Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
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Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
I would like to attach an oil pressure gauge to my 53 Panhead. Any suggestions on a good gauge to use, and a good place to mount it?
Thanks
Thanks
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
did the same thing on the OEM type pump......
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
See if you can find a gauge from an old IHC tractor or some such.They only went to 15 pounds and dont scare you as bad when the engine heats up.
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
Thanks for the tips... The rubber hose is a great idea to take some of the beating!
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
Isn't the idea of an oil pump on a pan a bit of an oxymoron. There is not a lot of pressure on the stock pumps. Seems like as long as it is returning oil you are probably okay. probably a bit over-simplified, but you can go nuts looking at the pressure especially on very hot days and idling at a stop light.
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
I don;t use an oil gauge on my Pan, and I don;t intend to start.
But saying that the return of oil to the tank is an adequate way of checking, for someone who is concerned about their oil pressure, strikes me as strange. It is a lot easier to glance at a gauge than to get off the bike, lift the seat, and take off the oil tank cap to check return! no?
But saying that the return of oil to the tank is an adequate way of checking, for someone who is concerned about their oil pressure, strikes me as strange. It is a lot easier to glance at a gauge than to get off the bike, lift the seat, and take off the oil tank cap to check return! no?
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
Y'know,
Guages quit working a whole lot more often than oil pumps.
Then ya feel like an idiot with out an idiot light.
They quit too but it doesn't give anyone a heart attack.
I'd start a poll on guages, but only if Cotton cant vote.
'Spectful,
Guages quit working a whole lot more often than oil pumps.
Then ya feel like an idiot with out an idiot light.
They quit too but it doesn't give anyone a heart attack.
I'd start a poll on guages, but only if Cotton cant vote.
'Spectful,
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
never had one never will.
dash light seems hard enough to view when riding.
john
dash light seems hard enough to view when riding.
john
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
I had them on my shovel head. After the second one broke I gave up. Idiot light works great.
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
Here is how I set mine up on my stock pump. I run both a light & gauge. The gauge is mostly just to make sure I have pressure on start up, I don't try to look at it when riding. The light is a good enough indicator but on the old 6 volt relay systems it doesn't always go out right away and can come back on at idle. Even the manual tells you it doesn't go out until you hit about 20mph. So either can be a bit deceiving but my personal opinion is at least I have some indication that the pump is working. Without either one your first clue that you have a pump problem is nasty sounds from the engine, not good...
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
The oiling system is based on volume, anyway ---not 'pressure'. The only guage that might make sense is a volume guage, and I ain't never seen one of those.....
I'll check the no guage box in the poll......
I'll check the no guage box in the poll......
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
I use an oil pressure gage with a 270° swing, for more accuracy. It is mounted with a bracket to the right mirror, and piped with flexible line encased in wire loom. I warm my engine up by my running pressure in high gear. I stay at 45 mph until my pressure drops down to where it runs when the oil has reached it's optimum temperature (read that as a very warm/hot oil tank). With 20W-50 Amsoil, my cold oil pressure is 30-32 psig at 45 mph. When warmed up, my pressure will be 18-20 psig at any speed above 45. Though I don't have enough miles on this new build, to run at sustained speeds above 45 mph, I do make occasional stretches up to 55.
I've run a gage on this engine since acquiring the bike in '74, with my Army severance pay. It was a tired old bike, rescued from being chopped. I babied it all these years, never abusing it. It was my loaner for a number of years, when someone needed a 'real' bike to ride along on planned road trips to the 'all Harley drags' at Famington Dragway. And on occassion, I've had to inform individuals that they could no longer ride my '59, as they could not follow instructions on how I wanted it handled (read that as 'not abused'). But more often, it became the platform to inspire many to go out and buy their own Harley. That was back in the Shovelhead days. By the time the Evo years came along, I had stopped loaning it to the dismay of many.
Anyway, sorry for rambling. My point is, I use instrumentation in my full-time work, and have applied the same for my motorcycles. When I was able to make cross-country trips on a regular basis (or at all), I could not read any dash lights during the daylight hours. But, I sure could read my instruments at a glance. The '59 gave up in August of '08, but is back on the road now with a fresh engine, transmission, and electrical system. It still uses the same OEM oil pump. I did replace the old gage with a new one, as the sun had faded the first one very badly. And, the bike is not stored in the sun. A testament to the fact that it spent a great deal of time on the road.
Jack
I've run a gage on this engine since acquiring the bike in '74, with my Army severance pay. It was a tired old bike, rescued from being chopped. I babied it all these years, never abusing it. It was my loaner for a number of years, when someone needed a 'real' bike to ride along on planned road trips to the 'all Harley drags' at Famington Dragway. And on occassion, I've had to inform individuals that they could no longer ride my '59, as they could not follow instructions on how I wanted it handled (read that as 'not abused'). But more often, it became the platform to inspire many to go out and buy their own Harley. That was back in the Shovelhead days. By the time the Evo years came along, I had stopped loaning it to the dismay of many.
Anyway, sorry for rambling. My point is, I use instrumentation in my full-time work, and have applied the same for my motorcycles. When I was able to make cross-country trips on a regular basis (or at all), I could not read any dash lights during the daylight hours. But, I sure could read my instruments at a glance. The '59 gave up in August of '08, but is back on the road now with a fresh engine, transmission, and electrical system. It still uses the same OEM oil pump. I did replace the old gage with a new one, as the sun had faded the first one very badly. And, the bike is not stored in the sun. A testament to the fact that it spent a great deal of time on the road.
Jack
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
This is my set up from Vulcan/Motorway
Dave
Dave
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Re: Panhead Oil Pressure Gauge
Dear Jack,
If all it tells you is how warmed up your motor is, wouldn't a temperature guage make more sense?
Just asking respectful,
If all it tells you is how warmed up your motor is, wouldn't a temperature guage make more sense?
Just asking respectful,