Oil pressure...preferred location?

[stealth]

Looking for opinions as to where the best place to read oil pressure from.

I see most guys tap into stock location...others at remote filter..

Some like to read at front of engine... as it samples pressure after all the main bearings.

Your thoughts?

[af2]

Looking for opinions as to where the best place to read oil pressure from.

I see most guys tap into stock location...others at remote filter..

Some like to read at front of engine... as it samples pressure after all the main bearings.

Your thoughts?

No pressure above the pump = blown .... No pressure in the front = blown. That is my thought.
Pressure = a loss either way. How much is the same if the pressure dropped in front or behind.

[pamotorman]

the larger the inside diameter of the line is what allows quicker response to pressure change

[SupStk]

My feeling is it don't make much difference. At the end of the galley compared to the beginning is only reading the resistance to flow?

[panic]

At the last bearing will tell you if the bearings are going away - a read from the pump won't do that.

[swampbuggy]

On my last two engines i used (2) mechanical A/Meter fed with # 4 line on each end of the engine for oil pressure readings. FEI (E) for everybody's the pressure at the front was 3-5 lbs. less. The #4 line gives a very responsive reading. Mark H.

[MadBill]

Re response: be sure to bleed the line. As with brakes; fluid is much less compressible than gas.

[swampbuggy]

Yep Bill i always did that, and will in the future. Everything i have ever owned has had a MECHANICAL O.P. gauge. The Ford P.U.T. i am driving now has a 4.2 V-6. When i decided to put a Mech. O.P. gauge in it i went to buy AN fittings for -4 hose, he did not have fittings for #4 but did for #6 so i ended up putting # 6 hose in the deal. When the oil is up to temp the gauge bounces between 35 and 45 psi with each pulse from the oil pump gears. Now that is sensitive. Mark H. BTW that bouncing is at idle, it runs about 70 at highway speed.

[jsgarage]

Swampbuggy, I agree with Supstk- it probably doesn't much matter. Except if you change from stock, when comparing notes with everyone else when you have trouble, you really can't compare unless maybe the block has priority oiling.

And good idea on a direct connection mechanical gauge: virtually all are +- 2% accuracy. Cannot say the same for electric gauges.

[mag2555]

If where talking trying to look at a gauge under race conditions , good luck as damage is being done by the time things go south with the gauge readings!
In race conditions your far better off installing a Stuart Waner adjustable Hobbs switch that you can set to cut out the spark at 35 to 40 psi.
And yes you need a over ride switch to fire the motor over so your dealing with 4 new wires!

[peejay]

Or run it through an rpm switch.

[pamotorman]

If where talking trying to look at a gauge under race conditions , good luck as damage is being done by the time things go south with the gauge readings!
In race conditions your far better off installing a Stuart Waner adjustable Hobbs switch that you can set to cut out the spark at 35 to 40 psi.
And yes you need a over ride switch to fire the motor over so your dealing with 4 new wires!

on circle track engines i used a hobbs switch and a big amber light that the driver can not miss. cutting out the engine is a good way to cause a big wreck. with a light you know if the baffled pan is doing its job in the turns.

[SupStk]

If where talking trying to look at a gauge under race conditions , good luck as damage is being done by the time things go south with the gauge readings!
In race conditions your far better off installing a Stuart Waner adjustable Hobbs switch that you can set to cut out the spark at 35 to 40 psi.
And yes you need a over ride switch to fire the motor over so your dealing with 4 new wires!

on circle track engines i used a hobbs switch and a big amber light that the driver can not miss. cutting out the engine is a good way to cause a big wreck. with a light you know if the baffled pan is doing its job in the turns.

Good idea but then you need a driver with more smarts than an ice cube. Built a roundy round engine that came back burned to the ground. Guy that worked for me said the amber light could be seen in the stands, the driver went four laps before engine gave up.
Something punched a hole in pan.

[MadBill]

One of the benefits of in-car video set up to show the gauges and the forward view. After the first session with same, we made some changes to the dry sump system in our road racer.

[David Redszus]

An electronic oil pressure sensor is much more sensitive than a mechanical gauge.
If oil pressure is fed into a data logger and plotted against engine rpm, we can see the shape of the pressure curve and compare it to peak torque rpm.

If high load is applied before oil pressure is adequate we have levied a death sentence on the bearings.

At what rpm point does aeration occur?