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Oil Pressure Gauge on an Ital Engine

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:56 am
by jaguar68
Hi chaps,

has anyone fitted an oil pressure gauge to the Ital A+ engine? It's taken 15 minutes to screw the Tee piece adaptor into the block (yes, it really is that difficult) and have turned what's left of my hair curly with the stream of anglo saxon. Now there isn't enough room below the bottom of the adaptor and the starter motor to screw in the pressure switch. :(

Does the oil feed pipe have to run parallel to the block before returning to the gauge? I could run the switch at where the oil pip would be and run the feed pipe from the bottom of the adaptor.

The alternative would be to dispense with the oil pressure switch and the tee piece and just use the adapter piece straight into the block which would effectively be the same as the first alternative.

Can anybody advise me on how to resolve this problem?

Regards

John

Re: Oil Pressure Gauge on an Ital Engine

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:27 pm
by bmcecosse
It can go either way doesn't matter a hoot. Usually would remove the dizzy to fit all this.... Just go without the switch for now!

Re: Oil Pressure Gauge on an Ital Engine

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:42 pm
by jaguar68
Thanks Roy. I'm going to do without the oil pressure switch as I can't screw it to the bottom of the tee piece and by the same token I can't screw the pipe to the bottom of the tee piece either as the pipe isn't flexible enough to pass by the starter motor. I ended up taking the distributor out, after breaking several fingernails and skinning many knuckles. I'm going to plumb it all in tomorrow and see what the oil pressure is like. Does the system need bleeding?

Regards

John

Re: Oil Pressure Gauge on an Ital Engine

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:46 pm
by IslipMinor
If there is air in the tube up to the gauge you get a slightly jerky needle movement, but the reading with be the same. Bleeding the air from the gauge end will give a nice smooth needle movement.

Re: Oil Pressure Gauge on an Ital Engine

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:50 pm
by jaguar68
Thanks Richard, all advice greatfully recieved :)

Re: Oil Pressure Gauge on an Ital Engine

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:21 pm
by mike.perry
If you bleed the pipe at 60psi it will be very messy :( Turn the engine over on the starter with the ignition off whilst an assistant slackens the pipe then tightens it.
Must try that way myself, my pipe is full of air.

Re: Oil Pressure Gauge on an Ital Engine

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:32 pm
by jaguar68
What do you mean by turn it over on the starter with the ignition off, Mike?

Re: Oil Pressure Gauge on an Ital Engine

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:13 pm
by bmcecosse
I have NEVER 'bled' an oil gauge pipe - and readings are steady as a rock..... Just connect it up!

Re: Oil Pressure Gauge on an Ital Engine

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:00 pm
by mike.perry
jaguar68 wrote:What do you mean by turn it over on the starter with the ignition off, Mike?
Do not have the ignition switched on whilst bleeding the pipe or the engine will start and you will have a face full of oil at 60psi. If you have a pull start use that or if you have a key start use the solenoid button.
Actually I have never bothered and the gauges in both cars work fine