This time it wasnt his tuning but something that might help us tune my L next time for sure. I installed the autometer phantom guages and lotek triple guage pod I got from Mike yesterday. Install took about 4 hrs with time figured in for me to double check my wiring on the net with Tim Skeltons website, taking plenty of breaks from the heat to get something to drink, to hunt down all my tools, and to decide how I wanted to hide my wiring. I intalled the electric boost/vacum, trans temp and egt guages. I am very pleased with the results and the advice on which guages fit my needs that Mike gave me. You have done it once again, and reminded me why you are the only one I have to call for my performance needs.
Mickey

 

HI Mickey,

Isn't' it great having those specific gauges? that way you can tell in an instant exactly what the engine & transmission are doing, and whether the engine is running safely with one instant glance - that's my exact favorite set of 3 gauges & what I run in my Lightning.

The combo boost-vacuum gauge does require a power source that does not get interrupted when cranking the engine, so that it's baro pressure correction works so that you get accurate boost readings no matter what elevation you are at - thats' a big thing for me personally.

Glad it all worked out, congrats on the installation!

 

Mickey,

How about some pictures of the new gauges

 

You know, I love my silver Lightning & torch red Cobra, but every time I see Mickey's Sonic Blue Lightning, I wish both my Lightning & the Cobra were sonic blue...............drool.................

 

Thanks for the compliment Mike. Now I just wish that my sonic blue will go as fast as ur silver one day, which we are workin on slowly.Hopefully it will be lookin even better soon, I have a reflexxions cobra cowl hood waiting to be painted. I just have have to get my buddy off his *** and to paint it Ill be fine

 

Ahh, so it looks like you put boost up top, then the pyrometer, and then the tranny temp gauge.

I do mine with the pyrometer up top, since it's the one gauge I cna glance at the easiest & instantly know the motor is OK, then I do the boost/vacuum in the middle, and then tranny temp on the bottom - it's all just a matter of personal preference, of course.

the main thing is to have the data!

By the way - that boost gauge yo have has a memory feature, so you cna "play back" a run if you decide to record it - just FYI! (I rarely do that myself, too busy with other stuff).

Have fun!

 

pics were a lil decieving I think. I got the pyrometer up top, tranny temp in middle and boost at bottom. I wanted the boost lowest so it was a lil more in eyesight without looking too far away from road. I noticed 12 lbs of boost the first time I took the truck out after the install. Seemed a lil high for me with a stock lower pulley. Does it sound a lil high for a 03 to you Mike?

 

Hi Mickey,

Ahh, I see. I like the EGT right up at the top, too!

Yes, 12 PSI is a bit high for a Lightning with the stock boost pulley on it - it really should read more like about 10 PSI or so with a good intake kit & raised WOT shift points.

However, there can be a good reason for that - remember that with that high-end boost vacuum combo gauge we set you up with, it's just like mine - so you need to turn your ignition to the on position and leave it there long enough for the boost gauge's needle to come up to ZERO before you start the engine. This is so it can do its barometric pressure calibration. If you don't do that, it can be way off - like 5 PSI off, for example!

And don't forget, that is the one gauge that needs it's power supply tapped into the one circuit on that truck that does NOT have power interrupted when the starter motor is cranking the engine - the circuit for the PCM. If you don't do that, then it will never read right - just FYI.

This is precisely why I love that kind of gauge, to give dead accurate boost/vacuum numbers, because it calibrates itself to the exact barometric pressure it's being subjected to each time you turn it on - that simply requires leaving the ignition switch in the "ON" (or "RUN") position for about 2-3 seconds before actually starting the engine, once power is hooked up to the right circuit.

Hope that helps!

 

Ive got it hooked up to the circuit that stays on while cranking, I must have just turned the key a lil fast. Ive had to catch myself taking my time to let it calibrate but that will become second nature soon. I reset the peak boost and now the highest ive seen is 10 psi , so I must not have let it calibrate itself that day. Thanks for the quick reply Mike. Have a good one
Mickey

 

Ahh, that sounds about right then - for some reason I was sure you had raised the boost level, don't ask me why?

Nominal boost level on a stock Lightning is 8 PSI, a good intake kit will add 1.0-1.5 PSI from reducing restriction ahead of the blower, and then the slightly raised shift point will give about another .5 PSI or so of boost - so seeing about 10 PSI of boost on a good accurate gauge sounds right on the money.

By the way - I catch myself doing that all the time, not waiting for a couple of seconds and seeing the boost way of - and our our elevation out here, it cna be 5 PSI off pretty easy.

Glad to hear everything is A-OK!