VDO Oil Temp Gauge - Mounting Help

**koji** · 09-24-2005 05:27 PM

Right now I'm getting ready to install an VDO oil temp gauge but I've run into a snag and could use some advice. I bought the gauge and a temp sender off summittracing and a pre-drilled oil drain plug off of wrxtra.com.

I bought the temp sender because the description on the site said the gauge came with mounting hardware and accessories but not the sender. It's a threaded sender and it fits the plug perfectly.

I just got the gauge yesterday and it turns out that the gauge, sender, and signal line are all basically one piece. The line is basically welded to the gauge/sender and there doesn't look like a way I can de-couple the current sender without cutting it.

The current sender isn't threaded, but there is a nut behind it that's way too big for the drain plug from wrxtra. The gauge came with a bunch of adapters but it doesn't look like any of them match the drain plug thread so no dice there.

Can I just cut the current sender off and attach the line to the sender that fits the drain plug? From what I can see, the sender line is just copper with a steel mesh around it.

I'm a little worried about cutting the current sender off since it's all one piece right now and I have no idea what the proper method for attaching the line to the threaded sender would be. Help and ideas are appreciated.

**koji** · 09-24-2005 05:31 PM

Here's a pic of my gauge setup, just waiting for the oil temp.

**koji** · 09-25-2005 04:26 PM

bump for help...

**E-Wrex** · 09-25-2005 08:56 PM

Maybe take it to a shop? I need to install my gauges and havent figured out where I'm putting my sender yet, but when i figure it out, I'll re-post. I may just throw up the extra coin and head to a shop.

**koji** · 09-26-2005 08:51 AM

I may look into adapters and hopefully find some combination that can use the drain plug threads and those of the current sender. I'm not hopeful though. And if I find something it would likely be 3 adapters long. It would be nice if I knew if I could do the cut/re-attach.