Oil temp sensor

[ChrisZang]

does anyone know where there is a convenient place on the engine to install an oil temp sensor?

[Brad Roberts]

Cam cover drivers side rear. Their is a plug that unscrews. The 996 utilizes a pressure sensor in this spot


B

[Brad Roberts]

This is the passenger side cam cover. A friend of mine in NorCal made an adapter for our data acq systems that included a VDO sending unit for oil temp and oil pressure. I can see if he has any of those adapters left over. His shop is in Milpitas.

[ChrisZang]

Originally Posted by Brad Roberts

This is the passenger side cam cover. A friend of mine in NorCal made an adapter for our data acq systems that included a VDO sending unit for oil temp and oil pressure. I can see if he has any of those adapters left over. His shop is in Milpitas.

Thanks Brad,

just to be sure: 996 driver's side = 986 passenger side
Do you mean the spot where the oil pressure switch goes? hmmmm that's where I have already my oil pressure sensor to feed my oil pressure gauge.
If that's the case then I'd need a T adapter to connect both the oil pressure sensor and the oil temp sensor ?

[Brad Roberts]

Correct on the tee adapter, which is what my friends made for 9X6 engines.

Yes, the pic above is the oil pressure switch on an 01S


B

[jaykay]

Hmmm how are the temperature readings here? What do use for sealing the M14 threads? Seal ring?
Are there better fittings with an o-ring??

You could get rid of the idiot light probe and put a temp probe in there but are we going to get hot temperature here? There is another unused plug in the left bank for the 996.

If you guys have accusumps in you could probe it at the sandwich plate area...this may be hotter

[berty987]

I believe the oil level sender in the 987 is effectively a dual element unit that also includes a temperature sensor as well. The sensor isnt wired up on the 987 to display though , it goes back into the rear DME. Its possible the position of the oil level sensor in the 987 may be a blanked position in the 986 and the 987 dual element sensor could be retro fitted ? Since the 987 and 997 and likely 996/986 share much of the same engine components Id suggest that looking at the part and location of the temp sensor in the 996 may be a good starting point. Its possible the 986 shares the same part as the 996 which may also be a dual element unit though not wired on the 986.

[jaykay]

I definitely remember seeing a temperature sensor on a M96 schematic...I was afraid of splicing into it's lead of course so didn't consider any further but perhaps it would be no problem as long you could match its output with a gauge

I believe the output went the DME

[ChrisZang]

OK, thanks to the hints of other posters I figured it out:
I don't remember if it was JFP or jaykay but someone said that there is another opening for a sensor on the other side of the engine and after initially looking at the wrong place I finally found it

On the first picture I point to the location of the opening (this picture was taken after I already had installed the oil temp sensor). It sits way below the fuel rail (much deeper than it looks on the picture) and is also hidden behind several electrical lines (and yes I have to clean my engine):



Basically look for an oil drain plug on top of the engine (I forgot to take a picture while the plug was still installed, but this is how it looks):



The bore is the same as for the oil pressure probe: M14x1.5

Closer shot of the installed sensor, in the upper left is the air filter and the lower left the MAF:




So I ordered from Pelican: 323-055-M82 (temp sender, I would advise against a sensor which intrudes deeper into the engine) and 310-012-M82 (VDO Gauge).

I spare you the detailled description how to route a cable from the engine to the dashboard (basically I zip tied the cable to the tube between the airbox and the throttle body and after that to the big cable which goes through the rubber grommet in the firewall, from there under the center console and voila)

I compared the readings on the VDO gauge vs. the reading on the Durametric and the readings are spot on within +/- 2% of the readings from the Durametric

Enjoy

[onaFLYer]

Where did you mount your gauges? I did the same thing with mine, and put the gauges down low, front of the shifter.

[Gilles]

I would like to know if you can swap one of the earlier dash instruments that include an oil pressure gauge for one in the Cayman

.

[ChrisZang]

Originally Posted by onaFLYer

Where did you mount your gauges? I did the same thing with mine, and put the gauges down low, front of the shifter.

Haven't decided yet if I mount the permanently or only for track days, but probably in the center console.
Looks like Pedro's Technolab has some nice gauges and gauge holders.

What I really would like to do is to convert the voltmeter in my 996 cluster into an oil temp gauge (yet another project ...)

[ChrisZang]

someone sent me a PM asking how I installed the oil pressure sender and I accidentally deleted his message, so here is the response:

It's pretty much all described here:
Pelican Technical Article: Boxster 996 Gauge Cluster Upgrade - 986 Boxster (1997-04) -

Simply "fast forward" to the chapter "installation"

[ChrisZang]

Originally Posted by Gilles

I would like to know if you can swap one of the earlier dash instruments that include an oil pressure gauge for one in the Cayman

.

So what you mean is installing a 996 cluster in a 987 - no way
Not sure if anyone ever tried to install a 997 cluster in a 987.

Installing a 996 cluster in a 986 is pretty much straightforward:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/90-ELEC-996_Cluster/90-ELEC-996_Cluster.htm

[jaykay]

Chris!

Glad you got it and found the left bank plug. What t fitting did you use to double up the idiot light sender and oil pressure transducer? Oh yeah you are 996 clustered; there may may be no need with the 996 transducer...

[The Radium King]

hi folks, a bit of a resurrection here. i like the VDO temp sensor solution and am going to use it. thinking of an autometer dual gauge pod and putting a VDO oil pressure gauge in the other spot. i have two questions:

1) there are two ranges available, 80 and 150 psi; i presume 80 psi max is the best (the oem gauge goes to 5 bar or 72 psi).

2) pressure sender. folks use the 996 pressure sender when doing the 996 cluster conversion, and i've read that the output of this sender is approximately equal to the VDO 10 ohm to 180 ohm requirements. can anyone confirm this? otherwise, the VDO sender looks to have the same thread as the 996 unit and comes with an idiot light on/off switch, so i should be able to use it in place of the 996 unit (it is also cheaper); can onyone confirm this?

thanks, trk.

[jennilynB]

Pretty interesting sensor then.

[ChrisZang]

Originally Posted by The Radium King

1) there are two ranges available, 80 and 150 psi; i presume 80 psi max is the best (the oem gauge goes to 5 bar or 72 psi).

Yes, I'd go with 80 psi

2) pressure sender. folks use the 996 pressure sender when doing the 996 cluster conversion, and i've read that the output of this sender is approximately equal to the VDO 10 ohm to 180 ohm requirements. can anyone confirm this? otherwise, the VDO sender looks to have the same thread as the 996 unit and comes with an idiot light on/off switch, so i should be able to use it in place of the 996 unit (it is also cheaper); can onyone confirm this?



thanks, trk.

As far as I know the thread is M14x1.5

[Javi Cooper]

Originally Posted by ChrisZang

OK, thanks to the hints of other posters I figured it out:
I don't remember if it was JFP or jaykay but someone said that there is another opening for a sensor on the other side of the engine and after initially looking at the wrong place I finally found it

On the first picture I point to the location of the opening (this picture was taken after I already had installed the oil temp sensor). It sits way below the fuel rail (much deeper than it looks on the picture) and is also hidden behind several electrical lines (and yes I have to clean my engine):



Basically look for an oil drain plug on top of the engine (I forgot to take a picture while the plug was still installed, but this is how it looks):



The bore is the same as for the oil pressure probe: M14x1.5

Closer shot of the installed sensor, in the upper left is the air filter and the lower left the MAF:




So I ordered from Pelican: 323-055-M82 (temp sender, I would advise against a sensor which intrudes deeper into the engine) and 310-012-M82 (VDO Gauge).

I spare you the detailled description how to route a cable from the engine to the dashboard (basically I zip tied the cable to the tube between the airbox and the throttle body and after that to the big cable which goes through the rubber grommet in the firewall, from there under the center console and voila)

I compared the readings on the VDO gauge vs. the reading on the Durametric and the readings are spot on within +/- 2% of the readings from the Durametric

Enjoy

Sorry for the 6-year bump but you just might have made my day. I only need to know a couple of things:

1. Is this port located in the same spot on a 996 3.4 engine (that's what my '99 Boxster has)?

2. Is this the same port that the DOF feeds from (I have Pedro's DOF but can't remember what port it plugs into)?

Of course I could open the lid of my Boxster and look but right now it's nowhere near me

Thanks all

[Quadcammer]

1. yes.

2. Aren't those fed from an oil filter adapter or some sort of slotted key in the oil pump or something? The port in question seems like it would be an odd choice for a direct oil feed to the IMSB.