autometer gauge install

[GhettoPop]

i'm installing volt, oil press, and water temp gauges, all elec, under my stereo in that wasted empty compartment. got a few questions:

1. i know the stock water temp sender is on the front driver's side of the intake behind the distributor, can i simply use a t-connector to use stock and autometer gauges? will this somehow cause an inaccurate reading for one or both? am i better off drilling a hole in the water neck? where is the best spot?

2. i think the oil pres sender is near the drivers side front of block next to timing cover. will a t connecter work here too?

3. where are the best places to hook up the gauges to the ignition switch, dash lighting circuit, and gauge light ground?

any advise or pics would be great, thanks.

[Murdock]

The oil sending unit is in the location you described...right in front of the oil filter. You can tee into the wires as you said. I took the wire for the volts out to the charging side of the starting solenoid.

[GhettoPop]

so the t connector for the oil pressure sender, where can i pick one up? will both gauges still be accurate? i read it can cause inaccuracy.....

do i need to buy any other adapters for the oil pres or water temp senders?

[Red5Ltr]

Can someone tell me how the hell to bleed the oil line going from the block to the gold cylinder for my gauge. I don't have a steady line of oil going threw the line. Theres a bunch of gaps. Is this normal?

[White GT]

Originally posted by Red5Ltr
I don't have a steady line of oil going threw the line. Theres a bunch of gaps. Is this normal?

When the engine running there's no more gaps in the line. This is what i saw on mine.

Anyway. it's visible because you use nylon tubing instead of braided line.

[tireburner163]

Yea, it's just because the motor isn't running.

And at least get copper line, that nylon crap SUCKS. I WILL eventully leak.



-Josh, aka the tireburner

[RoadWarrior]

Just go with the electronic gauges. Easy to wire and take a lot less work to install.

[GhettoPop]

about to install my 3 electric gauges, water temp, oil pres, and volts. first, i hooked up the (+) and (-) wires for the gauge's lights directly to the ignition and ground terminals on the gauges themselves. i dont care if the lights are always on and its less wires to run. now, i hooked up all three ignition terminals in series w/ 18 gauge wire then ran a 14 gauge wire w/ 10 amp inline fuse to power all three gauges. its less wires to run this way. where is the best connection, stater solenoid? will volt gauge be accurate? i also did the same for the ground connections.will this work?

i also am not gonna reconnect my stock gauges. will dead stock gauges cause any code/dummy light issues or problems?

[bigred90gt]

Unless you bought your guages used, the water temp guage should have come with a new sending unit. I tried to use my stock sending unit, and it didnt work. Replaced it with the supplied one, and it worked like a charm. Just out of curiosity, why do you still want to use your stock guages, knowing the inaccuracy of them? I dont think it will turn on the check engine light, mine didnt.

[HISSIN50]

i am a little foggy on how you wired the gauges (sources). are your gauges always "live?" you really dont want more of a drain that a couple hundred mA when the car is dormant. you might want to check the draw with a DMM if you have hard starting issues. i would tap it off of an ignition hot only circuit. 10 amp fuse is huge overkill, but fine.

as for the accuracy of the volt meter.....what do you want to know? remember that there is voltage drop throughout the car. your alternator can put out 15 volts, but if the cable from the alternator to the solenoid is old, you can experience more than 1 volt of voltage drop from there to the solenoid (and more to the battery). everywhere in the car will have different readings (slight, but present). i chose to tap into a key on hot circuit in the cockpit. i did not care. i dont want to see the best voltage scenario, i wanted an average to poor vantage. i like to be realistic.
for lighting, you have/had a couple of options. you could tap into the ISO circuit off the headlight switch. easier, IMHO is to tap it at fuse 13, IIRC (the ISO circuit). this will dim the gauges with the stock dimmer.

for your oil pressure line, some like to full the line with something like 0W-30 oil, as it flows faster and is more instantaneous.

for the senders. you will not trip any CEL's. the ECT controls the puters input for coolant temps. it is on the pass side and has two wires. the gauge sender is on the lower intake behind the dizzy. it only has one wire.
the stock oil gauge does nothing for the puter, and you can retain it anyhow, if you want. the low oil level light (if applicable) is in the sump.
if you wish to retain the stock temp gauge (i dont like dead gauges), you can relocate the stock sender to the rear of the lower intake or to the t-stat housing. i have some detailed info with pics from a write up i did about doing this, but it is from Stangnet, where i normally roam. i dont know if i can post other forums' links in here. let me know or PM me and i can provide more info if you want.

on the oil sender, you have a couple of options. if it is a mechanical gauge, you can either do the Tee fitting or tap the hex tube. for the Tee, parts stores sell 1/8" Tees in the gauge section. you can also get them from the home store. stock sender is 1/4" (IIRC), while many aftermarket gauge senders are 1/8". also, for an electric gauge, i found it easier to use a 1.5" extendsion tube off the hex to get the sender away from the block.
for the mechanical hex tube set up: you can mark the tube inside of the stock sender (between the block and sender), where the little fitting will fit. then pull the hex tube and tap it for the line fitting. your choice.

maybe this helps. i just looked and did not notice how old this thread was, even though it is on the front page. good luck and enjoy knowing what is really going on.

[White GT]

Originally posted by GhettoPop
so the t connector for the oil pressure sender, where can i pick one up? will both gauges still be accurate? i read it can cause inaccuracy.....

do i need to buy any other adapters for the oil pres or water temp senders?

Do you finally used a "T" connector. I tried one too and i found this a lil ugly. The best could be a "Y" but i never found one.

I hate to get dead gauge this is why i want to solve this

Don't know if the better way will be to drill and tread it to plug the gauge.