Miata Mailing List: June 1996, Message #1018



     


   From: dg@illustra.com (David Gould)
Subject: Oil Pressure Idiot Gauge
   Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 20:13:10 -0400


I have both a 91 and just got a 95. I like the 95 better except that the oil
pressure gauge has had a lobotomy. It is really just an idiot light with a
needle instead of a bulb. Just in case anyone else wants to do this, it is
possible to put the real gauge in a later car.

You need two parts:

 Oil pressure gauge from a 90 through 94           $35 from Mazda Competition.
 Oil pressure sender from a 90 through 94.	   $90 from Mazda Competition
						   (ouch!)

You might want to try for a sender and gauge from a wrecking yard since
dealer prices will be even higher.

Following the procedure in the shop manual take the instruments out of the
dash, unscrew the gauge, replace it with the new gauge and put the panel
back in. This is easier than it appears and only took about 1/2 hour.

Unplug the sender lead and unscrew the old sender (switch) from the side of
the engine. Put some silicone seal on the threads of the new pressure sensor,
screw it into the block, and plug in the sender lead. Start the motor and look
for leaks. The manual describes this too.

You will need a 22 mm and a 29 mm socket to do the unscrewing and screwing
respectively. It will help if the 22 mm is a deep socket. It will also help
to put the car on stands and remove the right front wheel. Torque spec for the
sender is 13 ft/lb but there is no way you will get a torque wrench in there,
so just make it 'not too tight'.

Getting the old sender out of the engine is not easy without a trained
octopus to reach in since it is even harder to reach than the oil filter. It
is also hard to unplug the sender lead since you need to squeeze it and it
is hard to get a grip. Pliers helped. This whole step took more like 2 hours
since I kept dropping parts and wrenches down in the car and wiggleing
around trying to get a better reach and generally having problems.

But, I now have a REAL oil pressure gauge! Probably not worth the effort, but
maybe easier than plumbing one in from scratch.

-dg

David W. Gould                dg@illustra.com                 510.869.6383
Illustra Information Technologies    1111 Broadway #2000 Oakland, CA 94607

    You can't make a pig into a racehorse...
           but you can make a really really fast pig.