i finally got around to adding my oil pressure gauge, i was waiting on glow shift to send me the correct oil filter adapter fitting size for the 2.4L cavalier engine.
which is 13/16-16 Thread.
i wanted to face the sending unit downwards towards the ground but i couldnt because the way the engine is shaped it would not let the adapter sit flushed. as you can see in my ghetto diagram below.
the gauge reads just fine too. once its warm at a stop light the lowest 20 psi. when im WOT its 90-95 psi.
here are some pics enjoy.
from the top view
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
It's cool to see one installed, I have the exact same one that I'm going to install on my new engine whenever it get's finished.
I did the same install a few weeks ago. Be sure to check for leaks after. On of the supplied plugs wouldn't seal. I had to pull it out and i used one of the unused plugs to get it to seal.
I also wanted to point the sender down so it would be easier to get to if it needs to be replaced or anything. It could be pointed down if you took some pipe fittings and did some minor plumbing
EDIT** What is that one piece of bracing for? The black one thats on the opposite side if the filter from the AC. Just wondering cause my 2000 2.4 auto doesn't have it.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Thursday, June 19, 2008 5:48 PM
that is the cover for the throttle cables
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
also use teflon tape on the plugs and it wont leak. mines hasnt leaked yet.
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
Umm there is no freakin way that can be an accurate reading. 95 psi? I mean I'm sure the reading is right, but I'm not sure that is a good location to get a correct(important) reading.
Most of us 2.4 guys get the readoing from the cam tower or tapping the back of the block. Even there at the back guys don't see 95 psi I don't think.I think GM used the cam tower for a reason.
Interesting tho man, nice install.
~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ
~cold start up idle 65 psi as you can see in picture
~20 psi engine warm and at idle
~95 psi at wot on cold engine
~90 psi wot on warm engine
do you have a oil pressure gaue?
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
I'm calling improper reading, there are tons of 2.4s on here with pressure gauges and none of them get that high. A lot of those are on engine rebuilds with quad 4 pump swaps or high volume pumps also.
Mine reads about 85 to 90psi cold and when im idle it reads around 10 to 20psi. When its warm my car reads like 55psi and when im idle it reads about 5 to 10psi. Does that seem accurate? and good job at the install i had problems trying to get my adapter to fit right it was leaking like no other so i ended up having to unscrew this thread nut on the engine and put my sensor in there and its been working great since. with no leaks too.... finally! lol
Hmm... 90psi @ WOT on a warm engine still seems really high to me.
I get around 45-55 at WOT warm/hot
Mines in the cam tower.
PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO
um...dont mean to be the odd ball but.....let me get this straight...you installed an oil cooler adaptor, but not an oil cooler??? if you were just wanting to gauge oil pressure why not just use the place on the side of the cam rather than buy an extra part?? or do plan to install a cooler in the future
Letxen3 wrote:~cold start up idle 65 psi as you can see in picture
~20 psi engine warm and at idle
~95 psi at wot on cold engine
~90 psi wot on warm engine
do you have a oil pressure gaue?
I get that your getting those readings but the readings are 'improper' of course your gonna get that high of reading at the oil filter since every single bit of oil has to pass through there..
And yes, I do have an oil pressure gauge.. Its located on my cam tower.. I had a jbp, stock oil pump in my 2.4.. I was only seeing 50 psi on cold start up, and 10-12 psi at warm idle. I have since done the 2.3 oil pump swap but have yet put the engine back in the car.. Ill let ya know wha pressure i see at the cam tower.
~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD
AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ
guys last time i check on best place to put a oil pressure gauge my understanding was to put it as closest to the oil pump.
and on my pt cruiser theres a nut to remove on the head to put oil senders.
and ive heard you should be able to get the same readings if the sender is located down or up.
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
scott (section8cav) wrote:um...dont mean to be the odd ball but.....let me get this straight...you installed an oil cooler adaptor, but not an oil cooler??? if you were just wanting to gauge oil pressure why not just use the place on the side of the cam rather than buy an extra part?? or do plan to install a cooler in the future
correction, i did not install an oil cooler. i installed and oil filter adapter which lets you tap in senders for oil pressure or oil temp etc.
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
Im not tryin to bust your ballz about this.. I just don't want you to be getting a false reading.. For example, I had my water temp gauge tapped into my thermostat housing and I was getting a false reading, next thing I knew, my car over heated
but my gauge said 180.. I wasn't reading the head tempurature, which was what I was supposed to be reading.
Anyway, im sure you will be fine where your gauge is at since I dont think your turboed or anything.. If you ever go FI, might want to change that location to the cam tower. IMO
~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD
AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ
From GM the factory sensor is in the head between the cam towers, I think they probably put it at the best place to get readings.
And, you also said your PT Cruiser has a plug in the head for a pressure sensor... kind of hypocritical to the statement about closest the oil pump is the best spot, no?
Again, not trashing you either, I'm just saying those readings aren't 100% correct. Oil filters have valves in them to keep the pressure at the filter as high as possible, I think this is what you're encountering.
i agree...gm uses the cam tower to get readings for a reason...this is the best place to get oil pressure readings..thats why i didnt understand why he did it like that..i could under stand an oil TEMP sensor maybe
i will see if i can get some proof of where i read about its better to be closet to the oil pump for a faster reading of when you loose oil pressure.
IMHO i think the pressure should be the same up down left right.
but wouldnt you want to know if you loose oil pressure at the pump before you find out at the cam tower. maybe it isnt a time thing and it will be instant. i dunno.
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
I have a 2.4 with a oil pressure gauge (and owned others with them, also installed a few on 2.4's). Your readings are incorrect. 90psi on a warm engine at WOT is WAY TOO HIGH!! You should see somewhere between 45-60PSI, more like 50psi on a warm 2.4 at WOT with a stock oil pump.
FU Tuning
WHITECAVY wrote:Im not tryin to bust your ballz about this.. I just don't want you to be getting a false reading.. For example, I had my water temp gauge tapped into my thermostat housing and I was getting a false reading, next thing I knew, my car over heated but my gauge said 180.. I wasn't reading the head tempurature, which was what I was supposed to be reading.
Anyway, im sure you will be fine where your gauge is at since I dont think your turboed or anything.. If you ever go FI, might want to change that location to the cam tower. IMO
i am bias about the water temp aftermarket gauges. here is my story. on my friends supra mk3 he blew out a freeze plug. his autometer water temp gauge was reading just fine. but his factory one was reading H (hot) (pull over now you dee dee dee hot)
anyways since his factory gauge light didnt work it took a while for us to notice it. long story short he had to rebuilt the engine as the rings melted.
all this because there was no water for the aftermarket gauge to read so it was stuck on normal reading. mean while the factory water temp gauge was letting him know its HOT.
anyways as for oil pressure factory dummy light its a switch that when under 2psi the oil check light will come on. the closer you are to the oil pump where you would loose oil pressure 1st the better you know to pull over. i still think pressure at the pump is more real and best place to get a reading. i hope someone else can chime in on this. of course the futher away from the pump the lower the psi readings are.
ok im off to lunch brb.
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
John Higgins wrote:I have a 2.4 with a oil pressure gauge (and owned others with them, also installed a few on 2.4's). Your readings are incorrect. 90psi on a warm engine at WOT is WAY TOO HIGH!! You should see somewhere between 45-60PSI, more like 50psi on a warm 2.4 at WOT with a stock oil pump.
is there something wroung with my gauge or oil pump? i could swap out my glow shift gauge to my autometer oil pressure gauge that is about to go on my pt to compare the readings?
but you guys are saying my psi is high? is that bad for my car?
let me go drive the cavalier back after lunch and i will record my readings again to be sure.
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
sleepy sunfire wrote:i mean this one:
That is a support bracket for the intake manifold. I have seen them on grandam's, none of my cavy's have had them.
I think it is possible that this adapter you are using could be the problem. Depending on when it gets the oil (before or after it goes through the oil filter), it could be throwing it off. All I know is what you post is way off. Of course we all want good oil pressure or high pressure, but if it is not right you won't know when there is a real problem.
FU Tuning
I think your gauge is right and that you are seeing that high of psi right there, but the thing is that is the only place in the engine it is that high. - and the reason is because its by the oil filter. I'd bet my car that there isn't another place in the engine that you can get a gauge on that will read that high of pressure.
Again, not saying you're wrong, just that you're not seeing the same pressure readout that the actual engine internals are seeing. You'll still notice a drop on the gauge if the pump bites the dust... but I'm curious how long it holds pressure at that spot. Does your gauge respond instantly when you shut the car off?
