Where is the oil temp sender?

[campbellcj]

This may be the dumbest question I have ever posted online, but for the life of me I cannot remember where the oil temp sender resides. I tried searching past threads but to no avail. If someone could toss me a hint or better yet, a pic, that would be awesome!

[86 911 Targa]

Originally Posted by campbellcj

This may be the dumbest question I have ever posted online, but for the life of me I cannot remember where the oil temp sender resides. I tried searching past threads but to no avail. If someone could toss me a hint or better yet, a pic, that would be awesome!

Don't have a picture, but on our '86 it is located next to the breather tube on the front of the motor.

Not very accessable.

[slodave]

Red circle.

[campbellcj]

Thanks guys! You're right - not very accessible! I was hoping to swap the one from my old engine, which is sitting in a crate, over to my new engine which is stuffed int a 914...I think I will procrastinate on this project a bit.

[Grady Clay]

You don’t say what Porsche in your post.
I assume from your blog, it is the 911/914-6 engine for your 914R.

Here is an image from Pelican Winter:


The temperature sender has been in this location from 1964 through 1988 911, perhaps longer.

I like your 4-gauge combination instrument.




Read some of my posts about using the early ('65-'68) oil temperature sender and gauge.
It has finer resolution and less temperature span.
There is also a (Sportomatic) version with provision for an over-temperature warning light at the top of the scale.


Best,
Grady

[campbellcj]

Thanks Grady! Yes, it is in my 914-6. Right now I have a 300 deg VDO Cockpit gauge installed, but I am pretty certain the sender that came on the new engine does not match that gauge, and the one on my old engine does.

I have not gotten around to installing the "Quad" gauge yet - that is still on the to-do list and I suppose will also need a different sender (maybe the one on the new engine now is a match).

[Grady Clay]

Chris,

Make sure your sender matches your gauge.
There have been serious failures from reading mis-matched gauges.


Note above – the ’68 and earlier temperature gauge/sender is the one to use.
Its top reading is 280F and the bottom is 140F.
That is a span of 140F.

The ’69 gauge is 300F top and 120F bottom for a span of 180F, much less as sensitive as the early gauge.
Later gauges are even less sensitive.

Greater sensitivity allows you to recognize increasing temperature sooner, perhaps avoiding a problem.

Porsche decreased sensitivity and raised the top in order to avoid ‘customer complaints’, not for sound engineering reasons. In the 911SC range, Porsche reduced the pressure where the oil light comes on for similar reasons IMHO.



On both my 1970 racer 914-6 (SCCA GT-2, CP since ‘71) and my 1970 street 914-6 (2.8S MFI, flat sides), I use a 911 combination instrument in both the normal (L) location and in place of the speedometer (R).
The tach does fine for speed.
I use a dipstick for fuel level.


For a street 914 or six, I like your 4-gauge instrument.
Left – oil temperature, high temp to the top.
Right - oil pressure, high pressure to the top.
Top – oil level, high to the right.
Bottom – fuel level with low level warning light to the left.
Low oil pressure light double upper L&R, 25 psi.
Alternator lower-left.
Brake failure, brake fluid low, parking brake lower right.

I like the warning lights in the scale field.


I like your ‘R’ project.
Well done.
I need to copy your project with a ’72 shell I have.

Best,
Grady

[slodave]

Whoops, I never noticed that on mine... I only noticed my pressure sender....

Then what's the red circled jobby?

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by slodave

Whoops, I never noticed that on mine... I only noticed my pressure sender....

Then what's the red circled jobby?

Wouldn't that be your oil light sender?

[slodave]

Originally Posted by milt

Wouldn't that be your oil light sender?

I don't know Milt, that's why I asked.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by slodave

I don't know Milt, that's why I asked.

It was hard to see in your pic. Try this one and see if it's the same area.

[Zeke]

Oh wait, now I see. What is that thing?

[slodave]

Yeah, the thing with the black cap. I didn't think it could be a temp sender last night - doesn't make much sense, since very little oil would should be circulating up there. But I don't think I've noticed the actual temp sender on my engine, until Grady pointed it out.