Wiring up gauges...

[BlownStangGT]

I did a search and found some info, but not enough to go off of. Right now with the colder weather, my car only warms up to about 130*, but as I know the stock gauges dont do anything...Im pretty sure I need to replace the thermo. with a higher temp one, but Im going to go ahead and do myself a favor and get some gauges as well. Im pretty sure Im going to get electrical ones from autometer...they will be water temp, oil pressure and trans temp for the auto tranny....I fig. I will get the electrical ones over the mechanical ones in count of just having wires ran instead of lines. What I need to know is where will I run the wires to get the readings? Where will I tap into for the water temp, oil pressure and trans temp. I want to do a very clean install and not hack anything up at all. So hopefully I can get some detailed help. Thanks alot

 

[Juiced88Coupe]

Are you wanting to keep the stock guages and also use the autometers, or do you just want to run aftermarket ones? It will make a slight difference on the install.

 

[BlownStangGT]

I did forget to mention that haha...I would like to keep the stock gauges working as well

 

[88_GT_5_oh]

your gonna need a T fitting for the oil pressure and water temp gauges for sure. parts stores do crry them. when you buy gauges they come with very good instructions and there really is no geuss work. personally i like mechanical gauges, they repond faster, the difference in running the lines isn't much, i just drilled my own hole to make life easy.


also i doubt your car in'st warming up. at -35C within 15 minutes mine would be at 180* and float between 170-180* never higher. so unless its colder than that.......

 

[65ShelbyClone]

I ran the wires into the bay through an existing harness hole behind the dash. I made a wire snake out of bailing wire and fished them through. I used "fuse taps" to get power from the stock fuse block(they fit under a blade fuse and have a spade connection). I made a plate to hold the gages that fit in the space under the radio. For oil pressure, I only used the autometer gage; stock was disconnected. For temp, I moved the stock sender to the driver's side rear of the intake and put the Autometer where the stock one was. I had a T-5, so I didnt use a trans temp.

 

[BlownStangGT]

Yeah a new t-stat is on the way long with a fluid flush....Im just not exactly sure how the eletric gauges work compared to mechanical. I have had mechanicals before, but fig. eletric might be easier to install but I dont know how the sending units work. Maybe ill just go with mechanical, I dunno...but ill send this to the top anyways

 

[HISSIN50]

WIth the quality of elec gauges these days, use what you like and what works for you - dont let the fact that it is elec or mech dictate what you choose. I will note that I like mech better for the full sweep. I run a mech temp gauge (there is no coolant in the capillary tube), and elec oil.

As said, for oil, use a Tee fitting. The stock fittings are 1/4" NPT and most aftermarket gauges are 1/8" NPT fittings. You can piece it all up at the hardware store.

For coolant, I would not use a Tee. The coolant will puddle in that alcove and not be as accurate as it should be. I chose to relo' the stock sender to the rear of the lower intake and put the new gauge's sender in the stock location.

FWIW, if you t-stat ever opens up while you are driving, you are getting up to temps. it is just that since it is cold out, that coolant in the radiator is very chilled by the time it gets to enter the motor and it cools things quickly. The spot on the lower intake where the sender is should read a bit different than at the stat itself. This can be where some folks think the stat is not opening.

Good luck.

 

[Grn92LX]

I agree with Hissin, don't use a T for the coolant. What I did was I put the stock sending unit in the Tstat housing and the autometer where the stock one was. The Tstat housing I had was already tapped. You can drill and tap the stock one pretty easily.

I prefer electrical gauges for inside the car. I have electrical oil pressure and water temp in my middle a/c vents. Probably one of my favorite mods I have a boost/vac gauge on the pillar and a mechanical fuel pressure gauge on the cowl outside the car. Don't get a mechanical phantom fuel pressure gauge, fyi.

The gauges aren't too tough to install, but they're a tedious install.

 

[Juiced88Coupe]

Sounds like we have it covered....

 

[BlownStangGT]

Yup, thanks guys...hopeflly I can do the install all at once, Im gonna wait and pick up a set of nice white face gauges as well and do it all at once that way I dont have to take stuff apar more then once! Trying to do things right the first time with this car

 

[Dbeck002]

I'm going to dig up this thread since I don't want to start a new one, I found this one on search.



I am installing a mechanical autometer water temp gauge now.

My lower intake has 2 water temp sensors, one for the ECU and one for the dash. I am assuming I relocate the ECU sensor to the dash location sensor and the autometer gauge to the original ECU sensor location.

Is this how it's done? Thanks.

 

[88_GT_5_oh]

use the one on the dirvers side. (with the single wire going to it) remove that and most gauges come with adapters for various applications to mount the sensor

 

[HISSIN50]

I'm going to dig up this thread since I don't want to start a new one, I found this one on search.



I am installing a mechanical autometer water temp gauge now.

My lower intake has 2 water temp sensors, one for the ECU and one for the dash. I am assuming I relocate the ECU sensor to the dash location sensor and the autometer gauge to the original ECU sensor location.

Is this how it's done? Thanks.

Like 88 GT 5 oh said, you want to leave the ECT alone. Find a place to relocate the stock sender (one wire, behind dizzy) and put it there. I put mine in the rear of the lower intake on the driver side (not as accurate a location, but the stock guage is not real accurate). Some people use the t-stat as a place to put the sender.

Then the new gauge's sender goes in the stock sender location.

Good luck.

 

[TheUser]

Here are some additional "tips" I guess...or at least how I did mine or would do it if I had to again.

*The autometer gauge didn't come w/ the proper fitting for the intake, so I got a package of them at O'Reilly for about $6 that had the correct one in there (instead of going to a hardware store).

*I pulled my light source from my A/C lighting, but if I had to do it again, I guess I'd probably use a fuse tap (mentioned above) and pull it from the fuse box - just find a fuse w/ dimming light.

*I slit a small hole in my steering shaft boot where it goes through the firewall to run the wires through. I have a stick and couldn't fit them through the clutch cable hole.

 

[Dbeck002]

Thanks guys.


But I have nowhere to relocate my stock unit, i guess it will be inoperable.

 

[srothfuss]

I just did my gauges last week. I went to Ace and picked up some 1/8" tee fittings.

I installed Oil PSI, Water Temp this way:

Installed the correct adapter that was included in my Autometer electrical gauges. I think it was 1/4" originally to 1/8"

I then tee'd off of the adaptor for the coolant sender and the oil pressure with the 1/8" tee fittings that I picked up from my local Ace hardware store. (Make sure the fitting is long enough to accomodate both sender tips in the body of the tee)

I used teflon tape to seal up the treads, then reinstalled and hooked everything back up!

It only takes about 30 mintues to mount everything in the engine and wire them up.

Good Luck!

 

[Dbeck002]

Thanks for the reply srothfuss but i have mechanical gauges.



One more question again, sorry.

I am going to poke a hole through my steering column grommet and use that to route the capillary tube up through the back of the block and then in between the upper and lower manifold. I'm worried that this tube will get heatsoaked and alter the temp reading on the gauge. Does this happen?

And, I have an explorer intake, I dont have a second fitting in the rear of the manifold so I wont be able to reuse my stock sender. But anyhow I need to get a new manifold fitting for the capillary tube since the one that came with the unit is way too big.

But I noticed this fitting is a specialized compression fitting with a lip inside to compress the sensor to the capillary tube. Where can I get this same style fitting but smaller? (has to fit in my manifold)

Ok, thats it for all the questions, lol. wheww....

 

[Dbeck002]

Ok, heres the deal. I'm going to drill that recess thats in the thermostat housing and tap it then screw the autometer sensor in there. I think thats the most accurate reading and i can keep the stock sensor.

Much better dont you think?

 

[HISSIN50]

You can also buy a new stat housing (either a cruddy cast piece from AZ or DAP for 10 bucks) or the FRPP chrome unit (~25 bucks) with a hole for a sender. You still might need to adapt or tap the hole to accomodate your sender.

I think the adaptor you are inquiring about is what James is talking about. He got a kit from the gauge aisle (probably) that has several fittings in it. The gauges often come with the right adapter for a SBC but not a SBF, hence needing that.

Fuse 13 is the dimmer fuse. Tap into the dead side and add a 1 amp quick blow fuse on your new wire (from the fuse box to the new gauge's lighting).

DBeck, heak soak on the capillary tube should not affect the reading (no more so than heak soak into the fitting and the sender). The rest of the line is theoretically heated radiantly from that anyhow.

Sroth, as an FYI which you may or may not experience: A tee fitting for two temp gauge senders is not a good idea. The coolant can sit in the alcove (since the sensor is not succepted to the actual flow of coolant) so the reading could be slow to change (as the coolant in the alcove is heated radiantly).

Good luck.

 

[86bluecobra]

i don't know how you guys feel about the plastic line that comes with mechanical oil pressure gauges but i didnt like it so i got copper tubing and ran that into my car with some nice flairs on it for the fittings. haven't had any oil leaks at the gauge and i have no worry's about heat in the engine bay and plastic lines.