Oil Pressure Gauge

[The_Dave]

Has anyone installed an oil pressure gauge? If so could you give details on it's installation?

Thanks!

Dave ?

[qadsan]

I previously installed an oil temperature gauge, but the same idea applies. One of two frame plugs on the front left side by the steering head makes an ideal place to tap into since these plugs are replacable. These large plugs can simply be removed with a large allen wrench, but there are no Honda part numbers for these plugs and your Honda dealer won't be able to order these plugs without ordering a new frame, so don't drill or damage the OEM plugs. I bought a metric pipe plug from a metric supply house and drilled/tapped that for 1/8 NPT, then screwed in my oil temp sending unit. I also wanted the coolant temperature and I found a nice boss on the water pump housing just as if it were designed for the purpose of drilling/tapping it. It was an ideal place to get the coolant temps from because the bike was easily put back to stock with a simple replacement part. The hard part in all this is finding a nice looking gauge in the right sized package to meet your needs.

[The_Dave]

Thanks for the info...

I am however looking to install a pressure gauge. Any ideas on that?

Dave

[qadsan]

Installing the gauge is a piece of cake compared to finding one in a small enough package that also looks nice enough. Have you found a gauge that you like yet? If so, is it electronic in that it uses a detached sending unit or does it use a small tube that carries the oil directly to the instrument?

With my setup, I could have just as easily used an oil pressure sending unit to get oil pressure data at that same point instead of oil temperature. One of the nicest looking and most versatile dual function gauges I've seen is from SPA, but they don't come cheap at ~$240 each. You could get a gauge that displays both oil pressure and oil temperature on the same face and this gauge is also programmable for high/low limits, includes a warning light. It also recalls the highest & lowest readings, features a backlight, etc. The only other issue with this gauge is supplying it with electricity, but I suppose you could power it with a simple 9 volt battery for several months at a time if this gauge will tolerate +9 VDC, but you'd have to check with the people at SPA to find out those details unless your bike already has a battery from being dual sported.

If you've already got your eye on a gauge, please post the details of it and maybe we can help out with some specifics.

[loufish]

I don't think that you can run a oil pressure gauge on the BRP, there is no external port that you can tap into. The BRP is a "dry sump" type system, installing a gauge into the return line to the frame isn't going to give you the actual oil pressure in the engine.

[qadsan]

installing a gauge into the return line to the frame isn't going to give you the actual oil pressure in the engine.

Yep, aftert thinking about it more clearly, you're right about that ?

[The_Dave]

I don't think that you can run a oil pressure gauge on the BRP, there is no external port that you can tap into. The BRP is a "dry sump" type system, installing a gauge into the return line to the frame isn't going to give you the actual oil pressure in the engine.

I disagree. The Honda factory service manual calls for checking oil pressure. If you look closely at the pump housing area you will find 3 plugs in the case 2 on the bottom and one on the forward top. I believe that the forward top plug is on the pressure side of the pump. It should be a simple matter of removing the plug, finding the correct metric adapter and connect you pressure gauge.

Now I just have to find some trick steel braided hose and a equally trick gauge to go with it.

Dave

[qadsan]

This might help ?

And then read the info at the following link for further details...

http://www.xr650r.us/tech/lube.pdf

[The_Dave]

Yeah,

I have that drawing...gives a good over-all picture of whats happening. I read the link as well. One thing he has consistantly incorrect is the path the oil takes when entering the "A" side of the pump. The oil comes from the reservior, through the finger screen at the bottom of the reservior, to the pump and then through the filter. The filter is the last stop on the road before the oil is on it's way to the engine internals. He states it as screen, filter, pump, and then engine.

Dave

[loufish]

If you look closely at the pump housing area you will find 3 plugs in the case 2 on the bottom

My bad...didn't really see them, just ASSumed there was none. ?