All,

Had a quick question for anyone who has added gauges to their L - has anyone installed Auto-Meter mechanical oil pressure and water temperature gauges? I have already ordered the Lunar vacuum/boost gauge which has a 270-degree needle sweep. The electrical oil pressure and water temperature gauges have a half-sweep while the mechanical gauges have a boost gauge matching 270-degree sweep. I would obviously like to install gauges with the same sweep for appearance sake. If anyone has installed mechanical oil or water gauges, how hard were the lines to run up into the pillar, where did you install the sending units, etc?

Any hints or tips are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Dan

 

Bump!

 

I personally don't think it would be a wise move to install oil/fuel/water mechanical gauges in the passenger compartment. You know, in case of a leak.....hot oil in the face I went with Auto-Meter Phantom gauges.....Boost (mechancial).....A/F (electrical) and fuel pressure (electrical)

 

HI!... Go with "MECHANICAL" guages. They are a bit harder to install but are WAY more accurate than "ELECTRICAL" guages. If you use a -3 stainless steel braided line on the OIL pressure guage it WILL NEVER leak. The coolant temp guage does'nt have any fluid actually running through it. It's a gas in capillary tubing that moves the needle on the guage. Over the years I have used both styles and always found that the electrical temp guages were always off by up to 30 degrees. Now all I use is mechanical guages.

 

I'm with fast gator. Don't use a mechanical oil pressure gauge in the passenger compartment. If it leaks, you have a mess. Permanently!

 

I would agree that a mechanical gage is slightly more accurate for some applications, but how much so is hard to quantify.

Put another way, if I were piloting the space shuttle to the moon and back, I would want mechanical gages on the most critical things. Here's why:

An electrical sending unit converts a mechanical force like heat or pressure into a voltage value by using what's called a transducer. They have to be calibrated, like all electrical equipment, and with calibration there is always a tolerance range wherein the values must lie. So you could have a slight inaccuracy and still be in the acceptable window of error. Sometimes the factory hits them right on the nose, sometimes they don't.

The best advice I can give is if you are going to buy electrical gages, then go with the best company you can. VDO, Nordskog, AutoMeter come to mind first, but there are other gage makers out there that put out some mighty fine units. Steer clear of the sub-brand equipment. Brand-X's standards are lower than the big guy's, hense the cheaper cost.

As far as mecahnical gages being routed into the cab/passenger compartment, I personally don't run fuel, oil, or coolant lines inside the cab, but I know several people from professional racers to your typical rice-boy types that have without issues. If somebody slams into my truck and the lines get damaged somehow, I don't want fuel or oil spraying all over the place. . .know what I mean. I can live with the 25° inaccuracy on my coolant temperature gage in trade for the extra margin of safety that the electrical units provide.
When you look at your gage, and it's in the 270° range, you know something is up. You don't say, "Oh, it's only 270. . .but this gage reads a little high so it can't be overheating yet. I'll shut it off at 290." The premium gage companies' electrical units will get you within ±0.5% of the actuals, maybe closer.

Sorry about the long reply, but I am a Quality Technician by trade and I deal with this stuff all day-everyday. . .it's easy to ramble.

Later,

 

Wow awesome info J

--Joe

 

Let's say I decide to get nutty and flirt both with a messy disaster and an eye full of hot engine oil and opt for the mechanical gauges. Can the infamous "intake stamp" on the front passenger side of a 2001's intake manifold (where people have been tapping for water temp senders) be used for a mechanical water temp sending unit? Also, where could one find a spot to install the tap for an oil pressure gauge (I seem to recall that there was a spot or a small plug near the oil filter if I am not mistaken)?

Thanks in advance,

Dan

 

Pow!!!

 

Anyone???