Hey guys,

Been thinking about adding an oil pressure gauge to the truck. I really don't want to run a mechanical gauge just because it's a pain to get the tubing run through the fire wall. I was thinking just a good after market electric gauge. Then I thought to myself, "self, I wonder if the stock sending unit is a full range voltage sensor or if it is the on/off switch for the stock "oil pressure gauge" other wise known as a dummy light with a needle". If that is the case, I thought maybe I could just tap off of the stock sender and calibrate the resistence for an aftermarket gauge.

Any thoughts? Any better ideas? Any good suggestions for a good after market electrical gauge?

Thanks in advance!

 

The sender at the oil filter location is just a switch.
The dash gauge is not a real gauge. It is set to move to about half it's scale just as and indicator.
There is an area just above the throttle that has a soft plug you can get wire or an oil line through.
The biggest problem is working up along the engine and tighening the fittings.
You need to assemble 1/8" fittings and inlude a tee so the original switch sender is put back in line.
I have an Auto meter electric oil and trans temp gauges installed in my 02.
For power I made up special piggy back fuse holders to power the gauges and nite lights.
The gauges are in an Autometer heavy panel mounted on the lower dash apron in the middle of the hump. Gauges are the large white faced units that can be seen without much driver movement day or nite. The panel mounting is also special using electrical clamps with the bolts replaced with allen heads because there is no room to dill holes or get a wrench in behind the panel.
There is also a Prodigy brake controller mounted to the bottom of the panel and comes out at the right angle.
If it is done this way, pre wire the panel and use push togather connectors and color code wire so it is easy to mount and hook/unhook/ troubleshoot if the need arises.
Warning, there will be some bitching before it's all over with. Be creative.

 

I installed a sunpro mech. oil psi gauge, you just need a special socket for getting the old unit out, no problems at all running tubing thru firewall. I have a thick plastic sleeve over the oil tube to protect from chafing. so nice to have a working oil gauge

 

Check my sig for pictures. Easy mod.

 

Thanks for the replys. Bluegrass, I would love to see a pic of your gauges because it sounds like you have addressed the next problem which was were to mount them. I like Hunt4funs set up but I really didn't want to cut a hole in the dash. I really don't want them on the A pilar either so I was thinking about the area around the hump in the middle. I was also thinking the trans temp gauge would be a good addition to make a little gauge cluster down there. Maybe a 3 gauge set of oil pres., trans temp, and water temp for a nice installation?

Any other thoughts?

 

Here is the the way it was done.
No room to drill holes in the lower apron unless a right angle drill adapter is used.
If you look close, the lower dash rail behind the plastic face trim is not straight accross the bottom but curves and the trim panel does not fit flat accross the lower rail so some shims are needed so the trim does not get over stressed and crack.
I uses electrical conduit clamps with file modified ends to grip better and replaced the 1/4-20 bolts with allen heads so I could get up behind to tighten them.
Double sided tape should be considered so the panel won't move if bumped very hard.
You will want to pre-wire the panel and use connectors such that you can plug them up by color code and male/female combinations. Bundle them into a cable after all is tested and lay them up out of site under the dash.
The power was taken from taps at the dash fuse panel that will have power when the ignition is on and another tap when the dash lites are on.
Since the fuses are the real small ones there are no aftermarket add on taps that I have found so I used the next size add-a-tap and soldered fuse tabs on to match the small spacing. This allows you to plug them in the fuse block and two regular small fuses are used. The wire off these taps are then on the face of the fuse block and easy to get at when you take the cover off the dash opening.
I also have a Fog light switch mounted on this fuse panel access cover to switch between the running light and AUX fogs under the bumper.
It took awhile to figure how I was going to accomplish all this but it came out nice in the end.
The gauge faces are rotatated to about their 45* positions so they can be read without leaning over even though the panel faces the seat.
The "white" faces really light up bright at nite on the 2-5/8" gauges more than you may desire.

 

I have tomorrow off. I may take the old girl to the car wash and stop and look at some gauges on the way back home. That sounds like some good advice on mounting and wiring. I'll have a look at it.

Thanks!!