Mechanical water temp gauge

[cd57078]

I am thinkin about gettin this for my IPT 3 gauge pod. Have any of you ever installed a mech. water temp gauge? Is the installation hard? Any info is appreciated, thanks,
Chuck

 

[Lupo]

cd57078:
I am thinkin about gettin this for my IPT 3 gauge pod. Have any of you ever installed a mech. water temp gauge? Is the installation hard? Any info is appreciated, thanks,
Chuck

I dont think there is a mechanical water temp gauge, because you have to route the water to the gauge, and by that time, the water has already cooled. All the temp gauges I have ever seen have had an electric sending unit. Now there are mechanical pressure gauges, but I dont like plumbing oil or fuel into the car cabin.

 

[cd57078]

ok, hey here's another q for ya. I just purchased a mechanical vacuum gauge and volts. the volts doesnt seem like a hard one( i hope). What about the vacuum, do u think mechanical vacuum gauges are hard to install??

 

[cd57078]

O yeah and if anyone knows any place where i can buy a 2" iniglo gauge, that would help too, thanks.

 

[Lupo]

cd57078:
ok, hey here's another q for ya. I just purchased a mechanical vacuum gauge and volts. the volts doesnt seem like a hard one( i hope). What about the vacuum, do u think mechanical vacuum gauges are hard to install??

The volt gauge is as easy as hooking up to any 12v source on your car. As far as the vacuum, be sure to choose a good vaccum source from the intake manifold AFTER the throttlebody, and not before. You can tee into many vacuum sources like the FPR, or there is a vacuum hookup with about 3 ******* sort of above the master brake cyliner.

 

[pete c]

ya ever try one of those mechanical volt gauges? what a POS!

 

[cd57078]

ok, well thanks for the info guys. POS??, Well, I hope not, but i guess i will find out.

 

[Dave Ladely]

I also bought the 3 guage A pillar from IPT. I used Scotch bright to get it to match the other pillar. I installed a Heart Interfact digital volt/amp/amp-hour guage (marine quality, I wanted to really know the true readings) in the top pod, a Greddy electrical water/oil temp guage in the center pod and a Greddy oil pressure guage in the lower pod. Works great! The Greddy guages not only are 270 degrees which looks a lot better and are a lot more accurate than the cheap type, they even have the same color and type backlighting as the stock SHO! Much more impressive than the cheaper guages and more reliable.

 

[cd57078]

hey Dave when you said that you used Scotch Bright to match the other pillar, what exactly do you mean??

 

[SHOZ123]

A mechanical temp gauge is no harder than a mechanical oil pressure gauge. There is a copper capillary tube that you run to the gauge from the sender. Much more accurate than an electrical gauge.

Not any vacuum before the TB.

 

[Lupo]

SHOZ123:
A mechanical temp gauge is no harder than a mechanical oil pressure gauge. There is a copper capillary tube that you run to the gauge from the sender. Much more accurate than an electrical gauge.

Not any vacuum before the TB.

I have never seen a mechanical water temp gauge before, but I would worry about temperature bleed off in the capillary tube before it got to the gauge. Depending on how you routed this tube, and what was touching it, and how much air it is exposed to,you may get different results. Water/Coolant bleeds off heat very easily.
Im sure in some situations it would be pretty good.

 

[cd57078]

Yeah, I appreciate all your info guys, but turns out, im not gettin that mechanical temp gauge. I just bought my last gauge, and it is an electric AF gauge. So, if any of you have any tips or advice, lemme know. Also, if any of you have an IPT 3 gauge pod, lemme know, because IPT is currently out of them, thanks,
Chuck

 

[Dave Ladely]

The pods are a bit shiny compared to the stock A pillar, so I used Scotch brite to dull the finish to match the right A pillar. pretty simple
Also, really good guages like Greddy electrical guages will be as accurate as a mechanical guage, and the Greddy guages match the lettering and lighting, including color, of the stock SHOs, which is a nice touch. Just because a guage is mechanical does not ensure accuracy, as the sensor might not be calibrated - very few are. Greddy guage sensors are calibrated.

 

[cd57078]

hey dave(or anyone), i got another q for ya. Ok one of my gauges that im about to install, is a vaccuum gauge, and its mechanical. Now we will be running a tube to the gauge, and it cant be pinched at all. Now ive never had the A pillar off, so do any of you guys that have had the pillar off think that i will have enough room to install the gauge?? or would u reccomend mounting the gauge somewhere else like the cassette comparment area?

 

[Dave Ladely]

There is enough room for the vacuum tube. Thread it through the firewall, then up through the left side underdash to A pillar area. Might need to use a rod or something to go down from A pillar to are under the dash, hook on the tube.

 

[ThrillSHO]

Another option is to fabricate your own panel.

Includes:
Mechanical Water Temperature
Mechanical Oil Pressure
Electrical Tranny Temperature
Mechanical Vacuum
Electrical Volts
Stock Lighter w/Lit Trim

 

[cd57078]

mannnnnn, that looks really badass. Hey i noticed that one of your gauges is a mechanical vacuum gauge. I will be installing one of those through the A pillar and was wondering if you had an active e mail address that i could use to ask you some questions just in case??

 

[SHOZ123]

qb][/QUOTE]I have never seen a mechanical water temp gauge before, but I would worry about temperature bleed off in the capillary tube before it got to the gauge. QB][/QUOTE]

The capilalry tube has a bulb on the end immersed in the coolant. This bulb contains a gas that is calibrated in respect to its expansion rate due to temperature change. This gas as it expands and contracts will push or pull on the gauge needle mechanism. They are extreamly acurate as you can see 1F or 2F degree changes in the coolant temp. There is no bleed off of temperature.