Where to plumb aftermarket mechanical oil and temp gauges in 4.0L 1990

[Tibbits]

my oil pressure gauge isint acting right and my temp gauge isint moving much, where can I install a mechanical oil pressure gauge and temp gauge?
Thanks

 

[rhauf]

my oil pressure gauge isint acting right and my temp gauge isint moving much, where can I install a mechanical oil pressure gauge and temp gauge?
Thanks

for the oil gauge, look on the drivers side of the engine, towards the front (its in the oil galley) you'll see it from the bottom (similar location to where it is on a 302, or 351) there should be a pipe fitting, with the stock oil pressure sending unit installed in the end of it. by the way, i dont suggest mechanical oil pressure gauges. if the oil line breaks (or the exhaust heats it up and cracks it) you'll loose oil pressure and be screwed. i've had them brake twice. one time i was able to fix it, the other time i was in the middle of nowhere, tried fixing it (which involved disconnecting the gauge) but the fix didn't hold, and i lost oil pressure... had to rebuild that engine. wasn't fun.. all because of a cheap teflon oil line. copper oil line is an upgrade, but twist it around your finger into a spring shape at the ends (like you sometimes see on solid brake lines near the master cyl) that will help prevent it from flexing and cracking.

you can also buy aftermarket electronic oil pressure gauges, for only a little more $ than the mechanical ones, well worth it in my opinion. it's all i use now (after learning the hard way)


the stock temp sender should be located somewhere near the thermostat housing on the lower plenum, i'm not sure exactly where. sorry.

 

[Maniak]

To get an accurate water temp, I put in an adapter inline of the heater hose coming off the intake, heading to the heater. That line gets hot water even when the thermostat is closed.

~Mark

 

[rhauf]

To get an accurate water temp, I put in an adapter inline of the heater hose coming off the intake, heading to the heater. That line gets hot water even when the thermostat is closed.

~Mark

I had this exact arrangement on my bronco at one time, with the sender for the temp gauge in the heater core hose, on a T pipe fitting.. well, it was loosing water one day, i didn't know it, the temperature gauge read about 210° but the engine got so hot it started blowing smoke, knocking, and quit running.. it had no water in it at all.

my point being, is if you loose you're coolant for some reason, even though the engine could be 350° you're thermostat gauge wont show it because there is no water flow past the temp sender. if the temp sender is before the thermostat, it will still accurately measure the engine temperature, this is the correct way to do it (anywhere in the intake manifold) there is always coolant flow through there. even when the t-stat is closed it'll go through the bypass.