Oil Pressure Gauge T Piece.

[Alan Drover]

I noticed that in Wittsend's parts for sale the 200 Tdi spin on filter assembly included a T piece for a pressure gauge.
I'm considering fitting an electric gauge (much easier than a mechanical one) to my 2.5 petrol engine which has the same spin on filter assembly and wonder where I can get a T piece and does the switch come with the electric gauge kits I've seen on line?. I want a black Smiths gauge to match the other instruments.

[Wittsend]

Plenty of good car accessory shops sell the T-piece.

Try Merlin Motorsport (who also have a range of classic smiths gauges).

Or online - eBay, search for Mini oil pressure switch...for example:-

Oil Pressure Switch
The oil pressure switch is pretty universal and readily available from classic car part suppliers.

[Alan Drover]

Thanks. I had seen Merlin's website but wondered if the T pieces might be different for different applications.

[Wittsend]

I think you'll find that most British cars of the period used the same parts and the switch thread should be similar.
Though be warned - some switches have a fine thread and others have a course thread.
The T-piece replaces the OE oil pressure switch to allow a take-off for the oil pressure gauge, and the switch screws into the T-piece as well.
Personally I'd go for a mechanical pressure gauge with the capillary pipe to the gauge. It's no great bother fitting the pipe as opposed to a wire for an electric gauge.
I prefer the direct reading mechanical gauge.
What's the price difference and what advantage does an electrical gauge give

 

Can't go out and measure just now.

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Direct-mechanical does have safety implications. There's a pipe which by its very nature, at some point contains oil at roughly 85°.

Nothing wrong per se. However, failure could get v.nasty. Later (non-mech) gauges tend to be ugly. Calibration/ matching sender to gauge can be awkward.

There's several ways to kill a cat.

1) Tee-piece does it, looks messy.
2) Late 5MB have same part as Tdi ERR1299.
3) Milly Series uses a puck for this:

OIL COOLER Puck 247753. It forms a sandwich between block and filter housing.



Puck here....

https://www.landrovertreasureshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/land-rover-oil-cooler-pipe-adaptor-series-part-247753-a.jpg

[Peter Holden]

I had a problem trying to fit an electrig gauge, there wasn enough clearance between the T piece and the block for the sender

Peter

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Milly set-up. Puck is cheap. Looks tidy, and gives a heap of space.

[Wittsend]

Yes, another draw-back of the electric gauge is the gubbins at the sender end.

You will need to pack spacer washers (copper) on the T-piece to ensure the oil pressure take-off is away and clear of the block.

Re hot oil:
The oil doesn't get that hot in a Land Rover engine - maybe a bit hotter of you are stationary running charging radio batteries
But most owners don't do that.

The copper capillary pipes are very robust. Modern capillary pipes are now nylon tube which is just as resilient. The oil filter is on the opposite side from the hot exhaust so I can't see any issue with the capillary pipe being compromised.
Sensible installation will mean you'll have no problems.


 

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Originally I wrote 'boiling'. Should have written 'hot'. Correction, optimum temp for oil is 85°.

Edited to say 85°. 85° won't be pleasant. On a hot day, under load expect to exceed 85°.

I've still got oil down the back of the dash/ bulkhead. Fortunately joint went after about 10-15 mins running. At least things won't go rusty?

Sensible installs only.

[Alan Drover]

Thanks for the advice. Still in the "thinking" stage.
The 2.5 son on filter pressure switch is well away from the block so I don't foresee any problems with clearance.

[g6anz]

I had no problems fitting my electric pressure gauge and sender.The sender fitted on the filter as well as the pressure switch. So far no leaks and reliable gauge reading.

[Wittsend]

These pics may help ...





The 2 types of pressure switch ...
Course and fine thread.


The course thread seems to be 20 tpi
The fine thread is 24 tpi and 3/8" diameter.


 

[Alan Drover]

I've decided to go for an electric gauge for simplicity. I can piggy back a power supply from the ignition controlled voltmeter and run a wire through to the engine bay. There's room next to the voltmeter for the gauge. I just have to cut a hole in my home made ally "dash."
If I want to move the gauges in future an electric one will be easier.

[John]

Sorry to go OT but many years ago I had a new Volvo 245 and fitted a electronic smiths oil pressure guage, I used a T piece to allow the guage and warning light to work together but after a short time the weight of the smiths sender (helped by the engine vibration) caused the T piece to break and the sender fell off allowing oil from the engine to spray all over but the oil pressure warning light did not come on    - be warned

[Wittsend]

You'd be going some to fatigue/break these T-pieces ^^^ even allowing for we're talking about fitting to a Land Rover engine