So today was the day I was going to install the stewart warner 60mm oil temp and pressure gauges and change the oil in my car. The oil change went fine, however the gauge install did not.

The instructions called for install the oil temp. sensor into the drain pan, replacing the drain pan bolt. Only problem was the nut for the temp sensor was 1/2" and too big to fit into the drain pan. 3 hardware and auto stores later noone had any type of adapter that would make it work so it looks like I have to send all 3 gauges I have, boost/temp/pressure back and find some new gauges that are actually made for the evo. It seems these were standard bolts and obviously won't fit on the metric sized evo. Shame too as I liked these gauges. You can see in this picture what the end of the temp gauge looks like




I also bought the greddy oil adapter but that did nothing as none of the 3 spots on the greddy adapter to plug something into would have helped at all.

Anyone have any ideas before I send these things back? If not, can you recommend some decently priced 60mm gauges to replace these?

 

Here, this guys got a great how to on installing the senders
http://www.bolsen.homeip.net/

 

I'm not trying to be rude but, those gauges don't look like anything special. There are many other gauges you can go with. what color do they light up?

 

there are 3 colors they will light up, blue/red/green

 

I am using the greddy relo block on my gauge setup and it works fine. The plugs on the relo block are 1/8npt fittings. I am using greddy gauges with mine.

 

I read that whole thing while i was trying to do the install myself. The write up is great, but there is no adapter that will take a 1/2" standard size into a metric size to fit into the evo's oil pan. Nor would it have fit into one of the openings near the oil filter.

 

there isn't a plug on the greddy adapter that would have fit the temp sensor, plus the sensor itself was too long to actually fit into the greddy adapter.

 

I just installed the Defi BF's in amber nice 60mm gages and they do work with the Greddy oil filter adapter although the wires are a little short if you want to but the controller in the center console. the do sell extentions for the harnesses. also the gages are powered from an ignition wire so when you turn the car off but leave the key on ACC the oil pressure gage alarms on low pressure haven't figured out how to fix this but its minor anyway.

 

I looked at those, and even though they are a little pricey, i may end up getting them.

 

I installed the stewart warner oil pressure and boost gauges without any real problems. Once you find the right adapters for the sending unit it went easy. I am not sure on the size but the sending unit that came with the gauge was 1/8 and the oil pressure port by the oil filter was 3/8. I found a 3/8 "L" brass fitting from the hardware store and just put a 3/8 tp 1/8 adapter on the end to fit the sending unit and the appropriate adapter to fit in the oil pressure port. It seemed a little tight screwing the adapter piece into the pressure port so I just sanded the copper threads a little with some high grit sandpaper. Works fine with no leaks. If you can find the right parts, they will work with the Evo. Boost gauge works great and oil pressure gauge needle is a little jerky but for the price I can't complain.

 

I didn't even bother with the pressure unit since i couldn't get the temp unit installed and just by eye balling the port by the oil filter i could tell the fittaments I had weren't going to work. I've had the boost gauge running for a few months now and it works, but there's no point in having one stewart warner gauge and 2 other ones so I'm just going to send all 3 back and probably go with electrical gauges. For the price you're right they can't be beat, but i think this is definetly a case of you get what you pay for .

 

I'd post you some pics of them but it says the file is too large. Good luck with the gauges!

 

you can email them to me, medwards22@cfl.rr.com

send em over, now im interested.

 

Matt - I think you would be better off using SW's electrical units. Those both come with 1/8" NPT sending units. I have no experience with SW's mechanical oil gauges, but I do make adaptors to install sending units in the EVO.

From looking at the picture you posted above, the sending unit is large. However, it looks like 2 pieces - meaning the 1/2" NPT portion is just an adaptor screwed on. Can you remove this? 1/2" NPT is so large that it doesn't make sense for SW to make it the standard size for their probes.

Is the probe on the oil pressure gauge the same size? If the 1/2" NPT portion can be removed (and exposes a 1/4" NPT portion) you or I can definitely make something to work.

If not, I reccomend getting your same gauges in 1/8" NPT. I make a specfic adaptor for the EVO which will allow you to install the oil pressure sender in the blank plug on the oil filter flange. You could also use one of our VW drain plugs to install the temp sender. the VW drain plug matches the thread size and pitch of the EVO. Both share M14x1.5 threads. I've had a few customers use the VW drain plugs with sucess on the EVO. If there is another blank plug on the oil filter flange, one of our oil pressure adaptors less the 45 will also work.

Shoot me an email if you get anywhere with this

Evan@42draftdesigns.com

Evan

 

Matt,
Sent you some pics via email.