Where exactly is the Oil Temp. Sensor located?

[rockaria]

Hello,

I know this must seem like a silly question but. Where exactly is or does the oil temperature sensor go exactly and is there a wire close by to hook it up on my 75 914 1.8?

I just got done installing a center console and It has the wire for the sensor on the harness between the seats. This wire goes somewhere. I lifted the car and look under it, I looked in the engine compartment, and now I have no idea where the sensor is or should go exactly. I kinda figure there is not one on it yet, so I ordered one. When i get it I really need to know where to put it. The haynes manual is not helpful at all.

Thanks in adavnce for any help,

[Zeke]

It's behind a round plate with two bolts on the bottom of the engine. Not all engines have them. Search using keyword *taco plate*

[rockaria]

Okay, I see that plate. Your saying that if I take the bolts off Oil will not go spalshing out? And that inside will be a place to put the sender unit and there will be a wire there ready to attachto it? That would be easy!

There is also another plate with one bolt that I know has the oil strainer.

Thanks,

Christopher...

[Zeke]

I didn't say oil won't come out. Of course it will if the sender is in oil. And yes, a solid clue as to whether you have a sender is a wire coming out of the taco plate.

[rockaria]

Cool! Okay this is all becoming clear. My car has nothing coming out of that area, So I guess I need more that just the sender unit.

Does anyone know where you can get these other parts. The 914 catalog at PP does not seem to list anything like this. Or at least I cannot find anything.

Thanks,

[Zeke]

PP lists an oil temp sending unit under 914 gauges. I can't remember what mine looks like, it's in a box somewhere as the motor is far from complete. I'd call them. You could also call Greg at FAT Performance in Orange, CA. Or Ron Miener might stop by here and tell us both whats up.

[Wayne 962]

There's a little sump plate on the bottom that the sensor fits into. Some of the early engines didn't have a hole there for the sender. You need the sump plate and the sensor if you're didn't have it before...

-Wayne

[Jim Chambers]

I have a '75 1.8 with factory console/temp. guage. Had to replace seals at sender because of bad oil leak. Fixed leak, now guage doesn't work so I'm going to go in again with a new sender.
You need (before you start) 1) O ring seal 2) paper gasket
3) two copper sealing rings for the bolts, along with the proper plates (2) for the sender. If you're a purist you also need the rubber boot that seals the wire to the guage. Pelican has all (maybe not the rubber boot) and P. dealer has that as of a month ago. The wire appears in front of the head on drivers side coming from somewhere above. You may have to install one if you can't find yours. I can only see about 6 inches of mine.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

For some reason, this subject comes up every once in a while... I've saved one of my e-mail responses, and am including it below.

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There are a number of parts you'll need if you want to duplicate the stock setup. The wire holders can be skipped if you simply want the functionality, but you will have to come up with a good way to route the wire.
The stock setup has what I call an "upper plate", which the temp sender screws into with a crush washer. An O-ring goes around this plate. A gasket goes under it, and a "cover plate" below that. Two bolts hold the cover plate (and the upper plate) on, and there is a crush-washer on each of those. On the cover plate is a wire holder which is crimped around the wire, and a rubber boot where the wire goes through the cover plate. Another wire holder is mounted on one of the studs that hold the oil filter flange onto the case. A third is located on one of the oil cooler bracket bolts on the other side of the motor (the wire goes across the lower front of the motor). The wire goes up through a grommeted hole in the engine tin, where it plugs into another wire. That wire goes into the main wiring bundle, where it goes to the gauge.
I highly recommend getting the calibrated aftermarket VDO sender and gauge, rather than the original stock ones. The gauge is slightly smaller, but this is something that can be lived with if you buy the adaptor ring--or make one yourself out of a roll of electrical tape.

Parts:
Cover plate: 039.101.267
O-ring: 021.101.269 A
Gasket: 039.101.287
Small crush washers: N 13.803.2
Upper plate?????: 039.101.275
Cable holder: 039.101.283
Crush washer for sender: 900.123.007.30
Boot: 311.949.149 A
Original sender: 039.919.268
Original gauge: 914.641.118.20
(later version): 914.641.118.30

Aftermarket sender: VDO-323055
Aftermarket gauge: VDO-310012


The part numbers for the stock parts are all VW/Porsche part numbers. The ones for the aftermarket sender and gauge are Pelican's part numbers.
I am not certain that the part labeled "Upper plate?????" is really the upper plate, but there isn't anything else listed that could be it. The notation in the parts manual is "Protective Cap (telethermometer) for oil pan-cover". At first, I thought that was the boot, but the boot is illustrated quite clearly later on. So I'm not really sure, but I can't think of anything else that could be it, and it is in the right part of the book to be the upper plate. Hopefully Thomas or Darren can help you out with that.
Another option is to simply drill the stock plate for the sender (use a nut on the top side to hold it in), but that leaves a good part of the sender exposed to the air which is much cooler than the oil.