[Ecki]

Hi,
I would like to add oil pressure and temperatur gauges to my 06 ST3, found white faced gauges at ISSPRO in their marine EV line (waterproof).

My question is which thread size sensors do I need? Isspro has a variety available.
Where in the block and/or cooler can I change plugs for two sensors?
One obviously for Oil temperatur and the other for pressure.

Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

Thor

 

[RedST]

I don't think that the ST's are wired by default to capture oil pressure and temp data. There is a simple oil pressure switch to toggle the dash light, but what you are looking for will require a new fitting into where the pressure switch now resides.

I have seen others use a T-shaped fitting that allows the use of the stock sensor, with another spot for the aftermarket sensor, or direct line to a mechanical gauge.

Edit: added image

 

[Ecki]

Thanks much, especially for the explosive view.
That will help.
Thor

 

[JackFlash]

The hole that the switch is screwed into is a 10mm (I forget the thread count) most gauge fittings, at least here in the US, have a pipe (tapered) thread so finding a fitting that will work and still allow you to have your original oil pressure light work will be a challenge. I have been looking for one for some time, I'm starting to think that I will have to have it custom fabricated. If anyone out there knows where to find this fitting let us know.

 

[DuckMan]

According to the ST3 shop manual the pressure sensor fitting is M10X1 and the temp fitting is M12X1.5, I would guess the ST4 is likely the same.

 

[dirkwrong]

All of the Isspro senders look too big.

VDO makes senders to work with their gauges that come in metric sizes.
http://www.egauges.com/default.asp

 

[strider3]

http://www.egauges.com/vdo_acce.asp?Subgroup=T_Adapters&Manf=All

This link is for the T adapter for the oil pressure threaded hole. Threads are 10 X 1. The oil light switch just taps into this. The T male goes into the engine block. The other female off the T goes to a braided ss hose to run up to your mounted mechanical oil pressure gauge of any variety or you can use an adapter bushing to mount the oil pressure gauge right at the oil pressure T adapter I you choose to remote mount the gauge you will need an appropriate length braided stainless hose with a 1/8 NPT female one end and a 10 x 1 male other end. Any auto part supplier should be able to make you one. The gauge is threaded 1/8 NPT male.

Changing to an electrical gauge is a bit more complicated. One has to install a different ohm range sensor at the engine and then your oil pressure idiot light might not work. I do not know this information.

I selected this gauge: http://egauges.com/vdo_mult3.asp?Type=Mech_Engine_Pressure&Series=Sil_CarbFib_Mar&Units=E

PN: ATM-200790-40

Adapter bushing is 1/8 NPT female to 10 X 1 male is here: http://egauges.com/vdo_acce.asp?Subgroup=Metric_Adapter_Bushings&Manf=All

PN: R7960

I screwed the idiot light into the sideways hole in the T.

My gauge is screwed into the bushing facing up so you can look at it down by your right leg. The gauge is lighted so route 12VDC from a wire that is hot after ignition. Something like the oil pressure light will work.

 

[JackFlash]

Thanks Strider, I can't tell you how many sites I have visited trying to find a fitting that woud do the job. That one should work like a charm.

 

[strider3]

Adapter says it is for a VW. Kind of makes sense.... I guess. Glad I could help.

BTW - I have not found any lighted gauges in the 1.5 inch variety which would fit better in the dash but no luck. Nor have I found a real good mount. That is why I left it there by the block and give it a glance after startup and then only once in a while while riding when it is safe to do so. This installation is on my 95 900 SS/SP so I do not know if there is enough clearance on the ST bikes between the engine block and the fairing.

 

[Ecki]

Much thanks too all of you. I am very impressed with this forum and how quick one gets answers.
Keep your right hand cranked and enjoyed the rest of the riding season.

Thor

 

[ducatiparts110mb]

If I were you I'd buy a temp sender identical to the one on your water circuit (which I think is an M10x1 thread) and put it in an aluminium block that you'd need to fit into the oil line going to or from your cooler.

Wire the existing water temperature sender and this new oil temerature sender to a changeover switch with the output of the switch going to the dash. You can then flick the switch to select which one the dash is reading. You can then see either water or oil temp on the dash display, depending how you set the switch.

Mark.

 

[RedST]

If I were you I'd buy a temp sender identical to the one on your water circuit (which I think is an M10x1 thread) and put it in an aluminium block that you'd need to fit into the oil line going to or from your cooler.

Wire the existing water temperature sender and this new oil temerature sender to a changeover switch with the output of the switch going to the dash. You can then flick the switch to select which one the dash is reading. You can then see either water or oil temp on the dash display, depending how you set the switch.

Mark.

Doesn't the ECU use the water temp sensor to determine fueling? If you wire a switch into the circuit, when it's reading an oil temp sensor, then the ECU would be getting different data and affect fueling?

 

[JackFlash]

I have not found any lighted gauges in the 1.5 inch variety which would fit better in the dash but no luck. Nor have I found a real good mount. That is why I left it there by the block and give it a glance after startup and then only once in a while while riding when it is safe to do so. This installation is on my 95 900 SS/SP so I do not know if there is enough clearance on the ST bikes between the engine block and the fairing.

I haven't found one either, if I do i'll let you know because it would fit better. I think I'll end up using a plain black cup mount at the base of the wind screen. I don't think the body work on the ST will allow me to mount it on the engine.
As far as using a water temp sensor in the oil line, I'm not looking for oil temp I'm looking for backup to the oil pressure idiot light because it has given me false low pressure indications a couple times now and I don't trust it.

 

[strider3]

I'm not looking for oil temp I'm looking for backup to the oil pressure idiot light because it has given me false low pressure indications a couple times now and I don't trust it.

That is good because all you really need is oil pressure. But I would look at it as now you will have an idiot light backing up a true oil pressure indication. IMHO oil temperature is far less important on a liquid cooled machine than oil temperature. It is for this reason that an oil temperature gauge was added to the later model oil/air or air/oil cooled motors.

FWIW - I also have a 2004 ST3 in addition to my 1995 900 SS/SP. I have not remoted an oil pressure gauge to it yet but will now look at doing so. At least a 1.5 inch mechanical gauge off the engine at a T fitting perhaps just to monitor oil pressure at start-up. Good luck with your installation. PM me and let me know how everything works out.

 

[ducatiparts110mb]

Doesn't the ECU use the water temp sensor to determine fueling? If you wire a switch into the circuit, when it's reading an oil temp sensor, then the ECU would be getting different data and affect fueling?

There are two sensors for water temp. One connects to the ecu as you have described, the other connects only to the temp gauge on the dash, so no chance of altering the fuelling if you only cut into that one.
Mark

 

[ducatiparts110mb]

Originally Posted by JackFlash
I'm not looking for oil temp I'm looking for backup to the oil pressure idiot light because it has given me false low pressure indications a couple times now and I don't trust it.

You could just use a second switch wired separately (easier to accomodate a led on the dash than a gauge). Not as confidence inspiring as a gauge I agree, but then the gauge won't be calibrated will it, so is it any more accurate?

 

[JackFlash]

You could just use a second switch wired separately (easier to accomodate a led on the dash than a gauge). Not as confidence inspiring as a gauge I agree, but then the gauge won't be calibrated will it, so is it any more accurate?

What calibration would a mechanical oil pressure gauge require? It's a direct read instrument.

 

[ducatiparts110mb]

It needs a known pressure applying and the face adjusting until it reads correctly.

All commercially available gauges, be they electrical or mechanical, are designed to read the right value, but unless they actually state that they are calibrated, they are not tested to see that the manufactured ones actually conform to the design. In other words, manufacturing tolerances and errors will go un-detected. Spending more money on your gauges will buy ones where the manufactured ones probably follow the design a bit closer, but they will still not be totally accurate.

If you put 10 gauges on the same oil pipe, then you are likely to get 10 slightly different readings - and they cannot all be right.

Once you spend hundreds of pounds per gauge you'll get a calibration certificate and then you'll know that on the day it was tested it was accurate, but if you consider that calibrating a gauge can take two of so hours and uses test kit costing a thousand or so pounds, then its clear why calibration costs about a hundred pounds per gauge and therefore your 50 pound gauge isn't going to be spot on accurate.

Mark

 

[JackFlash]

When you're talking about a 1 1/2" dia. gauge with a 0~100 PSI scale on a 270 degree sweep, calibration probably isn't a major concern. What it is going to tell you is that you actually do have oil pressure and that it is somewhere in the neighborhood (or not) of what it is supposed to be, which is more than what my idiot light is doing on any reliable basis. A few PSI one direction or the other is (1) not going to be detectable on the scale and (2) doesn't really matter considering no two engines are going to produce exactly the same oil pressure so there is no precise reading that you should be loking for.