Does it ever get hot where you live? You need a Knuckles Vent.

Here's a few more of my Knuckles Vent:

I haven't been able to discover the point at which my speedster "overheats" as I'm too much of a wimp to drive it in extreme temps. I've been asked by a number of people if my engine has gotten extremely hot, to which I reply I get too hot before my temp gauge crawls past the halfway mark. 

This week has been brutal. Can't wait until this heat wave passes so I can once again enjoy my car. 

Wise plan, SF-Speedster, to wait for more tolerable temps. It should be 'fun' driving your car, not 'tortuous', 

I'm kinda heat sensitive, so for me, anything over 90 degrees might as well be 180 degrees. 

Just a reminder that, when you first get one of these cars, it's a good idea to find out just what your gauge is telling you. 'Middle of the gauge' can mean different things on different cars. These Chinese copies of the original VDO gauges vary greatly from one to the next and the location of the temp sensor can affect how they read, too (there are a few possible locations where the sensors can be mounted on a VW type 1 engine).

It's a good plan to measure the actual oil temperature with a 'candy' or cooking thermometer inserted in the dipstick hole when the temp gauge in the dash is at various readings.

My 'middle of the gauge' turned out to be about 200 degrees. Common wisdom, folklore, and some Chinese fortune cookies say you shouldn't let the oil get much above 230.

Sacto Mitch posted:

It's a good plan to measure the actual oil temperature with a 'candy' or cooking thermometer inserted in the dipstick hole when the temp gauge in the dash is at various readings.

My 'middle of the gauge' turned out to be about 200 degrees. Common wisdom, folklore, and some Chinese fortune cookies say you shouldn't let the oil get much above 230.

Great idea, and thank you. 

Hey, summer is here and lately I've noticed the needle on my VS oil temperature gauge has started flirting with the 'middle of the gauge'.  While not alarming, I would still like to have some reassurance that the engine isn't getting too overheated. 

Will be picking up one of those cooking thermometers today.

Cliff Presley - 56 Outlaw - Charlotte NC posted:

 

...Will be picking up one of those cooking thermometers today...

Before you do, here's one more thing.

Check the distance between the dipstick hole and the oil filler tube. It's kind of tight. So you need a thermometer with a fairly small face and a long enough probe if it's going to reach the oil. And the amount of the probe that needs to be covered for an accurate reading varies, too.

Right about here, there should be quite a few wise cracks about the length of your dipstick, etc.

Good luck.

Anyone remember the company name that made the dip stick replacement thermo rod sensor with wire that could be run to a temp gauge? are they still in business? 

Might be Mainelybydesign.  I seem to recall they went out of business, then someone reported they were open again.

they made a killer sump plate with the drain plug in it..

After further research, Mainely Custom By Design is no longer in business.  They sold out to Precision Matters (www.precisionmatters.biz), now on the left coast.  They continue to offer lots of 356-related stuff, including dip sticks.

MusbJim posted:

Wise plan, SF-Speedster, to wait for more tolerable temps. It should be 'fun' driving your car, not 'tortuous', 

I'm kinda heat sensitive, so for me, anything over 90 degrees might as well be 180 degrees. 

I can only spend so much time in the sun or I get sun stroke, I am also heat sensitive.  If I am stuck in traffic I like my A/C in my car with the top up and you can still enjoy the drive. Other than that I stay home in extreme temperatures.  

Jim Kelly posted:

After further research, Mainely Custom By Design is no longer in business.  They sold out to Precision Matters (www.precisionmatters.biz), now on the left coast.  They continue to offer lots of 356-related stuff, including dip sticks.

Jim, went to the Precision site, very nice product. I was looking for something with a lead wire I can set a gauge under the dash to monitor. I'll keep my eyes open.

Thank you,

Michael

I put on of the dipstick alarms on my car. I marked it so I can use it as a dipstick also. I haven't had the occasion to test it yet so I can't tell you whether it works or not. It is very simple and should work fine as long as you don't bend the copper ground wire, that is the calibration.

Fpcopo VS posted:

I put on of the dipstick alarms on my car. I marked it so I can use it as a dipstick also. I haven't had the occasion to test it yet so I can't tell you whether it works or not. It is very simple and should work fine as long as you don't bend the copper ground wire, that is the calibration.

Fpcopo, did you fabricate it or purchase your dipstick alarm?

I bought a dipstick thermometer like those from Precision and then used it to "calibrate" my semi-useless bar gauge in the dash.  I adjusted the gauge needle position by using a resistor from the gauge to ground to change the range band of the gauge needle so that straight up is about 200F and the far right end of the band is about 220F  Now I know that mid-range is where I want to be and over to the right gets progressively worse.  3/4 on the gauge and I start to pay a lot of attention, but honestly, it never gets more than a needle-width or two from the center unless it's REALLY hot out and I'm pulling a very long uphill on an interstate at Jack Crosby (Warp) speed.

Michael:  Oil Temp signal light:  http://www.geneberg.com/cat.php?cPath=5_118_2734

Gordon Nichols posted:

I bought a dipstick thermometer like those from Precision and then used it to "calibrate" my semi-useless bar gauge in the dash.  I adjusted the gauge needle position by using a resistor from the gauge to ground to change the range band of the gauge needle so that straight up is about 200F and the far right end of the band is about 220F  Now I know that mid-range is where I want to be and over to the right gets progressively worse.  3/4 on the gauge and I start to pay a lot of attention, but honestly, it never gets more than a needle-width or two from the center unless it's REALLY hot out and I'm pulling a very long uphill on an interstate at Jack Crosby (Warp) speed.

Michael:  Oil Temp signal light:  http://www.geneberg.com/cat.php?cPath=5_118_2734

Thank you Gordon for the Gene Berg link this may work. I like your idea of using a resistor to set the needle based on what was read of the oil temperature at the dipstick. Did you adjust the resistor  (OHM) according to location of the needle you wanted? 

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/cla...etail.php?id=1196002,

wires directly to your oil sender unit

Even if your gauge is unmarked (like most of ours are), after a while, you do some 'mental calibration', based on how the engine reacts to various conditions. Here's how I read my unmarked gauge.

After switching from a mesa cooler mounted in the compartment ahead of the engine bay to a Setrab cooler in the rear wheel well, I've never seen temps above the 'starting to get stressed' point.

Yeah, oil cooler placement makes a world of difference.

I have one more reference point for Mitch's photo, that is waaaaay to the right when you're not paying attention and can't smell too-hot oil because everything is behind you and you've been climbing a hill for a while, so you casually shift your gaze from the scantily-clad young miss on the side of the road and look at your temp gauge - at that point it's "HOLY $#!+ !!??!!??!!??!!  It's gonna seize up!" and you frantically pull over while said miss watches you as if you're a masher or something and quickly walks away.

That point is about as the needle gets into the red zone.

Michael asked: "Did you adjust the resistor  (OHM) according to location of the needle you wanted? "

Yes, but I can't remember what I used.  Just went under the dash with a small handful of different 1/2-watt resistors and eventually found one that put me a couple of needle-widths to the right of center with the sender sitting in boiling water.  At what I consider a decent highway temp (200-205F) the needle is straight up.  The thought process goes way back to the Apollo days, aircraft cockpits and most big rig trucks - in those, all the gauges are pointing the same way when "normal", either straight up or straight right so the operator can quickly see if something is amiss.  Now, we have computers monitoring everything for us and then "wake us up" with a pop-up annunciator when something is "out of normal spec".  

The same thought process is used with race car tachs, rotated so that the shift point is straight up, rather than the lower right quadrant.  Now, most racers have a "shift light" set at the rpm's they want to shift at (although that gets confusing with dual-clutch, paddle or click shifters so many use other methods to keep the driver from blowing up the engine/transaxle.)

Its been 100+ around here lately. Finally got the car out this morning. Now its covered in bugs and dust.

First World Problems.

Moss grows on a rolling stone...

At that temperature and humidity, it's probably mildew.........

Gordon and Art- that themo device is what I was interested. Watching the video Art, it gave me a better understand how this thermo dipstick works. 

Gordon- thank you for sharing the added process you went to dial in your gauge needle to resistor. I think I'll go both ways thermo dipstick to the indicator light just in case later in time the Chinese gauge poops out after I calibrate it. Great idea Gordon to having the sending unit in boil water- I'll place a thermometer in the water to verify temperature  while selected the correct resistor. I'll set the gauge the temp range I found in an earlier posting of 180-210 °F normal and 210-230 °F hot. 

Michael B (aka bluespeedster SoCal) posted:

Gordon and Art- that themo device is what I was interested. Watching the video Art, it gave me a better understand how this thermo dipstick works. 

Does anyone know for sure if the hot oil sensor dipstick sold by 'Save My Bug' works when using the Chinese made oil temperature gauges provided by Kirk at Vintage Speedsters??

http://www.savemybug.com/

Not me, I've got Porsche 914 VDO. Mine works when I do the manual check as shown in the video. I'd ask the vendor, they have been making these for some years now.

TRP, which wheels are those?  Those look fandamntastic.

They're so much cleaner than the Vintage 190s.

Carlos G posted:

TRP, which wheels are those?  Those look fandamntastic.

They're so much cleaner than the Vintage 190s.

http://www.sierramadrecollecti...oy-Wheel-p22646.html

Tecnomagnesio = $$$$$

Robert M posted:

Carlos G posted:

TRP, which wheels are those?  Those look fandamntastic.

They're so much cleaner than the Vintage 190s.

http://www.sierramadrecollecti...oy-Wheel-p22646.html

Tecnomagnesio = $$$$$

Make sure Ted's wife never sees that link...

Cliff:  That is a Normally Open (NO) switch, meaning that when the oil temp gets up to around 225F the switch closes, shorting the circuit to ground to light the light (and telling you it's "Too Damn Hot!").

The oil pressure sender works the same way, but in reverse - It is normally closed and shorted to ground (which is why your light comes on when the engine is not running) and then oil pressure, when running, pushes on a diaphragm which opens the switch contacts and the light goes out.  Yup, it's as simple as it sounds.

All that said, the temp switch is doing the same function as the oil sender and should not give you any problems with either stock VDO gauges or their low-brow, Chinese distant cousins.   Nothing's gonna blow up.......

But WAIT!  There's more!

I just re-read your post and might see the cornfusion.......

The over-temp dipstick switch is electrically connected to the oil pressure sender, NOT the temperature sender.  The temp sensor is a variable-resistance gizmo and is left alone so your temp gauge still works properly.

With that over-temp switch connected to the oil pressure light at the pressure sensor, if the engine gets "too hot" it makes your oil pressure light come on steady, but it's a little, tiny red light at the bottom of your gauge (on my tach, yours might be different).

Now.....If it were my car (yeah, I know....You've all heard THAT before)...  I would run another wire to the rear and wire the dash end to one of the free lights on my Multi-gauge that has 12V going to it whenever the key in on.  At the engine, just connect it to the switch.  Then, when the light comes on, it is NOT the oil pressure light but a wholly different light on the dash that says "Your too damn hot!"  Using the oil pressure light as a dual-purpose warning can be, in my opinion, a bit confusing - Have I lost oil pressure?  Or is it overheating?  I wanna know which right now!

Hope I didn't confuse you.

I don't think the Technos are better looking than the Vintage 190's.

They weigh the same and...I purchased four 190's for less than one Tecno...

Yeah, Will. Stop depressing me. 

Agree with you Gordon; I was planning to run a separate wire for the thermo dipstick just to keep from getting confused in a panic moment which is it pressure or heat.

Gordon Nichols posted:

...  I would run another wire to the rear and wire the dash end to one of the free lights on my Multi-gauge ...

Unfortunately, Gordon, I learned at an early age that there's no such thing as a free light on one's multi-gauge.

As with most other seemingly simple things on these cars, there's always a gotcha.

I spotted those 'free' lights, too - and just had to find a use for them. They got hooked up to the toggle switches I use to control some cooling fans (which the rest of the world controls automatically with thermostatic switches).

It all worked great in the garage, but I found out the bulbs aren't bright enough to be seen in daylight. I tried pulling one of the bulbs to put in a brighter one, but -surprisingly - the durable plastic socket disintegrated in my hand. So, you're kind of damned if you re-lamp, damned if you don't. Leave it to the Chinese to engineer a light socket so that it's just strong enough for inserting a bulb but not for removing one. Precision like that is not easily achieved.

By the way, smart people call any such 'idiot' lights 'annunciators' - from annunciatum - the Latin word for idiot.

Terry Nuckels posted:

Robert M posted:

Carlos G posted:

TRP, which wheels are those?  Those look fandamntastic.

They're so much cleaner than the Vintage 190s.

http://www.sierramadrecollecti...oy-Wheel-p22646.html

Tecnomagnesio = $$$$$

Make sure Ted's wife never sees that link...

Oh... She's getting even. Trust me.  She's is a month into the long awaited and often threatened kitchen remodel.  And now the dance begins... I have to eat crow but also put up just enough protest so that she doesn't go looking for 'the binder'.  (The binder of reciepts and paper work from the speedster.)  

Remember these wheels are a compromise. I was looking at reproduction / replica Rudge knockoffs from Bivens/Coddington!  Those were 5k!

Carlos - Thank you. If anyone asks, I'm just holding them for a friend.

Will - do the 190's come in Green?  

I made the run over Donner Summit on I80 in 95 degree weather last Wednesday. This is my first trip since adding a thin line oil sump. The temp gauge never rose higher than midway at 70mph. I have a thermostatically controlled oil cooler and it never came on. The car is now effectively oil cooled like the later 911's. 

I believe it was Gene Berg that said if you can't touch your dipstick, your engine is too hot. I am not sure which dipstick he was referring to. 

Ted, I'm sure you could powdercoat them purple if you wanted...