Oil temp gauge

[Guest]

Let's just imagine that I would install a universal oil temp gauge on my -81 GS450, where would I make a hole, or the like, for the actual sensor?
In the oil filter cover?
In the drain plug?
Suggestions?

[billp]

I would put it in the drain plug.
I put a temp gauge on my 850 and tried putting the sender in the oil gallery plug on the right side at the base of the cylinder. That didn't work well so I put it in the drain plug and that worked much better.

I also have an 1100E, that has a oil temp gauge from the factory, it has the sender near the oil pressure switch and I moved it to the oil drain plug.
The reading are now more accurate and stable, imo.

bill

[Anonymous]

I would put it in the drain plug.
I put a temp gauge on my 850 and tried putting the sender in the oil gallery plug on the right side at the base of the cylinder. That didn't work well so I put it in the drain plug and that worked much better.

I also have an 1100E, that has a oil temp gauge from the factory, it has the sender near the oil pressure switch and I moved it to the oil drain plug.
The reading are now more accurate and stable, imo.

bill

Say could you tell me please what you mean by more accurate and stable. Are you saying that you found the oem setup to be off in some way--i have always felt that it took forever to warm up but was that the engine itself??? i guess the drain pan any place certaintly would give a more accurate reading. One more thing could you describe how you did it and possibly do you have photos??
Thanks

[Anonymous]

I'nm not convinced that placing the oil temperature sensor near the drain plug is the optimum place. If you are interested in getting the oil temperature just as it is ready to be used by the engine, then the oil pressure switch location is ideal. The oil must pass from the pan through the pump, cooler (if any) and filter before it reaches this point.

Another suitable location would be the oil cap at the end of the main galleries on the clutch side of the motor.

The oil temperature may be the most stable in the pan, but certainly not the most accurate.

[billp]

"Say could you tell me please what you mean by more accurate and stable. Are you saying that you found the oem setup to be off in some way--i have always felt that it took forever to warm up but was that the engine itself???"

The oem setup works fine once I moved the sensor, I noticed readings had no correlation to the speed and rpm, perhaps moving the sensor to the oil pan allows the oil in the sump to act as a buffer.
Slow warm up is normal for aircooled engines, it's akin to driving a car without a thermostat.

"One more thing could you describe how you did it and possibly do you have photos??"

It's straightforward, The sensor is a 1/8" pipe thread. You'll need a plug that size, available in most hardware stores, to plug the hole the sensor comes out of and either a bushing( vdo sells them, just make sure to get the right size) or a tap. I drilled and tapped my drain plug. A drill press makes this much easier. You'll also need to lengthen the lead that attaches to the sensor. Sorry no pictures.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info. Isn't the sensors wire in a vulnerable place now??

[blo]

Tnx for the overwelming respons folk's!!!
I think I'll go for the drain plug, it seems the simplest thing to do. Only intervention I can come up with, is that my mecanical hunch tells me that the heaviest elements of the oil will gather in the sump, just over the drain hole, making the oil flow slower in this part. Thus introdusing a time lag in the temp reading.

'till next time,
drive hard!!

[blo]

Tnx for the overwelming respons folk's!!!
I think I'll go for the drain plug, it seems the simplest thing to do. Only intervention I can come up with, is that my mecanical hunch tells me that the heaviest elements of the oil will gather in the sump, just over the drain hole, making the oil flow slower in this part. Thus introdusing a time lag in the temp reading.

'till next time,
drive hard!!

[brs127s]

I don't know what the configuration of the 450 is, but the 550s and up have a spot at the back end of the pressure switch housing cover you could drill and tap for an oil temp sensor, if it is big enough for the sensor.

[Anonymous]

If you are interested in getting the oil temperature just as it is ready to be used by the engine, then the oil pressure switch location is ideal. The oil must pass from the pan through the pump, cooler (if any) and filter before it reaches this point.

Yes it's a good spot, but do you really want to know the temp of the oil after it's been through an oil cooler? It wouldn't indicate engine temp. This is prboably a good idea for bikes without an oil cooler though.

My $0.02

Ben

[Anonymous]

I guess I'm a little confused here. Where do you want to read the oil temperature - the point where it actually enters the engine to do it's mission - or in the sump?

[Anonymous]

I'll try to complicate things even more. How about measuring Exhaust Gas Temperature? The exhaust valves are the hottest parts in your engine so they are a good heat indicator. This is what people put on homebuilt aircraft.

Steve

[kz]

I'll try to complicate things even more. How about measuring Exhaust Gas Temperature? The exhaust valves are the hottest parts in your engine so they are a good heat indicator. This is what people put on homebuilt aircraft.

Steve

Interessting thought, you should be able to get a lot of information from the measured values, i.e if one cylinder runs to rich or to lean, ignition is wrong etc.

But it sounds complicated to mount four NiCrNi sensors with compensation reference and four temp gauges inkluding electronic.

Anybody know if it has been tested on a GS or at any motorcycle?