Mechanical tach, oil temp and oil pressure for AeroVee

[Sonex1517]

Thanks! Much appreciated.


Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
Chicagoland
Tails and Wings complete - finishing fuselage.
N1517S reserved

[Darick]

Old subject revisited.
The mechanical oil pressure gauges I've seen at auto parts stores have a nylon tube from the engine to the gauge. I'm a bit hesitant to have a nylon tube in my engine compartment. Robbie and others, what did you use?

[Sonex1517]

I used a VDO gauge - I ran copper tubing as I also did not want to use poly-anything for hot oil running into the cockpit. Purchased at a local auto parts store complete with fittings.

[GordonTurner]

I too am planning to use a mechanical (tube) oil pressure gage. The tiny tube (copper) is only 1/16" ID so in the case of the proverbial leak (which I've never heard of actually occuring) I am guessing not very much oil will actually come out. Or put another way, i would expect to have plenty of time to get on the ground of the leak happemed. And the gages are so accurate and appear to last forever. Oh yeah, and CHEAP.

[Sonex1517]

I really like the VDO oil pressure and temperature sensors. Not so much their RPM gauge.

Yes, I went old fashioned and used steam gauges and a GRT mini for an artificial horizon.

[fastj22]

I recently added a mechanical auto oil pressure to my panel. I think it was like $20 at AutoZone. I still have the VDO electronic one to my MGL Xtreme but I've lost my EFIS in flight due a bad RDAC 2 hours from home. Rather unsettling. The Jabiru has a second port you can put the tube on. Now I have both and can cross check at runup too and instant readings at startup.

[Darick]

Thanks guys,
I went back to the auto store, told them my concerns regarding nylon tubing and they went right to the display showing a copper tube retrofit, for the gauge I bought the day before. Problem solved.

[MichaelFarley56]

That's exactly what I did as well Darick. I ran the copper tube to a union back by the firewall where I then switched to the nylon tube. For what it's worth, I bet I flew my airplane for 50 hours with the nylon tube running from the front of the engine all the way to the instrument panel and didn't have any issues. As long as it doesn't touch anything hot, it seems to hold up okay. Not that I recommend the nylon tube up by the engine though!

[Darick]

Certainly running the nylon from the firewall to the gauge sounds easier to deal with than copper tubing. It's something I'll consider when I get to that point.

[radfordc]

For what it's worth, I bet I flew my airplane for 50 hours with the nylon tube running from the front of the engine all the way to the instrument panel and didn't have any issues.

I did the same for a couple hundred hours and no issue so far.