The Cal-look Lounge

Hi guys,

maybe a dumb question but is it possible to use a oil temp gauge as a head temp gauge?  The items I have in mind are vdo products...

thx,

Dem

i always thought as long as the temp ranges (gauge and sender) are equal then using an oil temp gauge will be fine.

don't think you have different ranges in the temp series, for pressure you have 5 and 10 bar and so 2 different senders, but for temp I don't think you have different ranges...
Correct me if I'm wrong.

on a second note, a head temp gauge ranges from 100-600F and i think my oil gauge goes up to 350F
but i don't really know what the actual head temp should be...

also correct died.  ;D  So the question is, what's the temp of an aircooled head normally?

I think you connect the sender between your spark plug and head, maybe you can connect it to another spot that is less hot, it's just an indication to see if it's running hotter then it should be.

but first of all, will the setup work?  nobody?  ???

Mine runs @ 250F, most all of the time, unless the belt is off ...  ;)

...and is that with a sender that you connect together with a spark plug or how is your setup Tom?

I run a VDO cyl. temp. guage with the standard sender (under #3 plug) and its harness.

After a 1/4 mile run without the belt, but the generator running (reversed polarity) temp will rarely be over 350.
During normal street driving, I pull over if the temp gets to 300 ... gotta be something wrong!

By the way, that reverse polarity on the generator (runs as a motor) has saved me multiple times after throwing a belt ... just gotta nurse it home. ;)

are you sure youre talking about F not C???
300F =148 C
I've got Automerter HT Gauge but I didn't install it cuz its up to 350F will it be enough??? (350F is 176,7C) I knnow aircooled engines (not beetle) that HT reaches up to 425F (aprox 218C).
my engine oil temp is at typical driving 180-195F and during propper use it reach uup to 210F (98,8C... so not so very hot) I use BP 8 pass oil cooler with 80W fan (not mesa cooler :) ) and the gauge is in the oil filter mount. I don't use standard oil cooler (car is my daylie driver - runs 15,201 ET this september no fanbelt - with belt 15,730 @ 133,41 kmph) and the oil temp was really ok didn't reched eaven 200F.
 

Hi Dem. On a superhot day mine will reach 300 F, but that's my max. (Decklid closed). According to CSP, the absolute maximum could be 480 F. (250 C)..... :o
Instead of fumbling with the sparkplug connector i placed a threaded M6 bushing as close to #3 as i could then secured it with a large washer and M6 bolt so i can leave that wire as it is everytime i have to change plugs. The reading might be a little off, but i rely only on the differences the gauge is telling me, not the actual temp.

well, dem if it's 300F then you can use a vdo oil gauge.
now you've just got to find a sender to go with it.

Indeed, I'm referring to F temperature.
I had an intake manifold come loose a few weeks ago so it was running extremely lean and hot ... I'd pull over when and if the temp reached 300F on the headtemp guage and tighten the bolts up by hand (now have a shorty 11mm wrench in the glovebox!).
Just for reference, I run a 2276, 10.5:1 compression with an 86C Webcam, .610" lift, 48IDAs. Cooled only by a T4 cooler in modified 36hp fanshroud; decklid closed (no vents)!

thanx for answer. So 350F gauge will be enough.
by the way 1600i engines have head tem sender over 4th cylinder, I know that it would the best to have the reading somewhere arount 3rd cylinder wher would you insert a typical head temp sender somewhere there (the autometer one symilar to oil tem sender but shorter)
screw in style 1/8 NPT

okay, crystal clear now!  maybe I've tracked down a "real" head temp gauge for my vdo series, so that would be sweet.  8)

Hey Dem,

I run a 0-600°F head-temp gauge. It has the sparkplug-type sender, but I put it on the nr 3 cilinder headstud, near the exhaust port. I made a stepped alu washer for it so it fits nicely. I didn't want to put it under the sparkplug because the sender looks fragile and might get dammaged while changing sparkplugs.

When I really floor it, temperatures get near 350°F, but never more. When I lose a belt, or race without, the temperature rises VERY quickly! After a run with long staging time, during hot weather I've seen 370°F. I don't know what the maximum is for a vw head, but I didn't like that!

Also, the sender for the cilinder head temp uses two wires (+ and -) that connect to the gauge , while an oil temp only uses one (+) and grounds to the engine.

Still searching hey dude  :D ;)

(I won't mention that I have 2 lol)

The head temp sender is a K-type thermocouple and uses VERY different voltage to send out its reading to the gauge than say a oil temp sender/gauge uses.
You cannot use one with the other...sorry...

Another interesting function of the VDO head temp guage and sender is that it does NOT require power to work!
The guage registers temp after you turn off power/ignition.
I'm sure someone on this forum knows exactly how and why it does this, just not me.

If I had it to do all over again, I'd definitely use this specific guage.

They are still available here in the states. Heck, there's even one on the sxmba right now, quick search should find one.