the filter head for an oil temperature sender unit.

Take a feed from the transducer to the gauge, then a gauge live feed (green) to the other side of it and that is the wiring sorted. Oh forgot the red/white for the gauge illumination

[missingsid]

The oil pump is a low pressure pump that has only improvred on Serp engines, adding a pressure gauge will scare the carp out of you every time you turn the key. My current engine has been in the car 32 years and has never shown much pressure, as long as it moves off zero it is fine but even then it can show zero at traffic lights! I end up blipping the gas just to make sure the needle moves! As it is a lazy engine you will not see much when you are driving either!

To be honest the warning light is just as good. I used to worry for years and tried all sorts to get better pressure but even now the gauge just causes me worry!

When I told a verry experienced racer/trialer and mechanic friend I was going to fit a guage back in the 80's he warned me not to for the reasons above.

Have fun if you fit it as it will change your life!!

Marc

[V8Pete]

I fitted one to my V8 for piece of mind. I know the oil pump is only low pressure but it is reassuring seeing the needle move to the middle of the gauge when at cruising speed. But as missingsid says, just don't look at it when idling.

Ensure you wire it up correctly. I connected the live feed and the feed from the transducer the wrong way by accident and the needle would never drop down to zero after that (it's currently at the repairers being fixed).

In terms of location, I mounted it where the cigarette lighter socket is next to the clock (drilling out the whole in the oval centre plate) and moved the cigarette lighter socket into a housing attached to the side of the radio housing.

[neil110]

Gosh now you have me worried, my needle sits in the middle of the gauge at a steady whatever pressure that is (gauge reads in pascals from memory) even on tickover. It is very slow to respond to changes though and it has never read any higher than that either, even when giving it some carrot. Infrequent as that is because of the damage it does to a chap's wallet. Single figures MPG sort of damage. Sounds good though.

[Ron4x4]

For Defender, you can buy any standard oil pressure gauge, 52 mm, e.g. at AliExpress for some 10 USD or even less.

Make sure you also buy a proper adapter so it fits the oil temp sender which you probably will not need. The adapter is a brass 3/8 BSP male to 1/8 NPT female; also available from several suppliers like AliExpress who deliver anywhere in the world in approx 3 weeks.

 

[Ex Member]

Are you sure about the 3/8" BSP?  I'm pretty sure it is 1/2" UNF. You can use a -5 ORB adapter, which you can get at any hydraulic supplier.

One point.  That picture shows teflon tape on the threads.  Don't do that as the gauges ground through the threads.

IMO, the VDO Vision gauges are the nicest to use and fit the look of the Defender well.

 

 

[FridgeFreezer]

V8 front covers can have several different threads in - 1/8", 3/8" and 1/2" BSP/UNF variously, my anorak fails me on the exact details but I know the pressure switches can be 1/8" or 3/8".

I'd buy 1/8" BSP/NPT sender 'cos you can always buy an adapter from the hydraulics shop to make it fit a bigger hole.

1/8" BSP and NPT are only 1tpi apart so frequently mixed up, one will fit the other well enough as long as you don't strip the thread by being heavy handed.

[Ex Member]

You probably did not mean it, but writing 1/2" BSP/UNF might make people think they are the same thing.  They are very different sizes.

I seriously doubt 3/8 BSP was ever used as stated earlier.  It is much more likely 5/8"-UNF.  That is a commonly used sender size on Land Rovers and a 3/8" NPT is close enough that you would be fooled into thinking it is correct.

[neil110]

Whilst on the subject of oil pressure and the V8

Why is it so low in a Land Rover application?

I have fitted the spring from the PRV of a V8 as fitted to the MG  and the oil pressure is double that of the Land Rover

[FridgeFreezer]

Neil - the RV8 is all about flow not pressure, upping the pressure may not be terribly helpful (or LR would've done it) and may just heat the oil up more.

Perhaps in a small light MG where it would get revved more the higher pressure made sense, who knows? Certainly the MG/SD1 spring mod was popular last century but then the tuning book was written mostly for racers, not drivers of 2-ton bricks.

How often do you hear of issues with the RV8 running standard pressure - I've never heard any failures or premature wear attributed to the standard oil pressure.

 

Red90 - you could well be right at 5/8" although I recall the "big" threaded sender (I.E. NOT 1/8") having a relatively coarse thread (a-la BSP), so I'm doubting UNF.

[neil110]

From sepia tinted memory, there was something in the Des Hamill book about tuning the RV8 which suggested that increasing the oil pressure too much resulted in increased wear in the pump and horrible shearing things with the distributor drive gear retaining pin. Plus it did funny things to the tappets.

Mine has been running the MG spring for about 7 years and 50,000+ miles without obvious ill effect, thus far