Auto Meter Gauges Install?

The stock temp sending unit is 3/8" NPT as I recall.
You could put also put it in an AM union (you cut the upper rad hose and splice in the union), relocate the stock sender to the rear of the lower intake (not as accurate as the front location but it keeps the stock sender functional), or buy a t-stat housing with a tapped fitting already.

For the Tee, you'll probably find the AM sender to be smaller than the stock sender, so the Tee will require adaptation either way.

IIRC, the dimmer wire is orange with a trace (use your test light and the dimmer to establish/confirm which wire - good practice anyways).

use the 3/8 npt and screw in the AM sender. there is also a plug at the rear of the intake you can relocate the factory sender to if you wish to retain that as well. for the oil sending unit remove the original extension fitting and take it to the hardware store to find a T fitting with the same thread pitch. I found everything I needed at home depot to run my AM gauges.

Alternate placement for a temp gauge sender:

Revised 24 July 2011 to add better temp sender location description and the necessity to loop the fluid flow through the heater circuit.

How it works:
If you want any kind of operation similar to stock, the ECT/heater feed line is the best place for a temp sender or fan thermo sensor. After all, the computer uses the ECT to pick up data on how warm the engine is. Putting the temp sender in the same line as the ECT is a simple way to get the best possible accuracy at minimum cost and complication.

Some things to keep in mind:
Just be sure that you haven’t blocked the coolant return because of a leaky heater core. For this to work correctly, the coolant needs to flow from the ECT sensor tubing back to the water pump. That means a leaky heater circuit gets looped rather than just plugged up. Join the rubber hoses together with a hose splice from Home Depot rather than plug them up.

Where to put it:
Use the heater feed that comes off the intake manifold that has the ECT sensor in it. Cut the rubber hose that connects the manifold water feed to the heater and splice in a tee adapter for the temp gauge sender. That way you will get the most accurate temp readings since the coolant is always flowing through the heater circuit in a stock car.

Tee adapter info:
Make a pilgrimage to your local hardware or home supply center and get some copper pipe and a tee that fits the temp gauge sender. Solder two pieces of copper pipe onto a copper pipe tee with threads in the tee part. Find the correct brass fitting to match the temp sender threads to the tee fitting.






Mechanical oil pressure gauge installation..
1.) Remove old pressure sender. It is located down by the oil filter and has 1 wire on a push on screw connector.
2.) Install ¼” pipe tee fitting with a short ¼” nipple on the place where you removed the oil pressure sender.
3.) Install the original oil pressure sender back in one of the tee ports.
4.) Install the gauge line restrictor in the remaining port of the tee.
5.) Connect the flex tubing or hydraulic hose to the gauge restrictor. Be sure to route the tubing or hose away from the exhaust manifolds. Be sure to either use hydraulic hose or oil and heat resistant flex tubing for the pressure line. Do not use copper tubing for the connection to the gauge restrictor or engine. Over a period of time, the vibration will work harden the tubing and cause it to crack and fail.
6.) If the gauge is going to mount under the hood, connect it to the end of the hose or flex tubing. Use some Tie-wraps to secure the gauge and its plumbing to the wiring harness on the driver’s side inner fender.
7.) If the gauge is going to mount in the passenger compartment you get to find a place to run the tubing through the firewall. I suggest that you pick your spot from the inside since that is the area with the most difficult access. Do not run the tubing through the exact same hole as the steering shaft. It will tangle up with the steering shaft and cause major problems.
8.) Install the gauge inside the car in the location of your choosing. Connect the pressure line to the gauge and secure it out of the way of moving parts with Tie-wraps.
9.) Be sure to ground the gauge lighting wire to clean, shiny bare metal. Connect the other wire from the gauge lighting to a light blue/red wire on the radio wiring harness. There are 2 connectors in the radio wiring harness, but only one of them has the light blue/red wire you need for gauge illumination. Solder the gauge lighting wire to the light blue/red wire on the radio harness and cover the soldered joint with heat shrink.

How to solder like a pro - Ford Fuel Injection » How To Solder Like a Pro a must read for any automotive wiring job.

Be sure to use a gauge restrictor fitting in the pressure line going to the gauge. The restrictor will prevent all of the engine's oil supply from ending up on the pavement before you can stop it if the gauge line fails. I had a gauge line rupture, and the restrictor fitting saved my engine from serious damage.

Nice work, the heat shrink tubing on the connections shows an emphasis on quality workmanship.

I am digging those cobalts!

The Cobalts look good. I just installed the Phantom gauges a few weeks ago. The Cobalts look a lot better!

I know oreillys has a water outlet housing that has a hole in it already thats what i used. love those pics also ive got some 2 58ths gauge il be putting in an A piller soon

Bill Gordon said:

The Cobalts look good. I just installed the Phantom gauges a few weeks ago. The Cobalts look a lot better!

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I have phantoms as well and I really want to swap them all out for cobalts. I wonder if the sending units are the same..

I spent a few weeks trying to decide too, I like white face gauges but your Cobalts look sweet. If they weren't so expensive to change over....