Adding Oil Pressure Guage to a Universal 5424

[Snore]

It looks like I am about to be the next owner of Tartan 33, hull #33!!!

During the sea trial I realized that universal has an idiot light for oil pressure and no guage. Since oil is critical to any diesel, and more so to an older engine, I plan on adding a pressure guage.

Has anyone tackled this project?

Thanks

Bill

PS- I did post a similiar thread on the Tartan group, but since Universals were used in many brands, I figured a post here "couldn't hurt".

[Nemo55]

Hi
You are spot on about installing an oil gauge, relying on an idiot light will tell you that there has "BEEN a PROBLEM" not that there is going to be.
Just be aware that pressure fall of after warm up is normal to a certain degree, as oil pressure is a measurement of resistance and NOT actual Flow rate.
I have install gauges on many vehicles and its really easy,,not on boats of coarse but some one here will have done it and can point you right.

Originally Posted by Snore

It looks like I am about to be the next owner of Tartan 33, hull #33!!!

During the sea trial I realized that universal has an idiot light for oil pressure and no guage. Since oil is critical to any diesel, and more so to an older engine, I plan on adding a pressure guage.

Has anyone tackled this project?

Thanks

Bill

PS- I did post a similiar thread on the Tartan group, but since Universals were used in many brands, I figured a post here "couldn't hurt".

[cburger]

You will need to get your hands on the shop manual for your motor to determine where the sending unit is mounted for your motor and what size thread. Once you have that info VDO or Stuart Warner should be able to provide the sender and gauge, thread the sender into the motor with a little sealant on the threads and wire iup the gauge.

[cburger]

My friends Tartan 33 is a gas fueled universal are you sure this is a diesel??

[markwesti]

Come on guys, it's called a red warning light. Sending unit and gauge good investment.

[Snore]

For those who are fans of lights, I apologize.. There is a light to notify the operator that he/she has lost oil pressure and is now screwed. :>)


The Tartan 33 was made with a diesel, and I am 100% sure that this unit has one.

Bill

[eyschulman]

Just a suggestion do a mechanical oil guage don't mess with senders unreliable relative to the real thing.

[Doug Brown]

Hi - if you want to keep the "idiot" light, you will need a tee pipe fitting and a "close / nipple" pipe fitting.

If the sending unit goes directly into the block, you can use brass fittings. If the sending unit goes into aluminum - usually part of the oil filter housing - you will need black iron or galvanized fittings (prevents electrolysis).

Easy way to find out the thread size is to remove the oil pressure sending unit and measure the threads. Usually they are either 1/8 or 1/4 pipe.

If you buy a mechanical oil pressure guage at Autozone, etc, they usually come with the installation kit. If you buy a Stewart Warner gauge, you will have to also buy the installation kit.

Installation kit will have all the brass adapters to fit into the tee and will have the nylon hose that runs up to the gauge.

Once you get all the parts, and if you have good access to your engine, and have mounted the gauge somewhere, the actually mechanical installation / hook-up of the fittings shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 hours.

Follow the instructions / look at pictures and it is a real easy job.

Doug Brown

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Snore

For those who are fans of lights, I apologize.. There is a light to notify the operator that he/she has lost oil pressure and is now screwed. :>)
Bill

The two most common oil pressure issues are :

1) A sudden complete failure of oil pressure (failure of oil filter, oil pump, major oil leak, etc.)

2) Chronic low oil pressure due to wear or other issues

An oil pressure gauge won't warn you of the former any quicker than a light will. What you really need is an audible ALARM! (which my Universal Diesel also doesn't have)

[Doug Brown]

OK, so you want an audible alarm too. My Volvo 2003 instrument panel has an alarm built into it for low oil pressure or high water temperature.

What you can do to add one is buy an alarm - VDO makes one that when it goes off wakes the dead - or find something at NAPA, Autozone, etc.

All you would do is wire it in-line with the wire running from the oil pressure sending unit to the "idiot" light on your instrument panel. When you turn the key on before starting the engine, the alarm will sound until you start the engine and the oil pressure builds and exceeds the "low oil pressure" setting/value of the sender unit. Usually this is around 7 to 10 psi.

You can do the same for your engine high temperature alarm. Again, when the temperature gets too hot and exceeds the setting of the sender unit, the alarm will go off.

Actually having an alarm for engine high temperature is more important than one for oil pressure - you will have a lot more water pump impellor failures than oil pump failures!

And since you are wiring things up to the alarm, you can also hook up your bilge float switch to the alarm and it will sound when the water gets too high in the bilge.

You may want to install an off/on switch to the alarm because once it goes off and signals you of the problem, you don't need it to keep sounding while you fix the problem - they are incredibly loud!

Doug Brown