0ddball

There’s been quite a few threads recently about XE/LET oil pressure and oil temp senders, where to put them, thread sizes etc etc. so here goes for a mini guide/gen session.

On a standard 20XE there is a pressure sender/low pressure combo switch (astra gte, some calibra/cally turbos, also fitted to 1.6 nova gte) the bare copper pin drives the variable pressure gauge on the digi dash or cav/cally analog gauge. the single pin sure seal type connection drives the low pressure warning light on the dash/check control.



in all other cases you just have a low-pressure switch that drives the low pressure warning light on the dash/check control. as pictured, either type live in the rear of the oil pump. and both have a thread size of M14x1.5. i.e metric 14mm thread, and pitch of 1.5.



The normal route to add an aftermarket sender is to fit a T piece into the rear of the oil pump then fit the standard sensor/switch and the new sender to the T piece. This is what i set out to do originally, I had a 1/8 npt oil pressure sender from demon tweaks, the T piece reflected this, M14x1.5 to M14x1.5 + 1/8 npt. In reality space is tight, and sods law said that when the T piece was screwed in and tightened, the hole for the aftermarket sender would be facing the block and be useless, and this is exactly what happened.

So, what now? Well, as has been mentioned a few times there are 2 blanking plugs in the main oil gallery to the rear of the oil pump. the first of the holes is used for the turbo oil feed on LET engines, and once the stud is removed its M14x1.5 thread (again!)



On XE’s that hole just has an allen head plug wound in it, which is also M14x1.5 thread like the oil pump and turbo oil feed.



For me, personally, I found the standard gte pressure sender was a more comfortable fit in this “tubo oil feed” hole, so that’s where I moved it to. Then i acquired a 1/8 to M14 adapter and the aftermarket pressure sender was fitted to the rear of the oil pump, in place of the stock sender.



An alternative for LET owners struggling for another tap (obviously the turbo feed is being used) is the large outermost nut on the oil pump, this is also on the high pressure side of the pump, its thread is M22x1.5 and adapters are available from rally design, lemans motorsport, demon tweaks etc. care should be taken though as it points the sender in the direction of the drivers side drive-shaft.



The 2nd of the blanking plugs, mentioned earlier, are redundant on both XE and LET, its also fitted with an identical M14x1.5 allen head blanking plug.



I purchased an M14x1.5 fluid temp sender from rally design (very cheap and a popular size) and bolted it home in the second of hte blanking plugs. I had a slight problem in that the tips of the hex section on the sender, which you do it up by, caught on the block face the closer the sender got to its seat. In the end I just whizzed a very shallow groove below the port with an angle grinder, and it was perfect.



and heres all 3 senders in action, on the back of my XE. temp sender - far left, aftermarket pressure sender driving racetech gauge - bottom right, standard gte pressure sender driving digi dash pressure gauge and digi dash low pressure warning light - top middle (going out of shot)



for the aftermarket senders only 1 wire is required for each, which are the signal wires to the respective gauges. i just used some automotive twin core and spade connectors.

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the_fbi

Wicked info, ta Odders

AJBek

very useful info mate, escpecially as I am getting an XE in the near future.

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coolamasta

Nice 1 odders, I will be getting a oil pressure gauge soon and I now know where to stick it!

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Miles

I did oil temp easily by having a new sump plug (£1) tapped to suit my temp sensor.

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MattJ

That's how I have mine done. I don't think the reading is 100% accurate though due to the airflow across the sump.

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Astra Dan

Don't forget Mk1 Nova 1.3 SRs also have the oil pressure wossnames, and Mk1 Astras...
Fantastic article though 0dders, does the 8V have the same setup?

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MartG

My guess would be yes, as they are basically the same block.

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Astra Dan

That was my thoughts. Just remembered someone found a C20NE with a factory turbo in a Chevrolet of some sort, too.

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0ddball

actually you just reminded me. dont some of the small block engines use an oil temp sensor in what i called "2nd blanking plug".

i'm sure i saw something in epc, the nova section specifically

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Andy K

Yeah the 1.6 ? have oil temp sensors/switches for the ecu

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0ddball

well i found the sender in epc. oil temp sensor for 1.2, 1.3, 1.6 novas. and the thread is M14

also miles reminded me, i used to have the sensor that is now in my block, in the sump. (the sump plug is also M14x1.5 !!!) it barely shifted the needle on my guage, highest i saw it was 70deg C. about 30-40 below what i see now, in all comparable situations.

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ephid0r

i was informed that u replace the standard switch on an xe with that of a nova sr one and u attach it to a pressure gauge and bingo

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0ddball

yeah you could do that. i was just a bit picky i wanted all the standard kit working, and the aftermarket gauge

plus the fact most aftermarket senders go up to 8 bar, ditto the gauges. the stock vauxhall ones are only 5.

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ephid0r

i know this is a bit off subject

but does any of your piccys show the oil cooler stat ?

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0ddball

second pic down shows the retaining bolt. but i just found this in the archives

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Andy K

what's a max oil pressure you seen then odders ?

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ric.666

Top guide !!
I managed to dig it up a few weeks back when i was fitting some oil temp & pressure senders on my LET.


Rich

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0ddball

it used to be 6 bar cold idle, 4 hot idle, 6 bar revved. i unshimmed it back to 5/3 though.

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rodgerq

good thread

rodgerq

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Andy K

Yeah the M14 is a good thread.

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MartG

Can't beat the old classics though - 3/8" Whitworth and 1/2"BSP

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joff-turbo-nova

I have done a variation on this theme.

I wanted to use a Rachtech oil pressure/oil temp guage but mechanical, not electrical (I had a sticking oil pressure relief valve on my old 2.0 redtop and the electrical sensors had trouble picking this up!)

I looked all around the oil pump area and in the end I decided to run a double sandwich plate where the oil filter screws on. First sandwich plate has been adapted to have the temp sender and oil pressure takeoff where the in/out oil pipes go to the cooler. Second plate is the normal cooler sandwich plate.

Guages work spot on (temp even when the engine is off - the're mechanical!) and as they work off actual pressure/temp I can rely 100% on them!

Joff

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rodgerq

any pics of this conversion along with the new sandwich plate?

rodgerq

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