best place to connect oil gauge

I'm going to fit an oil pressure gauge permanently so I can see it when riding (yes I know many say it wi ll just scare you) I believe they are normally connected to the left banjo on the cylinder head oil feed up but would it be better to connect it where the feed pipe leaves the engine. Would the pressure here be a better indication of crank pressure without the pressure lose at the head as oil flows out of rockers or is the pressure equal at all points of the system.

Matt Spencer tells me that the oil pressure relief valve with the indicator button, from a pre-unit triumph 650 fits the commando motor.

The pressure in a system will be the same throughout. Tapping off the timing cover outlet will give the same pressure reading as the rocker feed bolts unless there is a leak between them. If you need to see the Px gauge all the time then a flexible pipe needs to route to the handlebars. If it's just for occasional monitoring you could maybe mount the gauge on a short, less vulnerable, pipe somewhere near the back of the timing cover. The whole lot should vibrate in unison then :lol:

I have mine off the left banjo on the head. Works well.

From the head is good.

If you really want to get trick you can drill through the inner ends of both inlet rocket arm spindles and remove the hose that crosses over from one side to the other. Then you can connect the oil pressure gauge to the one side of the head and the feed line to the other side. Jim

comnoz said:

From the head is good.

If you really want to get trick you can drill through the inner ends of both inlet rocket arm spindles and remove the hose that crosses over from one side to the other. Then you can connect the oil pressure gauge to the one side of the head and the feed line to the other side. Jim

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I did that to mine but it was not quite as easy as some may have been, the case hardening was quite deep, a couple of mm, I got through about half with a carbide insert on the lath until I ran out of clearance then a ball nose carbide slot drill at rather high speed to get the next bit

If you can read an oil pressure gauge while the bike is in full scream on a race circuit, you are a better man than I am. Reading the tacho is difficult enough.

Yes, the case hardening is very hard. I use a carbide burr and the lathe to put a depression a couple MM deep from the outside. Then turn the shaft around and use a drill from the inside and it will go right through. Jim

acotrel said:

If you can read an oil pressure gauge while the bike is in full scream on a race circuit, you are a better man than I am. Reading the tacho is difficult enough.

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I always just carried an oi pressure gauge and a tach with me to the races. I would install one or the other occasionally for practice but for the race they were safely put away in my truck. If your looking at a gauge you aren't racing. Jim

Peel's head has drilled through rocker spindles to simlify the hose connections. The two outter holes that hold the head steady on can easy pierce into head oil flow too. One can check engine gauges in races during the long easy straights runing up to max heat flow / rpm/ loads when it may matter most and we see racers even turn around to check behind. I see some gauges oil filled others not, so does it matter on iso and non iso Commando powered cycles? I see everyone is missing the actual need and Norton purpose of oil gauge >According to Norton offical service instructions and plain fluid physics in Nortons', the most important, maybe only time for oil PSI guage, is to verify its not Too Much oil pressure on spring-shim setting of the pressure bypass valve and also not Too Much oil pressure on cold starts with heavy oil grade. Great to see and aim for 50 PSI and more when burning lots of fuel & rpm, but not that big a deal to see zero on the fly, so us w/o oil guages do not be made to feel like ignorant lazy damaging owners, though of course I am even with lots of guages. Of course no oil flow is deadly but Norton's mainly have over pressure issues not under pressure. Slap me silly here if I'm misleading anyone again.

A real quick and simple method is to add a "T" fitting above the head, straight out to the gauge and the T goes to the double banjo.

I have a smiths gauge an double banjo bolt an banjo I just need to make up a mount (as I mentioned in another thread) then I will know the length of braided hose needed. I did read the triumph tell tail pop out fits but you can't see it to easily as you ride or in the dark hence gauge with light fitted. I don't race but fully understand that it may not be easy to read at higher speed I have done track days on a race school GSXR an all the gauges an idiot lights where covered except rev counter an neutral light an I wasn't looking at them I was far to busy. :|

acotrel said:

Matt Spencer tells me that the oil pressure relief valve with the indicator button, from a pre-unit triumph 650 fits the commando motor.

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NAYE : the Cap / Button screws onto the NORTON Oil Presure Relief Valve . The TRIUMPH ASEMBLY has a differant thread to the case . ( unless theres several of each )

But the Triumph Pre Unit domed cap with the pressure indicator button screws straight onto the NORTON inner assembly . AND you cant kick it into gear tucked in there .



JUST the outer , outerside the horrible brown O ring gasket , onto the Norton bit on the Right . :wink:

Handy , as a glance - with a twist in the back & a twist in the neck , and you see it . Instead of the corner ahead at 90 . So dont get to silly . Drilling & tapping the end for a oil pressure switch
or electric guage senders feasable too , perhaps .

The thread is what I was asking you about. I found one of the old bodies, not the cap. then couldn't find a spanner to fit. I will try to buy the cap with the button. thanks anyway it was helpful advice. An electric sensor sounds good.