Questions about gauges and sending units

[IanDMacDonald]

Considering the fact that our standard models were the "touring" model, I'd say you might be okay. And, if oil temps get too high, what are you gonna do? Pull over till it cools down and go back out? I'd suggest the oil temp dipsticks. There is always the oil cooler mod. If anything, carry extra oil and ur good.

[D0wn5h1ft]

Should be able to rig up just about any oil temp sensor, it could go into a custom made pan drain plug, then up to a gauge. JAT

Edit: I've seen fellas bore a hole in the side of the oil pan and install one there.

What size (length/diameter) and pitch is our drain bolt if I did want to search for an oil temp sensor to plug in there?

[IanDMacDonald]

http://www.handspiral.com/ThermoDipStick.htm

[D0wn5h1ft]

http://www.handspiral.com/ThermoDipStick.htm

Am I really going to be able to read that while I'm riding? And I mean, if my bike is overheating I'd rather know than not know so I can pull over, let it cool down, and put more oil in it. Any additional indication I can get if it's going to explode would be nice because not knowing about a problem doesn't make it not a problem

Also, is that a barbaque thermometer??? I didn't know people were selling modified household appliances to strap to bikes...

[IanDMacDonald]

I think you're overthinking things. I remember in auto tech my teacher telling us the difference between a woman driving a GM vs. Ford. The woman brought the Ford back-in because her temp display was too high, her GM was not as close. Ford tech explained that the Ford showed more info on the dash vs. the GM, and there was nothing to worry about.

Point being, sometimes you can have too much info and cause you to worry. Keep your eyes on the road, your fluids topped-off, and u should be okay.

[bikerphil]

what size (length/diameter) and pitch is our drain bolt if i did want to search for an oil temp sensor to plug in there?

12mm x 1.50, length shouldn't be too important, maybe 20MM? Edit: 10MM length sounds better.

[D0wn5h1ft]

I think you're overthinking things. I remember in auto tech my teacher telling us the difference between a woman driving a GM vs. Ford. The woman brought the Ford back-in because her temp display was too high, her GM was not as close. Ford tech explained that the Ford showed more info on the dash vs. the GM, and there was nothing to worry about.

Point being, sometimes you can have too much info and cause you to worry. Keep your eyes on the road, your fluids topped-off, and u should be okay.

I think I just got called a woman! In all seriousness, I think you're right but it's still something I want to do for my own sanity however XSive or not it may be.

[crazy steve]

http://www.handspiral.com/ThermoDipStick.htm

Those don't fit.... the clutch is in the way. That's why the 11 doesn't have a dipstick, instead has the 'window'...

[IanDMacDonald]

Gotcha. Figured it was like the 750's/850's where they went to a sight window over dipstick.

[James England]

Oil cooler

I would fit an oil cooler. All the European models had one as standard. They are easily fitted too and all parts are rainy available secondhand. It's just an adapter plate that sits under the oil filter housing, two pipes and the radiator. Given the heat in some parts of the USA, I'd have thought an oil cooler would be essential. Nobody has ever bottomed out why the coldest climes of Europe got the cooler and the US didnt

If anyone wants to add a cooler and can't find the parts, I can easily get them and ship them to the USA...all at actual cost, of course....

[IanDMacDonald]

Sorry to hijack your thread TC. Gabe- goto your corner and u think about starting your own thread! Back on subject with TC's gauges.

[ViperRon]

TC to play arround with your guages and determine the resistance levels for the guages Radio shack did have a large pack of resisters not too high $$$$. Put them in series determine the swing level and then use what you need in series with sensor to get movement. May not be able to get it perfect unless you find a matching sensor for the guage but this may tell you nearly what you need.

[crazy steve]

T.C., I'll add to what I've said. If what you have is a digital 'bar graph' type gauge, that will give you a bit more latitude in sending unit selection. Unlike a conventional analog gauge, these have 'steps' in the readout, i.e. it will take a certain value to trigger each step. The fewer steps you have, the 'coarser' your accuracy will be and this can allow you to use a gauge sender that may not be an exact match but still get decent accuracy within the limits of the gauge.

An example would be if measuring fuel level; if the range of the gauge is 30-100 ohms with five 'steps' (again, just an example), and 30 is empty and 100 full and the 'mid' steps are at about 47.5, 65, and 82.5 ohms, a sender that at those levels reads semi-close may give enough accuracy to work if the tolerances on the meter aren't exceeded.

Again, an example. Say you find a sender that reads 20 ohms empty and 120 full; at empty, the 20 ohms is lower than 30 so the gauge will read empty. The next 'step' is 47.5, but the sender may read about 45 ohms; pretty close and that may be enough to 'trigger' the next 'step. Next is 65 at the gauge, but 70 at the sender; this is enough to trigger the next step, but not enough to trigger the one above it. Next would be 82.5 (gauge) and 90 (sender). You might be getting close to the next 'step' at this point.

You can adjust where the gauge is accurate if the range doesn't match by how close the 'step' values are to the sender with resistors. If knowing how low the fuel level is is most important, get that end the closest.

Keep in mind that both/one/neither the gauge and the sender may be linear in ohms for a given indication, so there may be some compromise involved...

[TopCatGr58]

Thanks Steve,

Well, I didn't want to wait for eBay and mail service to get a 1K pot, so I picked up a 5k one at RS. I could still get a modest amount of sensitivity with it by just barely nudging the dial/shaft...didn't have a large KNOB to fit it!

The Dig. Gauge set actually has quite a # of bars on the vertical graph, like 10 or so. I used my Ohmmeter along with playing with the Dig Gauge, and found the 30 ohm value for the highest bar for FULL on the FUEL gauge, and the lowest bar=empty was ~500 ohms! The POT's sensitivity was rated at 20%, so that could be from ~375 to 625 ohms or so. The XJ11's according to the service manual is 30 -240 which falls within the common Stewart Warner standard range so I think I'm good there.

On the OIL temp readout, the low resistance again was for the highest hottest temp bar....but there's no actual DEGREE markings! The High Resistance was for the Lowest Heat. I had selected on the Dig Gauge for it to be in the 500 ohm range for the OIL TEMP, but I had a hard time getting the POT to a precise position, but both in 100 ohm or 500 ohm range setting on the Dig Gauge, it would only shows the steady bars from ~100 ohms = coolest, to ~50 ohms hottest....not a very wide range?

I still haven't heard from Del City regarding my inquiry as to the Ohm Range for the Water/Oil temp sensor....so perhaps it's not listed or detailed in the gauge info/insert???

So...looks like I'm going to have to buy the Water/Oil sending unit, and then test it at home with a hair blower/hot air gun, and see what it reads cold and hot. Hopefully it will be within the 100 ohm range or lower so that I could at least use some inline resistors to try to calibrate it close, but if the sender runs at ~500 ohms...then I'm screwed!

I thought I remember seeing someone who posted an OIL TEMP gauge screwed into the side/end of the oil gally along the back of the engine....thought it was a 1/4" NPT thread similar to the oil pressure sender on the top/back end of the engine/tranny case! SO...I might be able to use that instead of having to drill/tap a hole into the side of my oil pan.

While I was playing with the gauge, I finally got the red triangle warning light to light up...I was flicking the TACH wire against the ground and getting surges in RPM and was able to get it up beyond the ~7K range on the dial, and that's when the Red Triangle warning light came on....so now I know it's an OVER-REV warning indicator!!!

Ian, I'll be posting photos and linking videos once I get it all worked out, which I think I will be able to do!

T.C.

[TopCatGr58]

Just did a quick search here, and found a few other examples of folks mounting oil pressure/temp sending units....they put a "T" into the OEM hole, and then were able to mount both onto the end of the "T", so it must be a common size....but now not sure if it's 1/8" NPT or 1/4" NPT....anybody know the thread size for the OEM oil pressure switch/sender mounting threads??

T.C.