Oil sender adapter plate for M20

[5Toes]

Bumping this thread.

So how much do you believe a machine shop would charge to drill and tap the oil filter housing?

[bmwpower]

ot question.. but will any oil pressure sender work for any gauge? I have some equus gauges (oil temp/oil pressure) in my car and was wondering if a simple VDO sender would work with them?

Thanks,
Julien

It will depend. They all have different ranges I believe.

[Julien]

ot question.. but will any oil pressure sender work for any gauge? I have some equus gauges (oil temp/oil pressure) in my car and was wondering if a simple VDO sender would work with them?

Thanks,
Julien

[Knockenwelle]

I've used coolers from RX-7s before with great success. Can't remember if it's the FC or FD, but the stock cooler is a very efficient, two-pass all-aluminum design, about 3.5" x 18" x 2" thick. It has regular 22(?)mm metric fittings, and the internal bypass is easy to plug. I have scored them in good used condition for as little as $40.

[bmwpower]

Any recommendations for aftermarket coolers that will fit in there?? Need to get this car back together....

[bmwpower]

Any picts of aftermarket cooler installations?

[bmwpower]

I'm sure there is, but why bother? Those adapters are bound to be pretty expensive and you might be better off getting an aftermarket cooler. If you are going through all the trouble to do the lines, remote oil filter, etc, why not go all the way and get a better cooler?

I'm not planning on using a remote filter, just replacing the lines. Are there aftermarket coolers that mount in the same location as the stock cooler?

Might be interested in the exhaust pieces. Let me know. I have a contact near Chicago that could pickup.

Thanks....

[jvanhouten]

I like John's install. Any way to use the stock oil cooler with the AN-10 lines and some sort of adapters at the cooler end? Like a female version of the adapter you used on the OTHER end (at the bypass/mount)? I hope so...

I'm sure there is, but why bother? Those adapters are bound to be pretty expensive and you might be better off getting an aftermarket cooler. If you are going through all the trouble to do the lines, remote oil filter, etc, why not go all the way and get a better cooler?

[jvanhouten]

By the way, John, which header are you running on that motor? Looks like 6 individual flanges. I've heard that type of design is a bear to line up and mount. Did you have any problems with it?

The exhaust system is a Korman setup that came with the car and I think the headers are the old SS race headers. I haven't had a problem with them, but I'm running something different now.

That system will actually be for sale soon--headers to muffler. The straight (oval) center section needs to be replaced, but otherwise its in decent shape.

[jvanhouten]

Yeah, all I see at Canton's web site are the billet adapters. They look very well made. Not cheap, but that's OK. Maybe they don't sell the cast units any more?

There are still out there, but I'm not sure if Canton sells them. For a race car, I'd definitely go with the billet adapter.

I assume the 3/4" thread you're talking about is the spin-on filter stud on the stock oil cooler adapter? BMW used an SAE thread on that? Regardless, see my comments on using that below.

Yeah, I was surprised too, but that is what it is.

Kind of convoluted. I'd really like to pitch the original oil cooler adapter and just run lines straight out to the CM canister filter (AN -10 O-ring as you said). Less flow restriction, fewer couplings, lower chance of leaks. But, if I can't find the parts, I'll consider taking this route.

I see your point, but I'm not sure I'd call it convoluted. To be honest, even though there are more "parts", I'd be more worried about a "custom" solution sealing well to to the block. In addition, with the stock manifold, you get a oil cooler thermostat, which you should rebuild while you have it apart--there is a kit for that. I will say that getting the 22mm adapters in tight and staying tight is somewhat of a pita. Lube the orings a little bit and use some locktight blue on the adapter threads. I've had the adapters back out when try to remove the AN lines.

I have the same OP sensor set up you do: Metric-AN adapter on the original pressure switch outlet with a braided line to the sender mounted on the inner fender. The AutoMeter senders are really heavy and clunky. Works well this way.

Cool. I think that is the way to go.

Thanks for all the info, John!

NP!

[ScottL]

Yeah, I'd do the same thing since I won't be running the stock cooler. I'm sure you can find metric-AN adaptors at Summit that will do the trick. (I assume the threads in the adaptor are metric; doubt that they used the dreaded NPT threads...)

[bmwpower]

I like John's install. Any way to use the stock oil cooler with the AN-10 lines and some sort of adapters at the cooler end? Like a female version of the adapter you used on the OTHER end (at the bypass/mount)? I hope so...

[ScottL]

By the way, John, which header are you running on that motor? Looks like 6 individual flanges. I've heard that type of design is a bear to line up and mount. Did you have any problems with it?

[ScottL]

That's the style adapter I use, but you need the one with 3/4-16 thread It's a lot more expensive than the cast ones commonly available, but I've see several of those split at the track which can have catastrophic consequences.

Yeah, all I see at Canton's web site are the billet adapters. They look very well made. Not cheap, but that's OK. Maybe they don't sell the cast units any more?

I assume the 3/4" thread you're talking about is the spin-on filter stud on the stock oil cooler adapter? BMW used an SAE thread on that? Regardless, see my comments on using that below.

What you do it put the adapter where the oil filter goes--you still need the oil filter/cooler manifold. To convert the stock oil cooler lines to AN fittings, I used 22 x 1.5 to AN-10 o-ring adapter in the manifold, retaining the stock oil cooler bypass.

Kind of convoluted. I'd really like to pitch the original oil cooler adapter and just run lines straight out to the CM canister filter (AN -10 O-ring as you said). Less flow restriction, fewer couplings, lower chance of leaks. But, if I can't find the parts, I'll consider taking this route.

As you can see in the above pic, I used an M12 x 1.5 to AN-6 adapter to remote mount the oil pressure sender. With the heavy "barrel" of the sender hanging off a fairly narrow fitting, they have been known to crack/break both making the sender inoperable in the best case and dumping your oil out on the track in the worst. It's easy to relocate, so why not do it.

I have the same OP sensor set up you do: Metric-AN adapter on the original pressure switch outlet with a braided line to the sender mounted on the inner fender. The AutoMeter senders are really heavy and clunky. Works well this way.

Thanks for all the info, John!

[Elephant]

Really?
The mount points he used with that bracket are for the A/C compressor which is a heck of a lot heavier than an oil pressure sender and vibrates a heck of a lot more. Why would hanging a little pressure sender using those mount points be a problem?

First of all, the AC compressor mounts to the bracket via bolts which are in shear and can carry that load. The loading on the ears of the bracket are not prone to the vibration as much due the mount method and their orientation. Second, and more importantly, that oil pressure sender is a heavy item that is hanging off of the threaded aluminum...aluminum is subject to fatigue loading as we know. Third, if this fails what is the ultimate issue...loss of oil pressure plus a potentially dangerous mess. If the AC compressor bracket were to fail it would be annoying.

I didn't say it would fail but rather there is potential and it simply is not good practice period. I have seen set ups like this fail before, on many occasions actually. I'm sure there are hundreds of people who have done it with no problems, good, have at it. Again, it's not good practice, especially for a track car in that environment. The, pretty much fail safe method is to remote mount the sender to the body somewhere and keep the loading off the threads.

Cheers.