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Inspector507
Super Member
Still haven't got the Sunpro gauges swapped for the old ones yet. Been plowing, discing, mowing, and tilling /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Gauges
- Thread starter Inspector507
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Soundguy
Old Timer
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- RK 55HC,ym1700, NH7610S, Ford 8N, 2N, NAA, 660, 850 x2, 541, 950, 941D, 951, 2000, 3000, 4000, 4600, 5000, 740, IH 'C' 'H', CUB, John Deere 'B', allis 'G', case VAC
I've seen lots of guys use some t's and other hardware to mount both mechanical and senders for idiot lights. And yes.. sunpro does have a metric adapter kit.
Soundguy
Soundguy
Darren
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- Kubota L3710, Ford 5600, Case MB4/94, Kubota B6200
Cautionary note.
Anytime you use a mechanical gauge especially for oil pressure keep in mind the potential of severing the tubing from the engine to the gauge. If you get distracted and don't notice that the mechanical gauge has dropped to zero even though the idiot light hasn't activated, your engine oil is still pumping out the broken end of the tubing.
How can that happen? Check out how many of the posts on this board cover damage caused by a branch or something else ending up someplace in the tractor where it shouldn't. Once you add a mechanical oil pressure gauge you need to be extra vigilant because you just added another mechanism for potential engine failure through oil loss. It would be a shame to add something for reliability and have it end up being a mode of catastrophic failure. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
If you have to use a mechanical gauge, make sure the tubing is routed to protect it from failure from without and from within from either rubbing or damage from another component. If you lose a belt, is it possible for it to reach the tubing? To be safe, check the tubing on occasion to make sure normal tractor operation hasn't affected it. Better yet consider using an electrical type gauge which doesn't require adding a potential exit point for engine oil. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Anytime you use a mechanical gauge especially for oil pressure keep in mind the potential of severing the tubing from the engine to the gauge. If you get distracted and don't notice that the mechanical gauge has dropped to zero even though the idiot light hasn't activated, your engine oil is still pumping out the broken end of the tubing.
How can that happen? Check out how many of the posts on this board cover damage caused by a branch or something else ending up someplace in the tractor where it shouldn't. Once you add a mechanical oil pressure gauge you need to be extra vigilant because you just added another mechanism for potential engine failure through oil loss. It would be a shame to add something for reliability and have it end up being a mode of catastrophic failure. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
If you have to use a mechanical gauge, make sure the tubing is routed to protect it from failure from without and from within from either rubbing or damage from another component. If you lose a belt, is it possible for it to reach the tubing? To be safe, check the tubing on occasion to make sure normal tractor operation hasn't affected it. Better yet consider using an electrical type gauge which doesn't require adding a potential exit point for engine oil. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Anonymous Poster
Epic Contributor
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Re: Cautionary note.
I installed mechanical Sunpro water temp and oil pressure gauges on my YM1500, with some direction from TBN members. It was easy to do, looks good, and inspires confidence to look down and see adequate oil pressure and normal temps. Things to remember;
1. Use copper tubing vs supplied plastic tubing. kit is available from Sunpro
2. Use a liquid type thread sealer vs teflon tape.
Have fun,
Rick
I installed mechanical Sunpro water temp and oil pressure gauges on my YM1500, with some direction from TBN members. It was easy to do, looks good, and inspires confidence to look down and see adequate oil pressure and normal temps. Things to remember;
1. Use copper tubing vs supplied plastic tubing. kit is available from Sunpro
2. Use a liquid type thread sealer vs teflon tape.
Have fun,
Rick
Darren
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Re: Cautionary note.
Not to be negative but metal tubing is not a guarantee of no problems. Metal is subject to fatigue that nylon might shrug off. I've seen tubing, albeit 1600 psi steel fuel injector tubing, fail from vibration after a mechanic failed to reinstall all of the factory clamps. I've seen copper tubing rub through on vehicles.
Certain types of tubing are known to fail from fatigue caused by the rigors of offshore racing. Granted some of these applications are more severe than the conditions your tubing will probably see. The point remains that you added a potential source of oil loss. Keep that in mind and keep an eye on that tubing. If you're lucky no problems. If you run out of luck like the guy who posted about catastrophic engine damage and you don't catch the engine pumping oil though broken gauge tubing, your wallet will take a big hit.
Good luck!
Not to be negative but metal tubing is not a guarantee of no problems. Metal is subject to fatigue that nylon might shrug off. I've seen tubing, albeit 1600 psi steel fuel injector tubing, fail from vibration after a mechanic failed to reinstall all of the factory clamps. I've seen copper tubing rub through on vehicles.
Certain types of tubing are known to fail from fatigue caused by the rigors of offshore racing. Granted some of these applications are more severe than the conditions your tubing will probably see. The point remains that you added a potential source of oil loss. Keep that in mind and keep an eye on that tubing. If you're lucky no problems. If you run out of luck like the guy who posted about catastrophic engine damage and you don't catch the engine pumping oil though broken gauge tubing, your wallet will take a big hit.
Good luck!
Soundguy
Old Timer
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- Central florida
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- RK 55HC,ym1700, NH7610S, Ford 8N, 2N, NAA, 660, 850 x2, 541, 950, 941D, 951, 2000, 3000, 4000, 4600, 5000, 740, IH 'C' 'H', CUB, John Deere 'B', allis 'G', case VAC
Re: Cautionary note.
Hi Darren, don't get me wrong now, as I do agree with what you say in theory, but for practical application, lots of other factors come into play.
1, If I loose my oil ine and my mechanical gauge zero's, and I don't notice it.... chances are I ain't gonna notice the little red light on the dash either....
2, every tractor application is going to be different, but in the case of my ford tractors for instance, like 1920... engine is completely covered with cowling and inspection panels / hood. If a branch pokes through my sheetmetal while I'm mowing... I'm stopping whether I see oil pressure drop or not.( my oil line is rear of the engine.. safely away from belts ).
Now on a more open tractor without protective panels like my older for 8n and NAA, while the oil lines are again, rear of the engine and safe from belts, theoretically a branch could whip the line away, I'll take my chances with the 1/8th steel pr copper line rather than that plastic tubing... initial breaking strength needed to damage the metal line will be higher than the plastic... though the plastic is more vibration resistant... that's fine.. I'll take the odds... I check my tractors out before I roar off on them anyway. Also location becomes a problem. Unfortunately, ford decided to put the oil test port on the block between the hydro pump and the block... only enough room for the 1/8'th line and the 3/8 plug/ferrel at the port... there's not a sender I've ever seen that would fit in there.. though I soppose you could plumb one out a few inches with line.. but then.. you are adding one more thing to go wrong...
Lastly, if you are really concerned about the oil line going south.. add a murphy switch inline with it.. they are less than 100 bucks.. some as low as 35 at napa. It is an oil pressure switch... you hold the switch in bypass to start, then when pressure comes up it holds switch in.. if you loose the line, you loose pressure, and the switch opens.. you could use this to open the ignition on a gas model, open the fuel cutoff solenoid sense switch/relay on a newer deisel that can be shutoff with a key, or adapt with a very simple relay circuit /wire it to a buzzer or other audible/flashing mechanism to alert you to the zero pressure.
Bottom line is do what you are comfterable with... personally I'm not using a plastic oil line or a red itiot light on my cherry vintage 52 or 54 ford..... metal lines and mechanical gauges all the way baby!.. I like knowing -what- my oil pressure is... not just the absence of it..
Soundguy
Hi Darren, don't get me wrong now, as I do agree with what you say in theory, but for practical application, lots of other factors come into play.
1, If I loose my oil ine and my mechanical gauge zero's, and I don't notice it.... chances are I ain't gonna notice the little red light on the dash either....
2, every tractor application is going to be different, but in the case of my ford tractors for instance, like 1920... engine is completely covered with cowling and inspection panels / hood. If a branch pokes through my sheetmetal while I'm mowing... I'm stopping whether I see oil pressure drop or not.( my oil line is rear of the engine.. safely away from belts ).
Now on a more open tractor without protective panels like my older for 8n and NAA, while the oil lines are again, rear of the engine and safe from belts, theoretically a branch could whip the line away, I'll take my chances with the 1/8th steel pr copper line rather than that plastic tubing... initial breaking strength needed to damage the metal line will be higher than the plastic... though the plastic is more vibration resistant... that's fine.. I'll take the odds... I check my tractors out before I roar off on them anyway. Also location becomes a problem. Unfortunately, ford decided to put the oil test port on the block between the hydro pump and the block... only enough room for the 1/8'th line and the 3/8 plug/ferrel at the port... there's not a sender I've ever seen that would fit in there.. though I soppose you could plumb one out a few inches with line.. but then.. you are adding one more thing to go wrong...
Lastly, if you are really concerned about the oil line going south.. add a murphy switch inline with it.. they are less than 100 bucks.. some as low as 35 at napa. It is an oil pressure switch... you hold the switch in bypass to start, then when pressure comes up it holds switch in.. if you loose the line, you loose pressure, and the switch opens.. you could use this to open the ignition on a gas model, open the fuel cutoff solenoid sense switch/relay on a newer deisel that can be shutoff with a key, or adapt with a very simple relay circuit /wire it to a buzzer or other audible/flashing mechanism to alert you to the zero pressure.
Bottom line is do what you are comfterable with... personally I'm not using a plastic oil line or a red itiot light on my cherry vintage 52 or 54 ford..... metal lines and mechanical gauges all the way baby!.. I like knowing -what- my oil pressure is... not just the absence of it..
Soundguy
varmint
Elite Member
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- Mar 17, 2003
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- Northern Maryland
- Tractor
- Kubota B8200, then a Kubota L3130 HST, now a Kubota L3400 HST
Well, I ordered up a set of SunPro triple gauges after speaking with their tech service guys- very guick and helpful, which is a rarity, these days. The gauges went onto my B8200 with ease- turns out Kubota used U.S. sized pipe fittings on the relevant points. I installed a tee for the oil pressure idiot light sender, and the tube is so short, since the oil sender is just in front of the "dash" area, that protecting the tube is easy. I did fabricate an aluminum case to house the gauges, since there isn't any dash space, and they aren't going to last long exposed to the rain and straw that seems to go with tractor use. For $21 with shipping, I had an afternoon's fun playing in the shop, and, I hope, some long-term protection or at least information.