Oil and water guage tube size

[TurboTer]

Stupid question alert: I have an oil and water guage to be hooked up, but with no tubing. What size do I ask for when I go to the local hardware store? Thanks!

 

[tom h]

Every mechanical water temp guage I've seen, has a built-in temperature sensing capillary tube, that cannot be separated from the guage. No additional tubing is req'd.

Oil guage- although many have used copper tubing, I personally wouldn't because it is subject to fatigue cracking. I would NEVER use a flex plastic tube of any kind (although some do), too great a risk of cracking or melting. Would you like 200ºF oil spraying on you?! (3rd degree burn ...) But if you insisted on copper tubing, 1/8" OD is fine for transmitting pressure-- there is negligible actual volumetric oil flow inside the tube.

My preference for mech oil guages is 3AN sized teflon tube with stainless overbraid (eg, from Aeroquip). It's about 1/4" OD.

 

[OneQuikV6]

If using copper tubing, use 1/8th for the oil. IF your temp gauge doesn't have tubing already made into it, then it's either no good, or it's an electrical gauge.