[DeTomaso] Mech vs electric oil pressure gauges

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/6/07 3:04:47 PM, kenn_green at yahoo.com writes:

> Has anyone looked at the advantage/disadvantages of mechanical versus 
> electric oil pressure gauges?  The gauge I want is like $180 electric and $40 
> mechanical.  Not an insignificant difference.  I'd guess the response time is 
> quicker for the electric, but in seconds or in milli seconds?  I'd guess the 
> mechanical is more reliable.
> I know we don't want mechanical fuel pressure gauges in the cabin, but is 
> the oil line an issue also?
>   
> IMHO, a pressurized oil line in the cabin's never been an issue for various 
of my cars since the '50s. Hot oil from a burst line might make a mess but not 
burn the car (or me!) down. The accuracy of even a Kragen's mechanical 
bourdon-tube gauge is at least 2% in the U.S, and some are better than that. With 
electric gauges, accuracy seems to vary all over the map since it will be a 
combination of the gauge mechanism plus the sender accuracy and the voltage applied 
by the car's wiring. You could ask the two mfgrs what kind of accuracy they 
guarantee- that might be interesting. 
I'd rather have reading accuracy rather than a faster response that's wrong, 
so I lean towards mechanical gauges if I really want to know how much of 
anything. I have both types of pressure gauges in our Pantera, and the electric 
gauge simply tells me the engine is running- like an old idiot-light, while the 
mechanical one tells me how much pressure I really have. FWIW- J DeRyke




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