I need to get an accurate oil temperature from my engine.

I dont subscribe to modifying stock parts for fear of needing to revert to stock and not being able to.

So..

I dont "like" the idea of modding the banjo bolt, mainly because of the restriction it most likely produces. (Aside form the destruction of a good stock line)

I don't like the oil pedistal for oil temp - pressure is fine.
It's measuring oil AFTER the oil cooler, thats not an accurate reading of what the engine is being subjected to from a temperature persepective.

I dont like using the Oil drain plug, thats just a hack and makes an oil change more trouble than it needs to be.

The oil PAN is possible, but the idea of removing the pan on a newly built engine and / or welding and drilling it ON the car is not attractive, even if i magnetically retrieve all the shavings.

Just too much trouble i think.

I am, however interested in placing an in-line adapter between the oil cooler and the engine. Somewhere at the stock connector for the cooler.

I beleive this would be the most advisable place to put a oil temp sender if somehow I could get it in there.

How would I build a in-line tap here?

Anyone know the thread/pitch values i will need to build a tap here?
I want to screw my oil temp sender here.

(Unless there is an obvious place i'm forgetting)

 

Search on a post with pics from howard coleman about his setup for oil temp.

You really trying to make it as complicated as possible... Many of the other solutions work for everyone else.

 

I never considered doing something the easy way just because it was easy.

Only if it has value.

I am only interested in getting the most accurate way to get my oil temp so that its a really valuable indicator.

Cold (cooled) oil does nothing for my desire to determine the heatlh of the engine.

What "works" for many, isn't always what SHOULD be done.

I'll look up this guys posts.

 

K, i just saw his post.
I read it a day or two ago..

Yes thats an easy mod, but it deletes the oil level sensor!

Not for me.

There must be a way to make an interconnect that easilly plugs inline to the input line on the oil cooler.

 

FEED make an oil filter banjo bolt with two 1/8 BSP ports.

They are hard to find unfortunately,

 

I will look for one now.. thanks!

 

Feed is hard to find alltogether!

they still around?

 

I saw it, i can order a banjo bolt and MAKE one of those, but i'm concerned about oil flow or a restriction with the sensor in the way.

 

Anyone know the thread/pitch values i will need to build a tap here?
I want to screw my oil temp sender here.


1/8" NPT



You've just about shot down every alternative. I have my oil psi sended in the banjo bolt with modified passages to offset it's install. My oil temp sender is in the oil pan drain bolt. NO problems with either installation.

Let us know of your new way when you find it


later

 

I know there are no problems with these methods.
I just want something that can be undone easilly.

I may go the banjo bolt route, but i will investigate creating a inline connection to the oil cooler and tap that.

 

check out adamc 's set up --easiest yet and meets your requirements!

 

How does one "check out adamc 's set up", did i miss something?

 

my mistake -you dont like drain plug replacement.I misread your reqirements.

 

IMO, I think the replacement oil filter pedestal from Respeed is the cleanest install. You really want to know what your oil temp is after the oil cooler as that's the coolest it will ever be (ideally you'd have one before and one after the oil cooling to know how efficient your system is, but that's a little overkill unless you are just testing). Knowing how hot it is coming out of the engine doesn't do you much good if you can't measure how much you are cooling it with your oil cooler setup.

 

^^I got one for sale pm me for details

I use the oil pan plug for temp and trust the oem press sender (working great so far)

 

Okay, it's all done...

I found the best location, and it was SUPER simple.

Turns out that the hot oil is sent to the cooler from the front cover banjo bolt.
So...

On the 3rd gen engine, there is a plug located just below the front cover banjo bolt.
It has access to the SAME oil as the oil leaving the front cover via that banjo bolt.

Seeing as I didnt want to restrict the flow of the banjo bolt by drilling and tapping it...

(the sensor would almost fill the space the oil needs to leave the banjo bolt into the line)

I removed the plug and bought a brass hex headed one.
I put it in a bench vise, drilled it and tapped it for the oil temp sending unit.

Once installed, i put the sending unit in, and voila!
Oil temp, PRE-COOLER. (Right from the oil pan)

Simple Simple.

Now i need to discover what the MAX oil temp is supposed to be so i can set my WARN indicator.

I'm getting 226 at idle in the sun, in my driveway sitting for 20 minutes.
We'll see what i get as i drive it.

P.S. 2ND gen cars can do this too, but they need to drill and remove that plug, it brass and i dont think it's threaded. So it ALOT harder for 2nd gens.

I still reccommend attaching it to the banjo bolt for them though, just place a fitting in the banjo bolt that allows the proble to BARELY sit inside the banjo bolt.
If you plunge the whole sending unit in, you're resricting the oil flow to the cooler and lowering oil pressure throughout the car.

This oild is IMMEDIATELY after the oil pump, so, interferance here has a systemic effect.

 

post pics!

 

PIX are comin'...

 

Pictures of the STRI gauge install and sending units.

( took the opportunity to spray VHT ceramic-silica on the downpipe) -niiiiiiice.

 

A while ago I posted an excerpt from Mazda Motorsports Competition manual that gave oil temps, but they baseline from oil pan. Oil pan reading is an average of final engine outflow and pre oil cooler inflow.

I can no longer remember for the life of me what I taped into but I remember removing a sensor from the oil pan and inserting the temp sender; On 1st gens it is a cold start sensor, on 3rd gen ? maybe I pulled oil level sensor ??Can do change out in a few minutes during oil change. I do not remember thread size but most of these are BSP threads.

 

There is no cold start sensor in the oil pan for 2nd or 3rd gen cars, so it couldn't be that.
Thereis only an oil level sensor in the oil pan in either generation.

I have discovered the proper oil and exhaust temperature is as follows.

OIL TEMP MAX: 250 degress +/- 50 (set your warn indicator at 245/250 to get attention drawn to it early).
Exhaust temp setting: 1475 degrees +/- 50 (This is a temp taken at the DOWNPIPE)

I dont know if temps get incredibly higher pre-turbo, but that is the best place to take it.
Ideally you shoul dhave dual EGT sensors in the pre-turbo maifold.

However, most of us hit the downpipe because its easier and generally good enough.

Remember, if you DO take the temp at the downpipe, necuase you are getting MERGED exhaust temps of the two rotors, you need to be VERY mindful of the temperature if you are concerned about lean/ruch conditions.

If you read merged temps (post turbos), then the lean/rich conditions WILL be VERY hard to notice.

It will be indicated by an overal fluxuation of the the temps (which egt tends to do frequently), but the fluctuations will linger higher and higher in the range.

Therefore setting your EGT warn indicator on your gauge should be set to the "lowest maximum" that is acceptable. this way your attention is drawn to the gauge to start watching for a serious EGT overheat condition early on.

 

UPDATE:

According to Rob at Pinapple Racing, HE installed my oil galley plug that I used to get my Oil temps.

SO... apparently there is no factory oil plug there. (oops)

Therefore, if you want to do this, you will have to trill out and tap the hole yourself.

The only way i can suggest this to be don IN the car is with a right angle, high-torque drill.

Then using that same right angle drill, tap it.

Not advisable in the car, but doable if you use magnetic tools and ensure tha tyou get all the shavings.

The good news is, that the hole you drill is an oil OUTPUT right from the pump.
so shavings will go AWAY from the engine if you us a magnet and then turn the engine over to push some oil out.

I hear that there is another plug that can be drilled in the back plate (i think) that allows one to install an effective pre-lubrication system.

(Something i have always wanted to do)