Just wanted to know what gauge you used for those that have the SMP oil pedestal, what gauge did you use? I bought a VDO oil temp. gauge but the fitting is 1'4 and the probe is 2 freaking inches long. I called around and no one seems to know what size the npt fitting the autometer gauges come with. Thanks!

Or where did you install your oil temp gauge?

 

Not sure what you are asking but the pedestals are 1/8 inch NPT.If your temp sensor is a 1/4"NPT then you need an adaptor coupling the goes from 1/4" female to 1/8 "male NPT.They are common(in Brass mostly) and by the sounds of it you need the adaptor to space out the sensor so the probe doesn't contact the oil filter post.

 

It sounds like you have a mechanica gauge? The mechanical probes are just plain huge and often won't fit easily into the spaces the electronic probes will. You can either switch gauges to an electric gauge, or mount the probe in the oil pan.

 

Yes its mechanical. Thats what I figured. I havn't found a electric gauge that was full sweet though. Guess i'll just go with whatever I can find. Do you know if the electric ones are as accurate? Or at least accurate enough? Thanks!

I looked for adapters everywhere. The probe itself is almost bigger than the 1'8 and I think thats why they don't make a adapter for it. Thanks for the help guys!

Anyone actually install a gauge into the SMP oil pedestal?

 

I have. 2 blitz gauges (electrice water temp and electric oil pressure). both short sensors and threaded right in no problems. Electric gauges if anything are more accurate but some people will always argue.

 

Yes I have an Autometer oil temp and oil pressure installed with the oil pedestal with no problems both are electrical style. I don't think there would be a difference in accuracy if the gauge was electrical or mechanical. Anything is better than the stock gauge.

 

You put your water gauge sending unit into the oil pedestal?

I'm not sure whats more acurate, I would have thought a mechanical one with the stuff inside the tubbing would be far more accurate. Either way, I sent back my nice vdo gauge and bought a sucky half sweep electric autometer one. (Weird how they were the same price though) Thanks for all the help guys!

 

haha sorry I just meant to say oil pressure gauge but wanted to mention they were the same size sensors.

 

Yeah I figured you meant that, haha. Thanks for your help!

 

so the autometer electric oil pressure AND oil temp fit right into the pedestal?
If thats the case then Im definitely buying that pedestal.
Any install pics?

and what exactly would be needed to make autometers mechanical gauges work.

 

True about the "accuracy" - if anything that depends more on the quality of the gauge and fittings you purchase. The main issue is that in general there are fewer things that can go wrong with the mechanical gauges. Not as big a deal in a street or occasional track car. But in a race car you don't want to abandon a race just because your gauge broke and told you that you had zero oil pressure. :-)

Also, I know some SCCA Club Racers (F-Prod in this case) that don't even have an alternator and run the entire race off of a single battery charge. Reducing electrical load is very important for these guys.

-bill

 

I just got a response from automoter. All their mechanical gauges use 1/2 fitting. Not a 1/8. So you wont be able to use any of the mechanical ones. The VDO ones and Greddy are also 1/2, and another problem is that the probes are to long. With them threaded in they are about 2 inches long. They would hit the center of the pedestal way before that. So in order to use these you need electric gauges. They all come with a 1'8 sending unit.

I wanted the mechanical gauge for the simple fact that they come in full sweep. SO the reading on the temps is much more accurate. They jump in 5 or 10 increments. AS where the half sweep electric ones all jump to random numbers usually in 30's.

 

but the half sweep gauges are buffered, it is hard to really even tell the difference in accuracy between the two. unless you get a quick spike, there is no huge difference.

 

I just wanted to be able to tell the temp. You can read the temp on a full sweep ones down to maybe 3 deg. Not so on the half sweep. The pointer will just be between 180 and 210. Im not talking about the accuracy of the gauge, just the ability to read it.

 

Neither one is more accurate then the other...

Yes. Almost every electrical sender fits, but I have never tried a mechanical because they're generally too big.

 

so wait, the mech autometer fittings are 1/2??

will that work with anything??

im looking into the greddy adapter but i cant tell if that will work, and i really dont think so...and the water temp adapter, but i also dont think thats going to work!

i have the same problem! i bought full sweep mech gauges, well yeah better to read, and am i wrong to say those 1/2 sweep things just look freakin stupid??
i wont put that in my car, but now what?

 

As far as I know the mechanical fittings are either 1/2" NPT or 3/8" NPT.

 

Well all you need to know is that none of the mechanical gauges 1/8" NPT fitting so they won't work with the SMP oil pedestal. All full sweeps are mechanical. Unless you pay 149.99 for that one full sweep oil temp and electric, its pretty nice. All mech. are 1/4 and up. I e-mailed Autometer about that and that's what they told me.

Greddy and Apexi are also 1/2". Although that's not the problem. I was just going to tap it, but the sending unit is freaking huge. 2 inches not including any of the thread. The Greddy senders are even bigger. They would hit the center of the pedestal.

For the water sender, I tapped the front cover right behind the water pump. And its a full sweep. If its Autometer the sender is smaller than the Greddy or higher quality ones I guess. VDO has the 1/2" as well. I just got the electric half sweep.