Since I know the coolant temp, do I really need an oil temp gauge?

[MMead]

I'm thinking about getting two dual Westach gauges - one for egt and boost, and the other for transmission and oil temp. But is there anything my oil temp can tell me that I can't figure out from the coolant temperature? Thanks for any input.

 

[Bertram65]

I have noticed the oil temp go up 15 degrees over where it normally runs and the coolant temp stay the same, also the coolant temp can be at it's normal position and the oil temp not be up to operating temp, 215 degrees.

 

[rbattelle]

Bertram,



I suspect I have my probe mounted in a poor spot because mine are very very cool. Where's your probe mounted?



-Ryan

 

[Bertram65]

I have the probe in the center port on the top of the oil filter housing. I have a picture in my reader rig of it.

 

[rbattelle]

Bertram,



I have mine near the same port, but since I also have a pressure gauge I had to fabricate a "special" fitting to get both sending units into that hole. Unfortunately, that places my oil temp sender up about 1. 5 inches off the housing, outside the oil flow. As a result, my readings are very low. I really need to remove that filter head, drill and tap another hole, and re-install. Or, if that heater line wasn't in the way I could use that secondary port close to the engine block.



-Ryan

 

[RustyJC]

If you're going to tow heavy and have a spare temperature channel, I might go with rear differential temperature in lieu of engine oil temperature.



JM2CW



Rusty

 

[bmoeller]

I'm with Rusty. Diff. temp. , over eng. oil.

 

[Bertram65]

Bertram,



I have mine near the same port, but since I also have a pressure gauge I had to fabricate a "special" fitting to get both sending units into that hole. Unfortunately, that places my oil temp sender up about 1. 5 inches off the housing, outside the oil flow. As a result, my readings are very low. I really need to remove that filter head, drill and tap another hole, and re-install. Or, if that heater line wasn't in the way I could use that secondary port close to the engine block.



-Ryan

What kind of oil presure to you see? I am thinking of adding an oil presure next, how closely does it follow the factory oil presure gauge?

 

[Elite1]

I'm with Rusty. Diff. temp. , over eng. oil.

That's what I do as well... . could be the fact that I grenaded my old Dana on my 96' pulling a steep grade.

Hoping for better success with the American Axel/MagHytech combo.

 

[dgieson]

I have temp probes in both diff the trans, tranfer case and engine oil using one dual gauge and a two pole six position selector switch with 6 temp probes. I could run as many as 12 probes, reading any 2 at a switch setting. The diagram for wiring this is in my readers rigs.

 

[nickleinonen]

i've got my pressure sender in the center port on the filter pad... when i get a lube oil temp gauge, i will relocate my press sender to where the factory switch is... only thing about that that scares me is i think the pressure switch port is some metric straight threadded fitting... not an npt port, so i will have to go to a hydraulics shop to find fittings...

 

[rweis]

What's a typical engine oil temp range? What's a typical rear diff (towing heavy) temp range?



Bob Weis

 

[MMead]

I would rather monitor my diff temperature, but I'm not sure how to get a probe in the stock diff cover. Is there any way, or do you have to have the Mag-Hytec cover??

 

[rbattelle]

What kind of oil presure to you see? I am thinking of adding an oil presure next, how closely does it follow the factory oil presure gauge?

It's been my experience that the factory "gauge" occassionally displays something that looks vaguely like what my aftermarket gauge says. That's either because the factory gauge is really just a switch or because of the difference in location of the senders. I run about 60 psi engine hot on the highway, 20psi engine hot idling. Pressure climbs very very fast with RPM. I'm at 60 psi by 1500 RPM (engine hot).



Nick,

I'd like to do exactly the same thing but have not done so for exactly the same reason... who knows what size threads those are on the factory sender! Plus, I assume you'd have to tee into the factory port rather than simply eliminating the factory sender in order to avoid a constant MIL.



-Ryan

 

[dgieson]

MMead,

I just drilled and tapped a 1/8 npt thread in to the stock cover just below the fill port.

I see about 210* engine oil and 170* in the rear diff pulling at 24k on a 90+* day.

The thing i find interesting is the manual trans temp at the same time was 250* and maybe a bit higher. I had a set of Fast coolers for it, as yet I have not gotten them mounted. I started to install the coolers last June and found a gear tooth in the trans, took 21 days to get the trans out apart and 6th gear replaced. At that point I just tossed the coolers on the shelf in my shop and forgot about it. I am going to get them on soon so should have the temps to compare.