Thread: Oil Pressure Gauges - Machanical vs Electrical

I bought a VDO Oil Pressure Gauge, and didn't know that there where mechanical (Oil runs directly to gauge) and electrical (sending unit with a wire to the gauge), thus I also bought a sending unit.

Now I like the mechanical one because it is a full sweep one, but running an oil line to the interior is kinda icky.

Now other then being cheaper, and not needing a sending unit, and from what I've heard more accurate, full sweep, is it worth sticking with the mechanical one?

http://www.sr20-forum.com/160760-post677.html

IMO the only upside is going to be that the mechanical one has a full sweep to it. Done correctly with a braided stainless line, I don't know that you are going to be any cheaper in the long run.

Yeah, that just hit me haha.

I'm thinking about running a decently thick 3/16 fuel line. If it can hold the fuel pressure I don't see why not hehe.

my choice is the electrical one, it may not be as accurate but im not worried bout it being 5psi off and im also not worried bout oil leaks inside my car with a electric gauge, aslong as it shows i have oil pressure im good

Man that's what I'm thinking myself, I don't need it to be that accurate, I just feel icky about an oil line, even it's a hard line.

yea in my old 65 chev truck, i had a mechanical one and it would have a lil oil on it here and there

ill be boosted soon and ill be running an electrical one, i just didnt like the idea of running an oil line where it didnt need to be

I have been using the mechanical one for like 2 years on a daily driven car. Works great, is as accurate as you can get and never had any troubles with it. I saw my boy blowing his engine due to him trusting on the readings of a crappy electrical gauge so I will never use one, even if it is a good brand.

That's pretty similar to what Serban has mentioned to me, so two very experienced people = me keeping the mechanical gauge

Right now I'm deciding on which line to run, Matt has suggested a copper line, that sounded like the best one, but I don't like that metal heats easily and it's not very bendable...

For what it matters I also have been running a mechanical for a year now with not one issue and its very accurate to boot!