What's the skinny on installing oil pressure and temp gauges?
 

I'd like to get some gauges running (data the ODBII cannot provide). I like the Auber units a lot:

Bundled Sets : auberins.com, Temperature control solutions for home and industry

Example installed in an Overland Rover:


Mounted where the dash cup holder bezel is perfect.

My question is around the best place to install the senders. I want to:

• Not modify or replace any factory senders
• Not drill into the intake manifold

The exhaust temp gauge is straightforward, naturally. For the oil pressure and temp, this thing looks perfect (in theory) Oil Filter Sender Adapter - 3/4 unf-16 but I am reading a lot of reports that these are not very accurate. No point installing gauges if the readings are off by 20 psi...

For coolant temp there is this: 44 MM or 1 3/4 Inch Water Sender Attachment

So what's the best solution given my desire to not remove factory senders or drill? Oil pressure, oil temp, and maybe a coolant temp gauge. Or, challenge my requirements if they are truly better/easier solutions.

Lots of updates coming soon on my rover's progress... I spent at least 40 hours in the past week detailing the thing inside and out while I wait for some parts needed for under the hood work.

edit: after a lot of digging I found the Overland guy's blogpost on his installation (D1): http://www.overland-rovers.com/engine-monitoring/
He uses the oil filter sandwich. Comments? Is clearance an issue if adding 1" to the already larger Mobil 301 filter?

What engine are you doing this to? Reason I ask, exhaust gas temp gauge is normally useful on diesel engines and not much use on a gas engine. That led me to believe you may be asking about a diesel engine and I can't be of much help, since I know little about Rover Diesels. If it is a Rover gas engine, then I can give you some insight. The front cover, above the oil pump has 2 drilled and tapped holes where you can get accurate oil pressure from. One of these has the factory oil pressure sending unit and the other is capped with a bolt/plug. Some members have removed the factory unit, installed a tee and reinstalled the factory sending unit and aftermarket sending unit on the available slot on the tee. The plugged slot may be hard to get to with the alternator bracket so close. I do not care for sandwich adapters personally, and I also haven't ever seen a need for oil temp gauge(unlike a transmission temp gauge, which is more useful). If you do not have a factory oil cooler, I recommend installing one(they were factory on 00-01, but LR dropped them on later models, but left the drilled holes in the cover. A good coolant temp gauge is the most effective tool for engine temps. On the engine coolant temp gauge, you have limited options, either you do an inline(on upper coolant hose, because lower one is after radiator has cooled). Another option I have looked at is removing one of the block drain plugs and installing the temp sending unit there. You want to get the most accurate temp from the place where the water will be at its hottest and that is either block or intake manifold, and since our thermostat is not mounted on the intake like traditional engines, then the upper hose would be sufficient(just get it as close to the engine as possible. I am not trying to dissuade you from installing the other gauges, just explaining the most important ones for these engines are the oil pressure and coolant temp.
Let us know what you end up doing.

V8 4.0. 2002 Disco II.

I'm not at my rover right now, will check in the morning, but I believe the '02 has the oil cooler and is using that spare plug on the front cover. If thats true, then I think that leaves me with either fitting a T plug in the port, an oil cooler sandwich, or an oil filter sandwich.

I guess I only brought up the exhaust gauge because that Overland rover guy had it. Didn't know it wasn't useful for gas engines. Maybe I'll do a battery volt gauge instead.

What if the coolant leaks out and starts reporting low temps? Isn't that when its useful to have an oil temp gauge?

I do have the oil cooler. Picture attached in case I'm wrong... it's between the grille and radiator, and is like 1/3 as tall as the radiator.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/landrov...3c71a80073.jpg

I'm going to give the Oil filter sandwich a shot. It should be more reliable than a T-fitting.

If you have 2 coolers, then you have an oil cooler. 1 on bottom is transmission cooler and oil cooler will be smaller and above tranny cooler.

Yep, checked again. Have both. And the two plugs are taken.

just thought I'd mention...that dude in the video has way too much **** mounted in there.

but anyway, I would like to know your outcome because I would like to do the same.

I agree, way too much for me. Some guys like a lot of things sticking out and hanging down. I like clean lines and factory looking, as much as possible.

Well his rig is practically an RV, different purposes than what most of us are doing.

I really don't like the looks of the circular shaped gauges from glowshift or similar. They look tacky... a-pillar... dash... they just don't look good. Non-factory. The Auber units look really appealing to me, so I took the plunge and ordered 2x green (oil pressure and temp), 1x blue (water temp), and 1x amber (battery voltage). Could have left out the battery voltage, but the cupholder area fits 4 perfectly, so whatever. $400 or so all-in. Then I ordered the top-hose adapter for water temp, and the oil filter sandwich from Glowshift. Should be next weekend's project.

Another part that delays my oil change and coolant flush. Man, I've been wanting to do some basic repairs since I got the rover a couple weeks ago, but spending all this time on the internet has opened up project after project that all inter-connect... and they make sense to delay... at this rate I'll end up rebuilding the whole truck in one big go.

For example, today, went to the hardware store (3 stores) to get the new nuts for the drive shaft replacement. None had grade 5, so I got grade 8. But of course, none of the stores had the bolts in grade 8 either, so I had to order those online today for $2. $6 ground shipping or $60 next day... well then, ground it is, and wait another week I will

the Auber units do look nice, Good Luck with all your Rover endeavors. Post some pics of the gauges when you get them installed.