Location for an oil temperature sensor

[65 Dartman]

I was listening to my youngest son and a couple of his ricer friends discuss the best place to put an oil temperature sensor. His friends thought the best reading would be from the oil in the pan, either using a bung in the pan or replacing the drain plug with the sensor. My son (having owned a VW Cabriolet) said VW put their oil temp sensor right off the oil filter along with the pressure sensor. I thought both were good suggestions although I believe I'd lean towards the sensor teed off with the pressure sensor. What if some road debris got to the oil pan sensor - could be quite the mess! What do you guys think?

 

[inkjunkie]

interesting question......:scratch::scratch::scratch:

 

[grumpuscreature]

IMO an oil temperature gauge is as useless as teats on a boar hog on a street car. Having said that, I would be more concerned about the temperature of the oil going to the bearings as opposed to the temperature of the oil in the sump. I vote for teeing the temp sensor off the pressure gauge port.

 

[demon seed]

IMO an oil temperature gauge is as useless as teats on a boar hog on a street car. Having said that, I would be more concerned about the temperature of the oil going to the bearings as opposed to the temperature of the oil in the sump. I vote for teeing the temp sensor off the pressure gauge port.

I think you could argue that the temperature of the oil in the sump is going to be the same, or just a few degrees lower, than the oil at the bearing feeds unless of course you're running an off board oil cooler. Unless you're racing this engine on an oval track or worse I'm not sure that I would even care to know what the oil temp. is. It might just scare the crap out of me until I realize it's a normal operating temperature and that begs the question what is the normal Op. temp.

Remember though that if you're going to monitor the oil temp at the pressure sensor location the oil has to be flowing past the thermowell to be accurate and not be deadheaded like is the case with a pressure sensor.

Terry

 

[65 Dartman]

Remember though that if you're going to monitor the oil temp at the pressure sensor location the oil has to be flowing past the thermowell to be accurate and not be deadheaded like is the case with a pressure sensor.

Terry

Interesting observations! Since my son's VW had an oil temp gauge, I wonder if the sensor was placed where there was a flow of oil. It might have been since the sensors for both temp and pressure were located near the oil filter.

 

[Max340]

Oil temp might be more interesting to monitor if a turbo is used, since they are more prone to "coking" the oil. Even then, a pyrometer is more useful.