i need help hooking up the gauges i got this what they look like http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...er=267577_0_0_ how do i hook them up right and what well i need thanks for your help

 

Those would be easy - first read the instructions that came with them (decipher the Chinglish)...

Mount gauges and run senders to engine bay.

Wire the voltmeter into a switched 12V line like to the radio or something. Avoid cutting wires if possible. Soldering the wire on to the end of a terminal in a connector is my preferred way. Make sure no metal is exposed afterward.

Water temp sensor would replace the electrical switch on the front left corner of the intake. Use thread sealer and line wrench to install - do not overtighten.
Oil sender hose would replace the oil sender switch right behind the water pump (remove with special socket.) Clean threads of oil and use a Permatex thread sealer. Install fittings with line wrenches and do not overtighten.

I installed an economical set of these in my Ford 20 years ago and they still work great. Just replace the nylon oil line every 10 years or so.

 

thanks for your help and i didnt get instructions with them i got them form a friend and he didnt have them but thanks for your help

 

Look, 1983, when you ask for help, you've got to supply the people reading your post with the information they need to help you.

You linked to a new gauge set from a major US retailer, you didn't mention that you got them used and that you have no instructions, and you didn't specify exactly what gauges were in the set.

Now, I will assume that you got three gauges, the same ones as in the linked description: a voltmeter, a mechanical temp. gauge, and a mechanical oil pressure gauge. I will also assume that you were given all of the hardware needed to hook the stuff up, though you may not have been, and you may not know what you're missing.

First, the Temp gauge:
The mechanical temperature gauge works through a capillary tube.
The capillary tube is the little wire-like line that connects to the sender.
It CANNOT be removed from either end, and that wire MUST NOT be bent too far or too many times. The wire has a nearly microscopic passage inside of it filled with fluid,which is what makes the gauge work.
Think of it as containing magic - if you break it, the magic will escape, and the gauge won't work anymore. Ever.
Just snake the tube CAREFULLY trough a suitably sized hole in the firewall so that it can reach the location of the existing temperature sender smoothly and without sudden bends. Use a rubber grommet, or at least a bunch of tape, to protect it from chafing where it goes through the firewall. Have some teflon plumbing tape handy. Look at the size of the hole that the existing sender is in and choose the brass fitting from the gauge kit that looks right. Wrap the fitting so that the tape goes around it counterclockwise, so that when you screw it in, the movement doesn't make the tape come off. Remove the existing sender, then quickly thread the new fitting into the hole with your fingers until you've got a couple of threads in, and finish with a wrench. You have to make sure it goes in by hand before you put a wrench on it, so that you don't strip it by tightening it cross-threaded with a wrench. If you're fast, you won't lose much antifreeze. Now, wrap the fitting that is built onto the capillary tube with tape, and thread that into the fitting you screwed in already, tightening it carefully, avoiding twisting the tubing.

Second, the voltmeter:
Connect the negative terminal to a good ground (solid metal, like a steering column bolt, or to a factory ground wire, which would be black in the sixties and seventies, probably in the eighties, too).
Connect the positive terminal to a SWITCHED voltage source. I prefer the Accessories line, because that way I can watch the battery voltage if I'm sitting with the engine off listening to the radio. The easiest way to do this is to go right to the fuse box (unless the eighties cars are different), and look for slots too small for fuses labeled with BAT, IGN, and ACC. They are male spade connectors that provide connections to the battery, ignition line, and accessories line, respectively. They may already have optional equipment plugged into them, and if they do, the optional wires will have little male spade lug connectors sprouting off of them that you can connect to.
Make up neat wires to connect the gauge.
SOLDER all connections. I mean this. Soldered connections don't get dirty and fail to conduct, and they don't fall apart and start fires.
DON'T CRIMP STUFF - it's sloppy.
After soldering, use heat shrink tubing to cover the bare bits, including any female spade connectors you may have used. Tape can unravel, but shrink tubing is forever. And don't set the car on fire heating the tubing with your Bic lighter. Oh, and the shrink tubing goes on first, before any connectors, otherwise, you won't be able to fit it on over them...
Test all connections with a test light or multimeter before you connect them - make sure the ground is really a ground, and the hot really comes on when you want it to.

Third, the oil pressure gauge:
The oil pressure gauge uses thin nylon tubing to transmit oil pressure from the engine to the gauge. The tubing is fastened with compression fittings on each end. These fittings use a small ferrule (ring), which slips over the tubing, and is then compressed by a nut against the fitting body. Once the fitting has been tightened, the ferrule is compressed onto the tubing, and cannot be moved - you have to cut the end off and use a new ferrule if you want to make the tubing shorter.

Snake the tubing through an appropriate hole in the firewall. Use a rubber grommet, or at least a bunch of tape, to protect it from chafing where it goes through the firewall. Find the oil pressure sender, remove it, and replace it with the fitting for the gauge (with a few turns of teflon tape, as above, never too much, or it won't thread on), and tighten.
Now connect the tubing to the fittings on the ends - nut goes on tubing, then ferrule, then tubing goes into fitting, ferrule gets pushed down, nut gets threaded on and tightened. NO teflon tape on compression fitting parts!

Start her up and test for leaks. BE AWARE that a leak on the oil pressure gauge end will cause motor oil to spray all over your passenger compartment (no this did not happen to me, but I did have a slight drip once, and that was bad enough).

That's about it.

Any questions?

- Eric

 

Eric - great details! Much better than any generic Chinglish instructions that would have come with it anyway!

 

Thanks, Rob. I'm glad you liked it, especially since it was all from memory, and the last time I installed these was thirty years ago, when I was 1983's age.

- Eric

 

I was taught to crimp + solder + heat shrink after for the best possible connections.

This is the method I followed with rewiring my 78z28 with a whole new aftermarket harness as well.
All modern GM Weatherpack and Metripack connectors utilize a crimp method + solder for extra security.

 

Personally, I just solder without crimping.

Looks neater, and if you make a good solder joint, it'll never come apart.

The ones I did on my Chevelle 30 years ago are still strong.

But you CAN do both. "Belt & Suspenders" thing to me.

- Eric

ps: Any sign of the OP?

 

Do the job right and get some copper tubing for the oil pressure gauge. It won't melt or age-crack or anything like that and make a mess. Put a vibration loop in it on the engine side of the firewall- it's just a 2-3" diameter loop in the tubing to absorb any vibration or engine movement.

 

Hey All,

Thanks Eric for the good post on gauge installation. It was mentioned that the old oil pressure switches need to be removed, i have a stock 1972 350 rocket engine with a edelbrock performer intake, would there be any other places to screw in an aftermarket oil pressure gauge, or am i limited to removing the old sending switch?

Thanks!

-Tony

 

You can remove it, and just connect the tubing, or you can connect a T-fitting and connect both. You can do the fancy plumbing of your choice to make it look the way you want, or you can just lay the 2 in a horizontal axis above the timing chest.

- Eric

 

Oh awesome! Thanks Eeric,

Do you have any suggestions for tubing? Such as brass or steel plumbing? Or where to find it? Not sure if they make specific t-fittings for this sort of thing online or such?

Thanks!

-Tony

 

Just plain ol' brass fittings, like you'd use for A/C or similar stuff.

- Eric

 

Ah okay great, Thanks!

 

To preserve the functionality of the "idiot lights" Tees should be used on both the Oil Press and Water Temp gauges. I am sure your local flaps counter man can help with that.

 

A tee and a short nipple will work for the oil pressure gauge but there's no way to tee a water temp gauge. Any hardware store should have those brass fittings, I purchased mine at Sears Hardware. The idiot light sending units have to have a good ground so don't use any sealer or tape on the threads.
Use only copper like recommended earlier. Advance Auto has the kit with the line and fittings.
I had a nylon line let go inside the car and luckily I caught it quick and shut the car off but about a pint of oil came out before that and kept leaking until I crimped the line off with a pair of vise grips. I was really fortunate that I have some old winter/summer type floor mats that hold water and the one caught the oil, lucky the winter side was facing up too.
I've never tried taking out the distributor vacuum switch and using that for an electric gauge sending unit or the bulb type deal for the mechanical type, that would work if it works.
The idiot light sending unit should stay where it is , the wire might not reach if moved to the vacuum switch opening in the intake.

 

Might I suggest MDchanic's post be put up as a sticky?.
Adding worry gauges is something a lot of car enthusiasts would do.
He put up clear and comprehensive instructions on how to to the job properly and pointed out the pitfalls of not doing it right.
I think if anyone can't follow his instructions they shouldn't be allowed out unsupervised.
I don't want this should sound patronising but top marks to Eric, lets give credit when it's due.
Roger

 

It really surprises me that only one person has directly recomended to ditch the nylon tubing for the oil pressure gauge.

There is an inexpensive copper tube kit you can buy to replace the nylon tube.
Personally I would never run hot oil in a nylon tube through my engine compartment into the passenger cabin,thats just me...copper all the way!

 

I'm a step further,.......I only run Electric full sweep gauges.
No mechanical = no risk inside the cabin.

 

I use #4 braided with AN fittings. I don't remember ever having an AN fitting leak.

 

Hey, I'm trying to install essentially the same thing on my 68. I guess I'm clueless because I can't find the current temp sending unit. Anyone have a picture of what I need to look at to put the new end unit in?

new connection:
RPObp.png

 

Here are some examples:







Look for the screw-in plug with one or two wires, and no vacuum hoses coming off of it.

- Eric

 

I took picture of my engine because my seem backwards. Is what I have circled (on the front left side of the engine) the temp gauge? It looks like the only plug in which made me start wondering where the oil pressure gauge hook up is going to go.

s8Xf5.jpg

Here is a picture of my gauge end. Is it just a matter of plugging up the correct size adapter and putting this in?
Q9Znd.jpg

Here is a picture of the other side of my engine to see how I don't think there is any other input for anything.
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Thanks
If so, is it just a matter of unscrewing

 

Yup, that's it.

For whatever it's worth, this is your oil pressure sender:



- Eric

 

Thanks, its worth a lot! Hopefully I'll find sometime this week to get this, follow the rest of your instructions, and get my gauges working. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the gauge set I got comes with wires to go from the voltage to the fuse box/ground.

 

With the help of your instructions, I was able to get my gauges installed. Drove my car around, temp seemed to stay around 190. Pressure seemed good, ranging from 30ish to 50ish if I remember correctly.

Now, I've had electrical issues with my car. My voltage us at 14 V with everything (electrical) turned off. With turning on any lights, like the blinker, the Voltage drops. Could this be a bad ground? I have the hot wire running to my fuse box. My gauges each have their own light that I also wired to that hot line. When I drove my car at night with the headlights on, my voltage drops to around 10 and my blinkers run very slowly.

 

That sounds like a bad alternator to me, your local parts store should be able to check it out for you.
The tiny extra load for your new gauges shouldn't make a difference.

Roger.

 

... Or regulator.

You should check your Chassis Service Manual for troubleshooting instructions.

Basically, if you hot-field the alternator (connect 12V to the FIELD terminal to get maximum output), you should have well over 15V if the alternator's good.
If so, than it's your regulator.
If the voltage doesn't rise, then it's your alternator.
The internal parts of the alternator most likely to go bad (diodes, brushes, bearings) can be replaced without too much trouble.

Also, where did you connect the volt meter?
To troubleshoot the charging system, you want to check voltages at the battery.

- Eric

 

I just ran my volt meter to I believe my wiper fuse. Early, my car had an engine where the motor wouldn't stop. I found out this was because the battery cable to the starter was melting against my engine block. Unfortunately, the only way I could get my car to stop was by unplugging the battery while it was running and turning on a lot of lights.

Someone told me (maybe even you Eric) that this was a bad move and may fry my regulator.

When I get free time (tough with a new 3 week infant :-) ), I'll try to hot field the alternator and see the results.

 

Congratulations!

I wouldn't connect the dashboard voltmeter there.

To get an accurate view of how the electrical system is working, it should be connected to a big, clean wire that comes more or less directly from the battery, like the big pink wire that comes out of the ignition switch and goes to the coil. Connecting to the IGN lug on the front of the fusebox is usually a good substitute for this.

Connecting to a fuse may subject the meter to voltage fluctuations that have more to do with the particular circuit in question than to the whole charging system, and those fuse terminals are often not that clean.

- Eric

 

If I may add my .02 to this. I agree replacing the nylon with copper, but I'd also install a 1/8" bulkhead fitting in the firewall. Looks a little better than the tubing going through a grommet.

 

Yes yes yes yes, copper over nylon any day of the week. I had a copper line for my mech gauge in my Alero, and I could never get it to seal. Never again.

You can drill a hole in the firewall around the bolts just behind the brake pedal. I took out one of those bolts and ran my wires though that, but I didn't run any mech gauges though. You'll need a bigger hole to run that water sending unit thur the firewall.

I still haven't hooked up my water gauge yet. The sending unit that is circled in the pic, on a Delta, will bring up a "Check engine" light

 

I have a question about hooking gauges up in my '72 so that the light in the gauge (an Equus water temp gauge) is controlled by the rheostat? on the headlight pull ****. Will hooking a gauge into the accessory jack on the fuse block allow them to be controlled (dim/bright) this way?

 

No.

The ACC lug is hot whenever the ignition switch is in the ON or the ACC position.

Connect them to the grey wire under the dash.

I think there is also a chance that there may be a power lug in your fusebox labeled "LPS," which would also work.

- Eric

 

Thanks, MD. Another question: the light that came with my gauge is really yellow, the stock gauge lights are a blueish white. Does anybody know the type/part number of the stock bulbs so I can switch the one in my gauge to look stock?

 

The color doesn't come from the bulbs. It comes from pale blue paint inside the gauges.

You would either have to make a blue filter to put over the bulbs, or disassemble the gauges and paint the white areas inside.

- Eric

 

Wow that's cool - so analog. Thanks. Time to start mixing paint.

EDIT: Just checked - LPS does it, thx!