The Gospel According To V6 Oil-Pressure Gauge Senders, Low-Oil Pressure Warning Light

[junglejustice]

So, what's the scoop?

The Milano has an Oil-Pressure Gauge and the Low Oil-Pressure Warning Light on the dash, right? Is there also a Low-Oil Level warning light over on the ARC...? (All of my lights and things are out right now, so it is hard to tell)!

On the race car most all stock wiring, electronics, senders and gauges are removed; we simply used the Low Oil-Pressure Sender that came with the Stewart Warner gauges, so that doesn't help me.

On a previous 24v conversion into a GTV6, I shipped the engine with a brand new Oil-Pressure sender, but it did not work with the GTV6 dash! We re-installed the pressure-sender from the 12 valve and it worked fine (so the GTV6 dash "wants" to see it's own sender and not the sender from whatever engine goes in there...)

On my street Milano Verde 24v conversion, I tried (what thought was) a 24v sender and it also did not work (as on CChan's car)! I tried several other senders laying around and finally one of them worked - temporarily! Now the gauge is out again! I am able to "spike" the needle with the other wire (presumable the one for the Low-Pressure warning switch), but I am not able to get a pressure reading with any pressure senders right now!

For starters, what are the numbers on the two different Alfa V6 senders? Help please vendors!

Next, there are two sender-wires at the center-rear of the 12v block and on the Milano; one of them will "spike" or "peg" the oil-pressure needle on the dash when you ground it out; is that the one for the Low-Oil Pressure warning light, or is that the one for the Oil-Pressure gauge?

Then, how can I test the gauge FROM THE PRESSURE SENDER - ground it, power it, or what...!?

Also, can one test the Low-Pressure warning light with the dash and everything buttoned up? (Grounding one of the two wires at the back seems to spike the gauge and confirm something - how can I test the light maybe!?

Finally, the 24v has the senders on the left-side of the motor (nothing at the rear in the center - as with the 12 valve engines). With the 24v installed in the Milano, what senders should be used on the side of the block? Naturally the 12 valve oil-pressure sender (high-up on the left head at the rear), but then down - low-left - there's only the one hole that has the dipstick-type long temperature-activated sensor on a 24 valve (presumably for Low-Oil Level sensing...) Will that work with the Milano and show up on the ARC or something?

Where does the 12 valve get it's Low-Oil Level readings from (if any) and conversely - where does the 164 get it's Low-Oil Pressure Warning light reading from?

[Gubi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by junglejustice Where does the 12 valve get it's Low-Oil Level readings from

[Alfisto Steve]

The 24v engine low oil pressure sender is in oil filter/oil pump pressure relief valve housing and rear motor mount housing assembly correct? What do you do with this set up when you install a 24v engine in a Milano or GTV6?

[AR4me]

JJ,

Too many questions and too many combinations... 164 24v, 164 12v, GTV6, Milano, ...

"Some" attempts to answer questions. On 12v motors, both Milano and 164, there are two senders in "V". Big one is for gauge and small one is for warning light. Each has a single wire, I will look up colors for you tonight Unless my manuals are now in moving boxes...

I believe sender for gauge works the same for Milano and 164 12v (Why? If I recall correctly, I initially used a 164 12v sender when I transplanted S engine into Roxanne, and Milano oil pressure gauge worked fine).

Sender for oil pressure warning light works opposite comparing 164 12v and Milano. Don't ask how I know... That problem is solved now that I run a digital dash and instrumentation in Roxanne, with $300 oil pressure sender The Alfas one is, what?, $50? As they say, you get what you pay for...

Jes

[racingswim2006]

Are you stuck with the gauges you have? Why not just run another brand/type of gauge for these important engine-health signs (especially on racing applications!)?

The center "stack" in my GTV6 has been ditched (the factory fuel, oil press, and water temp gauges), as have the sending units. A composite panel was fabricated and now houses 4 autometer gauges (each with its own autometer matching sending unit) and each with its own warning light. Now I don't worry about unreliability of sending units AND WITH the easy to read, big warning lights and orange needles as a safety bonus. Don't have photo currently but can get one. It's sweet.

IF I were you, I would run a small copper tube or braided line from the hard to reach places on the engine (in the V, side of the block, or whatever) to an easy to reach location (get creative - a local Giulia TI race car has the sending unit mounted on the firewall), and then mount the sending unit THERE for oil pressure (gauge or light). This way, at least, you can play around with thread pitch, gauge type (VDO or Autometer or whatever) and sending unit much more easily without contorting the cursing from the hard to reach spots.

If you want to do guesswork, I wouldn't do it with Alfa senders and gauges cross-years and cross-applications that are known to be fail-prone. Do it with a purpose designed part up to racing use/abuse that is accuracy proven if you aren't hell bent on keeping stock gauges.

[junglejustice]

Yeah, I did an all-custom dash-face, Stewart Warner gauges and senders on the race car already - and yes - it works better. For this street conversion though, I'm somewhat partial to the OEM orange Verde dash...

[junglejustice]

Hhmm - thanks guys!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alfisto Steve The 24v engine low oil pressure sender is in oil filter/oil pump pressure relief valve housing and rear motor mount housing assembly correct? What do you do with this set up when you install a 24v engine in a Milano or GTV6?