I have decided to buy a mechanical gauge from Bosch because I thought it blends in the best with the rest of the instruments. It looks like installation is pretty much the same as an electrical gauge. It is coming with a voltmeter gauge and a mechanical oil pressure gauge. Is it a bad idea to use the mechanical oil pressure gauge? My fear is that the oil line coming into the dash to the gauge might be hot enough to melt stuff or burn me/a passenger.

 

I have never had an issue with the mechanical gauge or oil coming in the interior. The oil is nowhere near hot by the time it gets to the gauge and the amount coming in that capillary tube is minimal. Been there done that, and no wiring to speak of except lighting the gauge. You can find the illumination wire in your harness and tap into it so the lights will come on and dim like the rest of your dash lights. The only issue will be running the tube from the engine to the gauge. Also, there are 2 places on the front cover for sending unit to be installed, one is removing the OEM and installing a t fitting, the other is an place beside the OEM that is plugged by a threaded plug.

 

Thanks Joemamma1954, I will now be able to comfortably install the oil pressure gauge.

 

DiscoCam, I will search the wiring diagrams for the wire color and location to hook up your lights on the gauges.(I will be doing this add-on soon enough anyway, so I will be ready).
Let me know how you end up hooking the oil pressure gauge up, for I have not actually looked that closely at the ease of getting to the plug on the front cover. I did see on here somewhere, the guy removed the OEM unit and installed an adapter and a hose, the installed a t with OEM unit and sending hose attached to it(getting it a little more out in the open)
I will also search that and let you know.

 

I will report back once I install the gauges. Expect it soon as I am getting them tomorrow and I would like to install them as soon as I can. Right now I am leaning towards installing the hose (gauge I bought doesn't need a sending unit for some reason) onto the secondary hook up on the front cover because I don't want to mess with the factory equipment if I don't have to.
By the way, this is the gauge set I bought from Amazon:

 

Another thought just occurred to me, If you can easily get to the plug on the front cover. Remove it and drill and tap it to the size of the threads on the brass fitting that comes with the gauge. Alternative is to find an already made reducer that will fit in the housing and your fitting. I may be wrong, but I think the plugged hole is m12, but don't hold me to it.
Now another option, Does your vehicle have the oil cooler? I am guessing not, unless you installed one yourself(I did). There is a plug right above the oil filter that is much easier to get to and It is m20x1.5 and you can remove it and drill and tap it. Look on the pic I attached on above post of the front cover bottom right and you will see the plug(this may be the way to go for ease of install) Here is pic of the plug drilled and tapped.

see this thread
https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...isco-ii-33978/

 

I believe the plug is M12 as well. I think the kit I bought comes with an M12 fitting, but if not, like you said, drilling a hole in the plug is also a good option. Or I could just buy an M12 fitting from the hardware store.

I do not have an oil cooler (haven't gotten to that yet). The plug above the oil filter is a good option too, but then wouldn't I have to drain the oil for that? Please correct me if I am wrong because I am just assuming this. I mean it isn't too much of an issue, but I just changed my oil 800mi ago and I wouldn't want to waste oil.

 

No need to drain the oil, again, will be minimum leak, since it is directly after the oil pump. Just don't start it up with it removed(Joking)

 

UltraGauge saved me today. It was a bit warmer this afternoon when I drove and suddenly the temperature went up to 230deg. where I set the alarm. I immediately stopped and found out that the upper radiator hose got loose and water spilled all over near the MAF. TRUE that the needle was still at the middle of the mechanical gauge but because the alarm sounded on the UG, that is why I noticed something is wrong
I just ordered another one for the other disco. In a way I can compare the performance of both. Im not a mechanic but sometimes my other truck tends to shift gear when the RPM gets much higher than the other one. There might be a problem there already. Need to get it checked only because the UG gave me some parameters that I can read.

 

In my opinion, I would set that alarm at 215. 230 is really pushing the limits of an all aluminum engine with iron sleeves. The aluminum expands faster than the iron and separation can occur. They install the jugs at room temperature and the block is heated to 300 degrees. At these temps, the jugs just fall in and rest on the machined area at the bottom of the block, as it cools the jugs have a tendency to push outwards and LR machined them off, instead of pressing them back in. I am not saying this happens at 230, but why push it.
again, just my opinion