Not sure if this is the section I need to be posting this in but figured I'd give it a shot and see if someone has some experience with this. I'm thinking about buying this temperature sensor in M12x1.25: http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-015-0001/Temperature-Sensor-M10x1-0 My reason for needing this is actually for my Nissan Xterra and not the bike. My transmission pan has a drain plug that is M12x1.25 and I want to replace the drain plug with a temperature sending unit. The problem is that NO ONE seems to make a sending unit that fits that. Well, touratech just so happens to make one, it's not for a car but it's still a temp sensor. Now, I emailed them and they said it is used in conjunction with their IMO computers. What I am wondering is if I can just run a wire from this sensor to a gauge to monitor my transmission fluid temps. I know some senders are calibrated so I'm wondering if anyone has used this sensor in their own set up to see if maybe it works with any other type of gauge than just the OEM set ups.
Not much information on that website. Should know what kind of thermocouple it is. Then you need a gauge that can display the signal.
M12x1.25 to 1/8-1/4NPT adapters, not hard to find at my Hydraulic shop, good chance I have that one here.I say "my"....I don't own it but sure always go to that one. Couple bucks if that and I can get good gauges with the sensor for probably less than TT wants for just a sensor.
If you can get an M12x1.25 adapter that will fit a standardized 1/8" NPT temp sensor I'd be all over that. Or if you have an M12x1.25 temp sensor of some kind I'd take that as well. I found a Beck Arnley temp sensor as well that is M12x1.25 but not sure if it will work with a standard Sunpro ATF temp gauge. Anything you have I'd be willing to give a shot. Just let me know and I can paypal for any parts. I'm holding off on the touratech sensor right now because of the price and I think it's basically going ot be the same thing as the Beck Arnley one I got for 10 bucks.
^ya, I bough one of those exact ones actually thinking all my troubles were over. Unfortunately though, they make it adapt to 1/8"NPT which is good but that center hole is not even half the diameter of the standard "dipstick" of a sending unit. I still haven't found a temp sensor that will fit that adapter so now I'm kind of wondering what the adapter was made for. I thought about drilling it out but the sending unit is literally almost as wide as the M12 diameter....which explains why they don't make that adapter.
You sound as though you're up for a bit of a project. Here's what I'd do. Look at the LM35 series of temperature transducers on the DigiKey site. They are easy to implement because they output a voltage that can be directly read as a temperature with a cheap DVM. Wire length, gauge, and type can be ignored. IIRC they are available in degrees F, C, or even K. Make sure the one you pick will measure your max temperature. There may be a more convenient location than the drain plug. I would be leery of immersing the sensor in the oil, even if potted and shrouded. I'm thinking that you'll get the information you want simply by gluing it to the casing with thermal transfer in mind of course. Thermocouples, thermistors, and RTDs require an awful lot more effort.
Don't know about your oil cooler lines on that transmission, but may be much easier just installing a tee on the outlet line and then you should be able to mount the probe on the tee. Did that with the old GS to mount an oil temp gauge and worked just fine for many years. Or look for an adapter to 1/4 NPT, they do exist as per that Canadian industrial supplier, Gates 9235-12x1.25-04 is the number. http://dtcindustrial.com/dtc/Produc...Adapters/1_BSP_AND_Metric_Conversion_Adapters And then a little googleing takes me to that catalogue, but I am not flipping through 54 pages today. May be in there....! http://www.who-sells-it.com/cy/mid-state-hose-4298/hydraulic-adapters-20873/all-pages.html
Trade your Xterra for a manual tranny one and don't worry about temps The 6 speed manual is wonderful. On a serious note, try the Xterra forum (ThenewX). Chances are, someone has done what you are trying to do. I spend my last Saturday changing all fluids on mine (manual tranny) and all my fill and drain plugs were covered in mud. Not sure I would want any wires in there - they will not live long enough.
Thanks for all the responses guys! Sorry about the delays here, been busy. I'll check out the stuff on the DigiKey site and see what I come up with. As for the trans lines, ya, I could put a tee fitting in the output, I have installed one already in the return line (wanted to see temps coming off the aftermarket cooler so I could make sure it was working near as well as the stock one) I just really wanted something to measure pan temps. The output would be close but will actually be hotter than the pan. As thanks for the thenewX tip, I am actually over there as well, my username is Killswitch on that site too. There is a 6 or 7 page thread that I started on there but no one has done this. I keep running into road blocks on it. I'm actually thinking that the earlier suggestion of something fastened to the outside of the pan and then insulated might be a pretty good deal.
The problem with them is they only come in the 1/8" NPT thread for the sensor. I actually may be going this route eventually though. They make an 1/8" weld in adapter, so basically, I'd drop the transmission pan, drill a hole in it and weld in the adapter and then not have to worry about all this issue of trying to find a temp sensor that will fit the drain plug. If I do that though it will be during the summer months when i have a day off or something. I found a Beck Arnley sensor that is very similar to the Touratech one (M12x1.25 threads etc) and bought it for a couple bucks to try it out. The problem is, much like the touratech sensor, it's made for specific gauges so it won't work with my aftermarket temp gauge. It works a bit but is not very accurate. I have tried 3 or 4 different sensors out since I started this thread and most, when not connected to the specific gauge they were designed for, seem pretty innacurate. Since I can't find any sensors that are M12x1.25 that come with a gauge of their own, I'll likely end up welding in an adapter and doing it that way. I was just hoping for an easy way out:)
I have seen adapters that go from metric to SAE (so you don't have to drop the pan and weld in another bung).
Oh ya, they are out there. The problem is that M12X1.25 to 1/8"npt is to close to the same size. They even make those adapters too....but they make the hole smaller so it won't fit a standard temp sending unit, you have to get a specific sending unit with 1/8"npt thread but a smaller diameter sensor from the thread on down. It's kind of on a back burner for now. Going back to learning how to work on the Dakar haha. I'll probably revisit it this summer and just drop the pan and be done with it.