Fitting an MOPG - sorted !!

[jradley]

Hi,

 

Usual story - K series oil pressure sender is failing erratically. Could replace but CC out of stock, so might as well go mechanical.

 

Does anyone have a parts list ? Also I believe we get a clubg discount if we speak to the right person at ThinkAutomotive - who is that ?

 

I understand the principal of the MOPG, but is there anything practical I should know about its fitting, eg. where not to run the pipe, like too close to the exhaust or anything like that ?

 

Cheers,

 

John

 

Edited by - jradley on 20 Jun 2010 18:07:20

 

Edited by - jradley on 22 Jun 2010 15:13:58

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Run the pipe to the offside of the car = opposite side to the exhaust ! YHM (in a minute)

 

 

[Dazzled]

Take the heater out if you have one.

Makes fitting the new OPG much easier. You can get to the back of the dash simply and can thread the pipe into the cabin through the rubber gaitor on the transmission tunnel that contains the loom.

Simples.

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Easy enough without having to remove the heater.

 

 

[Roger Ford]

I'd suggest not using the crappy plastic pipe that comes with a Stack mechanical gauge. Way too prone to stretching/kinking and if it gets cut for any reason you'll slowly drain all your oil away. Think will make you up a nice braided hose, though it'll cost at least half as much as the gauge.

[jradley]

Parts now ordered, should be hopefully here tomorrow with a bit of luck will get it all done in my lunch hour.

 

I did go for braided hose, seemed like a better option but will also probably protect it some more with plastic pipe and in front the sump some old hose pipe too.

 

All in about £50, cheaper than a sender from CC which could well have failed again anyway.

 

I'll leave the heater in - I've run cables through the grommet before without any problem - just need bendy arms :)

 

Cheers,

 

John

[jradley]

Help !!!

 

This job hasn't gone quite to plan......

 

Fitted the new mechanical gauge, easy enough job. However, running the engine the needle doesn't move - not a jot. The engine doesn't sound clattery and the old electric gauge was giving readings, just somewhat erratic indicative of a faulty sender.

 

I took the gauge off the end of the hose and ran the engine at idle and oil was flowing out the pipe, but I would describe it as a moderate flow rather than gushing under pressure. Put gauge back on, still no reading.

 

Is this likely a faulty gauge , is there any way of testing it or have I missed something somewhere ?

 

Cheers,

 

John

[CageyH]

How have you set the system up?

It takes a little while for the pressure to register.

 

Only dead fish go with the flow....!

[Midas]

I've recently done this, and can tell you thast in my case the gauge registered instantly at strt up. No delay while pressure built up.

 

This might be spurious, but I bought the kit of parts from Think Automotive and it came to about £100. I wonder if you've got the set up correctly?

[Roadsport06]

I tested my gauge before fitting, I put a foot pump over the pipe leading to the gauge and pumped once to check I got a reading. Little can go wrong in the setup of these so it could well be a faulty gauge.

 

BRG and Yellow nose now with added brooklands

[Roger Ford]

Sounds like a dodgy gauge to me. Wouldn't expect it to gush - the tube's too small and the oil's too thick when cold. What make is the actual gauge?

 

Did you use PTFE tape on the fittings? My gauge "failed" after a while, but it turned out that a bit of PTFE tape had come off and blocked the intake

 

Edited by - Roger Ford on 20 Jun 2010 19:41:27

[jradley]

It's a Caerbont (I think). No PTFE tape used, though I did seal the adapter to filter housing with some Blue Hylomar, but only on the outside (ie it couldn't block the pipe). I had the engine running for a few minutes and no reading at all. I'm guessing it must be a faulty gauge afterall - will contact supplier tomorrow.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Ooh - Caerbont ....... makers of the nasty electrical senders (no doubt built down to a low customer supplied spec ?).

 

Edit - just a thought ... do you still have the devil's spawn in your sump ... aka sump foam ?

 

 

 

Edited by - Stationary M25 Traveller on 20 Jun 2010 21:57:42

[jradley]

The only spec I asked for was "an mopg for a Caterham 7 like what you have supplied before" and I got what I got. I had noticed the fact that Caebont also make the electric sender. I was sort of hoping they'd made a better job of the mechanicals than they do of the electricals 😔

 

I had thought of using an air pump to test the gauge but wasn't sure if air pressure wouldn't work where oil pressure would, but since it seems to have worked in the past for testing I gave it a go just now. At over 10psi on the foot pump nothing on the gauge, so it must be knackered.

 

It's ok Ian, I removed the devils spawn when I did my apollo a while back

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Ian R]

John

 

I think I have a Caterham oil pressure guage you can borrow and have if it works.

 

Let me know if you want it and I can bring on Thursday evening.

 

Ian (C4T VX)

(If you want to go faster, you will have to add lightness!)

 

Edited by - Ian R on 20 Jun 2010 23:51:22

[jradley]

Thanks Ian, I think my old electrical gauge was probably ok and it was the sender that was faulty. I hope to get a replacement mechanical gauge in the next couple of days.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[jradley]

Many thanks to everyone for your advice.

 

This is now sorted and I am very happy. Th eproblem with the first gauge was that it was indeed faulty. I tested the replacement with a foot pump beofre fitting and and it worked fine, and read the same pressure as the gauge on the foot pump.

 

I am particularly happy because the old electrical gauge only ever read a max of about 3.5 bar at cold fast idle. The mech gauge reads 70psi, which is about 4.8 bar - much healthier I'll take it for a blat later and see what readings I get when hot idle, but I'm guessing it will be more than the 0.5 bar or less that the old electrical gauge would read !

 

BTW, if/when your elctrical sender fails I now too would highly recommend fitting an MOPG - I'm pretty much a mechanical numpty and had no problem doing it.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Hurrah !!

 

Hot idle - probably 20psi, dropping to 15-ish psi on a very hot day after a fast run .... well, that's what I get.