where is the oil plug to tap into????

 

On the backside of the engine. Forgot most people think the back is between engine and firewall.

Open the hood it is on your right, when your looking at it, of the cylinder head.

 

Ressurecting this thread. I installed the oil sender unit in the middle plug of the cylinder head on my 07 2.4. I have found that the pressure reading from the cylinder head is not the same as the engine block as there is a restrictor orifice between the block and the cylinder head that reduces the pressure to the cylinder head. When I start my 2.4 cold the pressure reads 80 psi but once the engine warms up the pressure at idle is only ~17 psi and then goes to ~37 PSI while driving. The oil pressure sending unit needs to go into a block plug -- 3 are under the intake manifold and 3 are under the exhaust manifold and none of these has enough clearance to run some sort of adapter. The only opening left is the stock oil pressure sending unit and I'm still trying to come up with an adapter of some sort to "T" in a line for my oil pressure gauge to read block pressure.

 

Those numbers actually don't sound unreasonable. Cold start will always be highest.

I wonder if any other cars which use the Ecotec engine have a proper oil pressure gauge standard (Solstice, etc). In theory, replacing the stock oil pressure switch with a sensor (from a Solstice or whatever) would accomplish the same thing.

 

[QUOTE=css9450;1795802]Those numbers actually don't sound unreasonable. Cold start will always be highest.

Factory service manual states minimum oil pressure of the block is 50 PSI to 80 PSI at 1000 RPM. After installing my gauge I thought I had a problem with oil pressure and found the orifice reduces oil pressure to the cylinder head.

 

Good find Cobalter LS.

 

Your 2.2 still read 50 PSI at the cylinder head when at idle and the engine is fully warmed up?
Your thread drove me crazy after I installed my sending unit in the head -- made me think my engine oil pressure was screwed up...lol! I was afraid to drive around until I talked to a technician and found out about the restrictor orifice.

 

Mine was reading normally around 40ish until I started using Lucas then it jumped close to 55ish.

 

Hey i have a question as i ordered and received my oil pressure guage from glowshift. Here is what i ordered and it came with a 1/8th sending unit.

http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/index...ROD&ProdID=189

Now i need the adapter so i can get this installed on my car into my block and im wondering if i could use the same adapter from autometer that was used here.

Autometer Adapter (Summit Racing Part # - ATM-2278)

Please help me out,

thanks
Josh

 

someone please answer my question so i can get the correct adapter and get this installed on my car.

 

Yes the autoMeter adapter #2278 will make it work. It is made to fit the 12 MM thread in the block and works with 1/8" NPT (the standard adapter for gauges). I ordered mine through AutoZone.


Is your gauge electric or mechanical?

 

electric as i posted above the guage that i bought from glowshift. How much did it cost you from autozone?

 

well i got my next weekend project

 

Around $15.

Depending on the size of your sending unit you may not be able to position it in the block -- you'll have to remote locate it. I did it by using the Autometer adapter, a brass tube kit from Autozone, and a home-made aluminum bracket that mounts on the bolt-hole in the cylinder head to the right of the intake manifold. Check pictures in Post #6:https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/general-cobalt-68/how-get-oil-pressure-gauge-work-almost-106584/

If you install the sending unit in the cylinder head you will not get the block oil pressure readings. The oil to the cylinder head passes through a reduction orifice so your readings will be low. Normal block oil pressure is 50 PSI at 1000 RPM -- per the factory service manual. Mine reads 25 PSI at idle, shoots to 50 PSI as soon as I touch the throttle, with max 75 PSI hot (goes above 80 PSI cold).