Alright I might have missed this someplace but didn't see anything on it during my looking around. I am doing a restoration and want to keep using the factory gauge cluster but I would like to have a more accurate reading on my oil pressure. Is there any type of true sending unit I can use to make work with the factory gauge or a way to modify the factory gauge to work with a sending unit? I know there are those who love the pressure switches but I am not one of them. The truck is a 1978 Bronco with a 400.

 

NAPA Part# OP-6091 is the sending unit you need.

I'm sure there are others out there, but I am familiar with this one...

 

The only way to get a more accurate reading than an electrical gauge is a mechanical guage, in which the oil pressure runs right up to the gauge. You can get an aftermarket electrical gauge with numbers on it. You can't get a factory-style sending unit that's more "precise" than the original one, if that's what you're asking. The original sending unit is simply a transducer; it converts oil pressure to resistance and acts as a rheostat for the gauge in the dash, similar to how a fuel gauge works. An aftermarket electrical gauge is just going to do the same thing.

An electrical gauge adds a middle man because it has to convert pressure to resistance. The gauge tells you the resistance of the sending unit. A middle man adds inaccuracy which defeats the purpose of your original question. To get an accurate reading, you need to use an aftermarket mechanical oil pressure gauge.

 

Yes , like fmc400 said.

 

If I was you I would Tee-in a mechanical gauge direct to the engine and use it to verify oil pressure when you think it is low.
This way you will have to pop the hood and look but, it is safer than running an oil line into the cab.

 

I don't really want gauges under my hood being a restoration. If there was a way to convert the stock gauge to mechanical I would consider that a viable solution. I don't mine the electronic gauges but what I am really after is something that will read all the way to zero, not just say zero when it drops below about 7psi, and all the way up to the true max pressure.

 

So you don't care if to accomplish what you want that if a line breaks oil could spray all over the cab ?

You would need to run a copper line to a mechanical gauge to inside the cab instead of a plastic line.

 

I would run a tee, and have a mechanical gauge in the cab. Its the only way to truely know what you have, and don't worry about the line. I have never heard of line breaking. Also your gonna be driving it like a grandpa it sounds, so don't think your gonna do anything to break the line. there is an access port in the firewall that the speedo cable comes in through, so just run it through that so no drilling, and then mount it under the dash, so its not out in the open. Don't know anyone who would give you flack for installing a mechanical oil pressure gauge for safety.

 

With a little fab work and maybe a spare instrument cluster to mock up with you could do this yourself. It won't look absolutely stock, but better than an aftermarket gauge cluster screwed to the underside of your dash if you're going for a mostly stock look.

Check this out: Aftermarket (even mechanical) gauges into STOCK cluster!!!

Obviously this cluster isn't close to ours, but the idea still fits and I bet it would look sharp, but better yet provide you with real numbers from mechanical inputs.

 

What about a fuel level sending unit? I recently rplaced my stock 19 gal. tank. I was going to get the 38 gal "direct replacment" tank, but you have to jerry rig your sending unit from the 19 gal. to work with it...ie. cut in half, install extension. But your tank guage will stay on full untill you reach half a tank..ie. 19 gallons. Sounded like a good idea for the double capacity, but why dosent anyone make a real sending unit for the tank?

 

Plastic or metal tank ?

 

metal tank

 

HE,HE HE,driving like a grandpa LO.L.thats funny,you should watch me,an old grandpa,when i get in my street rod [34 chevy] or kick the 460 down in my 79 f-100 we are not all over the hill in our later years.

 

I like the link that "Cathode" put up there. I think stuff like that is really trick. I might eventually fab something up like that myself. For the most part, I like my vehicles to look like they could have come from the factory with the mods I put on.......short of an intake, exhaust, wheels and guages. Or at least the mods not be noticeable to someone who doesn't know old Fords. In my 5.0 Mustang I have a pillar guage pod with water temp and oil pressure. I used steel braided line all the way to the block (I know, costly) because back then I didn't know as much as I do now. I had no faith in copper line and compression fittings. If I had to do it over, I would run copper and not worry about it. Definitely don't run the nylon that comes with many gauges. They can slip out of the compression fitting and then you would have oil spraying all over the place.....and hot oil I must add.

Are you going to put a Tach in it? That is the gauge that was a pain for me because my truck is an auto with tilt. I would have preferred to have the tach on the right side of the column, but it blocked other guages or got in the way of the shifter.

 

when you guys say 'tee'...
does that mean i can run a brass tee fitting where the stock sending unit is? so i can keep the stock sending unit working and have a mechanical aftermarket gauge as well.
Would the gauge still get an accurate reading with the tee?
And does anyone have a picture how they have this set up?