Mech gauge help

[66Sprint6]

I posted this in the electric area but didnt get ne replys so here it is, lol

Just bought some new gauges, a Temp, Oil Pressure and Voltage one. Any tips on how to install them?? They are in a cluster so where should I put them, Im thinkin under the dash, but my CD remote is on the driver's side under the dash. Thinkin bout movin it. Also, the oil and temp gauges are mechanical, Where does everything go??? I have directions, but I was wondering if anyone had a more specific to my car way to do it??? Lemme know!
Matt

Also, anyone got a kool looking set up and have pics to share?!?!?!?!?

 

[FastRonald]

8) Oil is easy..remove the factory oil pressure sending unit, install a 1 1/2" 1/4" pipe nipples and 1/4" "T" fitting and install the factory sender and the fitting for your oil gauge. Voltage?...use the radio fuse and that's where you can get the power for that one. Temp?...use the factory temp hole in the head. IF the hole is not big enough...you can drill and tap a hole in the therostat housing and install it there.

 

[66Sprint6]

Stupid question, but where on the motor or whatever can I find the oil sending unit??? I want to do this right and dont want to guess. If I use these gauges, does that mean my factory ones wont work anymore????
Matt

 

[barroom hero]

its gonna be on the driver side?, well the side with your distributor and coil and all. towards the back of the block there will be a little dome looking thing with a wire coming out of it, IIRC that is the oil pressure unit.

 

[66Sprint6]

Is the temp unit on the head in the middle of the log by the carb??? This is freakin frustrating the crap out of me tryin to figure this thing out. Please help guys and be as detailed as possible!!!
Matt

 

[barroom hero]

i think the temp unit is towards the rear of the head, and its a little nipple lookign thing that screws in and has a wire out of it. i cant remember correctly becaues i havnt had a chance to even step foot in my garage for a long time with school, but ill try to double check tommorow.

 

[Anonymous]

If you have the SunPro guages, then I don't think the temp thing will fit in your cyl head. I put mine in the thermostat housing. ghetto but... :roll: it works.

 

[66Sprint6]

yeah, its sun pro dangit, I guess Im gonna have to run it to the therm. too. where on the thermostat housing did you put it???
Matt

 

[Anonymous]

dont want to burst your bubble or anything and hope that this is useful to you but I would not prefer any mechanical gauges in your car. there are too many risks involved even if you install them correctly not to mention if you have a mechanical oil pressure gauge in your car it is illegal to have oil in the car. for a mech temp guage if you ever overheat your engine you wont know if for a min or so and by then the damage will be done. these gauges require you to drill over sized holes in the fire wall and which will only bring in water and any exhaust and fumes into the car.

I am going with the electric gauges trust me it may take longer to find them but your car will love you for it and if your car has a good electrical system no problems. with electric the results are instant. besides if u disconnect the oil electric stock sender which is already on the car ur oil light will never stop showing unless you rip all the electrical wiring all together. when I can update my website with some pictures they will be of what I have right now.

 

[MustangSix]

if you have a mechanical oil pressure gauge in your car it is illegal to have oil in the car. for a mech temp guage if you ever overheat your engine you wont know if for a min or so and by then the damage will be done. these gauges require you to drill over sized holes in the fire wall and which will only bring in water and any exhaust and fumes into the car.

Illegal? That's a new one on me. And I often prefer mechanical gauges because the response is instant and accurate, unlike some electrics, which are designed with stabilizing circuits to prevent rapid movement. It really comes down to ease of installation for me - the electrics are easier to route, as you say, but good installation and proper grommets prevent the heat and fume intrusion.

66sprint6, let me jump in and suggest you find someone to help you. Finding and identifying the sending units is a very basic task. If you are already having difficulty at that level, you definitely need some assistance, otherwise the whole thing may go badly for you. I can foresee broken thermostat housings and bent and disabled water temp bulbs.

This is no dig at you, but we all needed to learn this stuff at some point. It just helps a lot if you can get someone to show you some of the basics, for example, the right direction to wrap Teflon tape onto a pipe thread, and why you should not use Teflon on some sending units. No shame in asking for help, but even as capable as some fo these guys are, sometimes help over the internet is like asking how to do a DIY appendectomy; I can't tell you, I have to show you.

 

[xzerokidx]

dont want to burst your bubble or anything and hope that this is useful to you but I would not prefer any mechanical gauges in your car. there are too many risks involved even if you install them correctly not to mention if you have a mechanical oil pressure gauge in your car it is illegal to have oil in the car. for a mech temp guage if you ever overheat your engine you wont know if for a min or so and by then the damage will be done. these gauges require you to drill over sized holes in the fire wall and which will only bring in water and any exhaust and fumes into the car.

I am going with the electric gauges trust me it may take longer to find them but your car will love you for it and if your car has a good electrical system no problems. with electric the results are instant. besides if u disconnect the oil electric stock sender which is already on the car ur oil light will never stop showing unless you rip all the electrical wiring all together.

A mechanical fuel gauge is illegal to route inside your vehicle, not oil.
If someone finds it necessary to drill huge holes in the firewall, I belive they are doing it wrong and not using rubber grommets
and adding the T fitting will allow him to keep his stock oil psi sending unit while adding the aftermarket gauge and the light works fine.

I prefer mechanical gauges over electric ones also

 

[addo]

The oil pressure gauge is interesting up to a point, but the low pressure shutoffs (Holley and others) will serve the same "core" purpose. VDO and others make adaptors, BTW, for running two sender types off one feed. Finding NPT brass tees is a bit of a challenge in my parts.

If the water gauge is up in the thermo housing, sure it might show a little hotter at times, but you'd get used to it. It would be a good indication of thermostat function.

FWIW, I use Permatex #3 on sender stuff like this.

Cheers, Adam.

 

[66Sprint6]

Yeah, I agree that its always good to have someone show you how, and this has been a learning experience. I figured out the oil gauge using a T and some kind of sealant that has teflon in it (guys at Lowe's said to try it). Tonight I will try out the thermo. and see how it goes... Thanx for the help guys,
Matt

 

[Anonymous]

i just installed a set of three mini guages. water and oil pressure are mechanical and i used a voltmeter for the third. they are the 1-1/2" guages. i tapped the lights for the guages off the radio light which is also on the dimmer. i had planned to take the voltmeter off the hot lead on the ignition coil but this didnt work.
i drilled a 5/8 hole in the firewall to allow the mech guage fitting to pass thru. i drilled this hole just above and to the passenger side of the floor hump. this was convenient to my under dash guages. i crossed over behind the engine with the water oil and voltage line. i continued forward along the side of the engine with the water sensor line to the t-stat housing( there was already a tapped hole). i enclosed this line in some black poly loom and used nylon ties to support it off the exsiting harness and the fuel hard line. it looks real clean. the oil line exists the poly loom right near the sender and tee. the voltage line i carried along the drivers inner fender up to the voltage regulator and spliced in there; (you can see the pointer jiggle when the VR switches!).
i used black silicone sealer to seal up the firewall hole. i used additional wire ties inside to take up all the extra wire slack and mak it neat.
looking under the hood or inside the cab you really cant tell anything was added

 

[66Sprint6]

Sounds good stude, I was thinkin bout goin the same route... but the car is in the shop yet again. When I was draining the coolant to install the probe I noticed it came out dark. Oil in the coolant dangit. Should hear back in the next couple days
Matt