I am seeking an oil pressure sender unit for my 1977 Maserati Merak SS. It is a Veglia and I attach pictures. I believe it has a thread of M12x1.25. I just wondered if anyone on here could help me or if not could advise me on where else I might look. Thanks. Robert Ridley Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Have you tried the parts department at a Maserati dealership? That would be the first place I would try.
Well I could but I generally find dealerships have neither knowledge or any interest in classic models!
Our cars are usually M18 not M12 (this being said on the 308 forum some do report odd sizes). Why don't you just buy a VDO sending unit with the same ohm range and use an adapter so as to match your M12 thread? https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/348-parts-thread.50339/page-17#post-141327290 If you cannot find a sender with the proper ohm range, you can use a "gauge wizard", that will allow you to perform a 5 point calibration and match any sender to your gauge.
Thanks! I’ll maybe contact them and look into that as a possible solution if I can’t find a sender that is right.
Possible Mercedes unit could do the trick. Looks very similar. GM also used a unit like that I think in Buicks of the 70's..
There was also a discussion on how to use modern units. From personnal experience, these units are reliable, but they do not like long restoration projects. My car sat for 9years, it took a couple of hundred of km for the sticky resistor wiper arm to move freely again. Unlike the fuel sender, the winding does not crumble.
OK. - you seem knowledgeable on these. If you were able to point me towards such a sender that would be brilliant. Particularly as I am in the UK not the States as I am guessing you are?
Superformance.co.uk does have them with the 18mm thread, Ricambi may have the older types with the odd thread size. Replacements are now made by VDO, you may get in touch with them?
If you know the resistance range you need, you could try here: https://vehiclecontrols.com/shopping/shop700/products1/c419-datcon-standard-duty/. Their senders are all 1/8" x 27, but you can buy an adapter to go from this to any thread, English or metric. If you don't know the resistance range, a simple test using a potentiometer will tell you.
VDO is one of the oldest manufacturer of gauges & senders. Most of the vintage veglia senders do have a VDO substitute, so that's what our suppliers are now selling us. Just like Michelin Classic, if you send an email about a particular need, they usually reply. Not all manufacturers are so helpfull...
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/modern-oil-pressure-sensor-kit-for-3x8-mondial-etc.567312/ I put one in my '77 GTB. Awesome to have the gauge actually read the correct pressure!
Why not? What is the pressure range of the Maserati gauge? If it is 0-170 psi, or close to that, it will work.
It is not the pressure rating it is the fit. Mine has a thread of M12x1.25. And it fits so close to the body there is very little room for an adapter.
I'd rather use a VDO 360-081-029-013K as it has the proper thread size. Then if need be a gauge wizzard module so as to match the ohm range expected by the instrument panel. As an alternative to the wizzard, one could also calibrate the sensor at 6bar using a resistor. Kind of oldschool but should be good enough.
