V8 MK/Q Gurus please help

[MKPatrolGuy]

Patrol originally had an L28, now has a 400 chev, how do i make my temp and oil pressure gauges and tacho etc work?

Thanks

[bogged]

Buy VDO gauges, more accurate, and mount them in a dash pod.

looks sweet too.

[MKPatrolGuy]

Buy VDO gauges, more accurate, and mount them in a dash pod.

looks sweet too.

That is another option, just a bit more exy

[V8Patrol]

Youll need a tap n die set to change the thread on both the L28 sender units.

The temp sender is straight foward but depends on which hole in the block you intend to use, you may need to get a "step down" adaptor. Rethread the stepdown to suit the sender, Imperial to metric conversion.

The oil sender is of the same principle and again depends on which outlet you intend to use, most auto shops carry the "rise" you need to screw into the block and you will need a "step up" to get to the larger size thread of the oil sender. Recut the thread on the oil sender to suit the step up. Metric to Imperial conversion.

If you have problems then silversolder the brass bits together, then screw in the original sender units. The main problem is that the chev is imperial threads and the original senders are metric, I found it easier to adapt the senders from metric to imperial.

On the holden motor I was running I also had mechanicle guages ( fitted up under the heater control console) and will also be running them with the 350 chev I'm puting in now.
With the temp sender I used a piece of stainless steel tube to "extend" the radiator hose so that it could reach, I drilled a hole in the stainless and silversoldered in the adaptor then simply screwed in the sender unit for the guage.
With the oil sender the problems started, Holden motors only have one place that you can access the oil gallery from ( unless you go through the bellhousing and behind the flywheel) so in order to get both the original sender and the mech guages to work I created a monster of a thing from brass fittings from the local water specialists.
The chev has 2 main places that you can get into the oil gallery from. The first and most used is the one next to the dizzy, if you use this one be carefull that the sender fits with the dizzy in place. The other is at the front of the block and mechanics use this one to do a manual check on oil pressure, they screw in a mech guage and fire er up get a reading and pull out the guage and screw in the plug back in. The plug is only small (bout 5mm square) and is on the front drivers side of the block just up from where the waterpump bolts on. Again be carefull if you use this one specially if you are going with the chev alternator bracket.

Check twice ...............fit once !!

I'll be doing mine in the next day or so , If I run into any probs I'll let you know.
also ....what dizzy are you running HEI electronic or std points & where are you mounting the alternator ...std chev mount or going with the holden conversion ???

[V8Patrol]

Done !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rethread the oil sender to imperial thread, get a "rise" and screw it in !

Rethread the Adaptor to metric then screw in the temp sender !!!

If ya have probs let me know and I'll get in touch with a fix 4 ya.

sorry about the fingers in the pic.... was only way I could hold camera and point to the 2 outlets !!!

[MKPatrolGuy]

Cool, Thanks for all the help and pics. Now I just have to see if I can get a hold of a tap and die set to borrow. 2 things did you just cut the new thread into the old one and could you tell me the sizes of the new threads you cut, it would be a great help.

At the moment I'm using a standard points dizzy, but planning on going to a HEI dizzy down the track.

I'm also using the chev alt mounting setup, so I can run my P/S. What is the Holden conversion and is it any better?

Thanks again,

[V8Patrol]

the "holden conversion" puts the alternator on the passenger side of the the motor, same as a holden is in standard form.... Use a std holden alt mounting bracket and "trim back the alloy till the pulleys line up..... pretty straight foward stuff.
Ill get a pic of the setup and thread sizes for you b4 lunchtime today.
Kingy

[V8Patrol]

recut oil sender thread to....

1/4 NPTF...... 1/4 National Pipe Tapered Fine thread

The "rise" is the same thread as this and is availiable at most auto shops, The tap/die you'll need is best sourced from a gas specialist if you dont have one.

As for the adaptor for the water sender, get a std adaptor that screws into a holden inlet manifold (with an inner thread allready cut), then get a
M16X1.5 .... Metric 16X1.5 tap and recut the inner thread on the adaptor... simple.

Finally here's the pic of the std holden alt bracket on the chev, yeah I know its not bolted up fully but the motor goes in today and I dont want it in the road.
All you do is drill out the 2 mounting holes in the alloy bracket to 1/2 inch, then grind off the desired amount from where the bracket sits against the head to get the pulleys to line up with each other...also so simple !!

Edit: You wont have any probs with the points dizzy at all, they sit 5mm higher and are smaller in diameter than the HEI's

[MKPatrolGuy]

Thanks Kingy, much appreciated. As far as my alternator goes it is actually mounted on the passenger side at the moment in a custom mount (quite neat actually, want a pic? seeing as you have given me so many ) but I'm moving it to the drivers side so I can run the Saginaw P/S pump in the factory position on the passenger side.

[V8Patrol]

yep Dave...lets see the custom mount ya got... Where did you get it from?
I'll be running the std nissan pwr/str setup on the drivers side at this stage, and will make my own brackets when I get that far.... Just got the motor and 5spd in yesterday, now it time for mounting brackets for the transfer etc.

Pics of the progress are at ...
http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... highlight=

[MKPatrolGuy]

Looked closely at my motor, since it came out of an unfinished project it already has a Patrol oil pressure sender fitted now just have to sort out the temp sender. My motor has an Edelbrock Torquer manifold on it which has 2 access points to the water gallery at the front. The problem is, unlike your motor which has them both on the drivers side mine has one each side of the thermostat housing, so one is directly under the radiator hose . Hopefully there is enough clearance to squeeze the sender under it, as the other one is used for the heater hose.

PS the alt bracket was on the car when I bought it. so no idea who made it. Still working on the pics.

[V8Patrol]

PS the alt bracket was on the car when I bought it. so no idea who made it. Still working on the pics.

pmsl .... spose I'm still waiting then

[MKPatrolGuy]

Just thought of another question, are you using the original tacho or have you just mounted and after market on? If using the original how have you hooked it up?

[V8Patrol]

Original tacho only works with 6cyl motor...sorry but thems da breaks...try mounting a V8 tacho where the original one goes.
The 6cyl tacho will read funny because it only counts to 6 then starts again, so when the 8 is connected it reads the last 2 firings as the first 2 of the next sequence, the unit cant be modified easily either ( been there) !
I plan later on to put 4x 2.5inch VDO mechanical gauges ( water temp, oil pressure, voltage/amps, fuel guage) and a 4 inch VDO tacho in the middle of those 4, into the original dashpod and turf the std ones completley. It looks like a fairly easy change.... ive got the guages allready ( marine white face ), its a time factor at the moment.