Gauges

[97V8SHO]

What do most SHO people use on the A pillar for a dual or triple gauge? What do you guys think about these gauges?

A/F gauge http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/aca-gr-7007_w.jpg

Oil pressure http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/aca-gr-7000_n.jpg

 

[DavidT]

hey, where do you get the gauge pods for the gen.3?

BTW, those are nice looking gauges!
I would venture to say that the #1 must is the oil pressure.
#2:water temp
#3:tranny temp
A/F is "cool" but being "narrowband" (not wideband) it is NOT accurate (so they say) but to each his own...
I have an a/f gauge in the gen.1

 

[97V8SHO]

What makes them not very accurate? I plan to run nitrous so I want to keep an eye on it. Does the A/F gauge just splice into the factory O2 or do I have to buy the "special" O2 that they make? Thoughs are AC Autotechnic S7 racing gauges you can check all of them out here http://store.summitracing.com/defau...&Ntk=KeywordSearch&Ntt=Air+Fuel+gauge&x=0&y=0

No one makes a pillar pod for the SHO, that the reason why I'm askin what everyone is useing. I've been lookin at the mustang dash pod, and it looks like it would fit in where the ashtray area is. With some mods to it of course. I'm gonna try this tomm and see if it works or not.

 

[DavidT]

This thread has a link AND video to a wideband 02 sensor. These things are a minimum of $300, whereas, I got my a/f gauge from Summit for less than $30.
I can't justify the extra $300 or so, especially since my gen.1 needs a Quaife and a twEECer more importantly. So I took the 91 to the dyno and had the a/f readings done there. It was running definitely on the rich side... which is obviously SAFER than lean. Thus I opted for the lesser a/f gauge. I have NO idea how accurate it is... it DOES SEEM accurate at WOT.... (a bit rich, as the dyno testified to)
Here it is:

 

[97V8SHO]

Wow $300 to do that, I have better things to spend my money on. Thanx for giving me the heads up on that. So is the factory sensor a narrowband and can the A/F gauge hook up to it or do I have to get a new O2 and have a bung welded in?
I might just do water or tranny instade now.

 

[97V8SHO]

How do you hook up an oil pressure gauge? (electronic one) Do you have to tap the block or anything?

 

[stephen newberg]

Most people hook up their oil pressure gauge by just replacing the sender already tapped into the block that goes to the OEM idiot light with the one supplied with the oil pressure gauge. It is right on the front of the motor, and very easy to access.

As per which gauges to use, well, I thought the car needed 4, so I made up a 4 gauge pod and put it into the spot where the ash tray went. I added:

Oil Pressure
Voltmeter
Oil Temperature
Transmission Fluid Temperature.

I also tend to think of them in that order of importance.

pax, smn

 

[DavidT]

got any pics of your gauges/ gauge pod, Stephen?


97v8sho,
as for the a/f gauge, it is an easy install, at least it was in the v6. No need for an additional sensor. You just have to splice into the right wire. Some do it right at the 02 sensor. I have read that its better to splice into the wiring on the computer side, rather than the 02 side. On the v6, that particular wire just happens to be running up by the oil dipstick tube, in splitloom... EASY access. Don't know about the v8 though.

 

[stephen newberg]

I think I still have around somewhere. Send me your email, and I will forward it. I am at:

[email protected]

pax, smn

 

[97V8SHO]

Most people hook up their oil pressure gauge by just replacing the sender already tapped into the block that goes to the OEM idiot light with the one supplied with the oil pressure gauge. It is right on the front of the motor, and very easy to access.

As per which gauges to use, well, I thought the car needed 4, so I made up a 4 gauge pod and put it into the spot where the ash tray went. I added:

Oil Pressure
Voltmeter
Oil Temperature
Transmission Fluid Temperature.

I also tend to think of them in that order of importance.

pax, smn

Ok so does that mean I have to run a line into the car? I really hope not cuz if so I'm not doin it.

 

[stephen newberg]

"Ok so does that mean I have to run a line into the car? I really hope not cuz if so I'm not doin it."

Do you mean an electical line or an oil line? I am not a fan of mechanical systems for instrumentation, so I did all mine with electrical gauges, and hence only had to run some wires, but there is no real way around that. If you want to get data from the sensors to the gauges, you have to at least run wire. So yes, you can do this without running one of those oil lines, that is for sure, and I agree I would not want to do it the other way either.

pax, smn

 

[97V8SHO]

Yeah I was talkin about an actual oil line, running wire is no problem. I have few questions though.

1)How do I hook up the trans temp gauge?
2)What wires do I splice into to run the volt gauge?
3)How do I hook up the water temp gauge?

I know kinda how to do all these but I'm not all that familiar with doin this.

Thanx for everyones help so far.

 

[stephen newberg]

"I have few questions though.

1)How do I hook up the trans temp gauge?
2)What wires do I splice into to run the volt gauge?
3)How do I hook up the water temp gauge?"

In general, every guage you buy will have in it a set of installation instructions that indicate where the sensor should go and how the wiring connections should be made. Normally, they are not all that difficult, so you should be able to follow them without a lot of problems. In all cases, the wires needed are just run to wherever you are going to put the actual gauges.

Specifically:

1. The sensor for the transmission temp needs to be tapped into the fluid resevoir system at the bottom of the transmission. You have to drop the pan, clean it, and carefully drill a hole of the correct size and tap it. Make sure you have no leakage when you are done. I used a couple of applications of liquid sealant, just to be positive, and still check it each time I am under the car.

2. The voltmeter just taps into wiring that is always 'on', rather than having to actually go to the battery, though some people prefer tapping directly across the battery itself.

3. There already is a water temp gauge supplied with the car, along with the fuel gauge on the stock instrument panel, so you would not need one of these. If you meant oil temp, the sensor for such a gauge has to be tapped into the oil pan in the same way that the transmission temp sensor was tapped into the transmission fluid pan.

pax, smn

 

[97V8SHO]

I ment oil temp, I was tired when I posted that. Thanx for helpin me out, would you suggest a machine shop or some place to drill and tap the hole in the trans and oi pan? I have taps and stuff to do it with but I just don't wanna screw anything up.

 

[stephen newberg]

Depends entirely on how comfident you are in your skills at drilling and tapping. It is worth considering that the metal of the transmission pan is considerably thinner than that of the oil pan, so presents a more difficult tap job.

Also, you will want to consider the path of the wires from the newly installed sensors so as to be sure they do not move around and they do not chaff. I ended up drilling a guide path in a couple of the cooling fins and then making 'grommets' for them with the wires in the center by using 3M 4200 bonding and sealent compound.

pax, smn

 

[97V8SHO]

I was thinking, would there be some way to screw the sensor into the drian plug hole or something like that on the oil pan? For the trans, does it have to tap into the pan or could I some how splice it into the cooling line on the hot side?

 

[stephen newberg]

I was thinking, would there be some way to screw the sensor into the drian plug hole or something like that on the oil pan? For the trans, does it have to tap into the pan or could I some how splice it into the cooling line on the hot side?

I suppose it could be done that you find an insert that fits the oil pan plug size and then tap it instead of the pan, but then you are playing with the connection wires every time you change the oil, which is almost certain to get you into electrical failures pretty quickly.

To get a proper reading on the overall transmission fluid temp, you need to go into the pan. If you tap somehow into a hot side line, you will read too hot, and if you tap only into a cold side line somehow, you will read too cold. The pan is the place of average temps and that is what you are after, not transient highs or lows.

IMO, obviously.

pax, smn