Boost and Oil pressure Gauge install

[supradjza80]

Alright, I just purchased a mechanical boost gauge and an electric oil pressure gauge for my car. After searching around I think I have found the correct locations to attach the vac line and the sending unit but just wanted to start a thread to help all the newbs (like myself) that spend a bunch of time trying to figure it out.

First - Boost

It appears the best place to get boost is to T into the vac line to the stock boost sending unit. There seems to be a few different ways to run the line to the gauge, what have people found to be the most direct and clean way to route it? I would prefer to not run it all the way across to the passenger side and then back to the driver side, but I don't want to drill through the fire wall either (two methods i have found on this site). Car is a 5 spd so I cannot go through where the clutch master is as some have with autos.

Opinions?

Second - Oil Pressure

Looks like people put the sending unit off the stock sending unit location or use an adaptor plate off the oil filter. Which location is "better" and why? I would like a good reason why one is better than the other before i decide where to go.

Discuss, and thanks for the help

Dave

 

[sneakypete]

Alright, I just purchased a mechanical boost gauge and an electric oil pressure gauge for my car. After searching around I think I have found the correct locations to attach the vac line and the sending unit but just wanted to start a thread to help all the newbs (like myself) that spend a bunch of time trying to figure it out.

First - Boost

It appears the best place to get boost is to T into the vac line to the stock boost sending unit. There seems to be a few different ways to run the line to the gauge, what have people found to be the most direct and clean way to route it? I would prefer to not run it all the way across to the passenger side and then back to the driver side, but I don't want to drill through the fire wall either (two methods i have found on this site). Car is a 5 spd so I cannot go through where the clutch master is as some have with autos.

Opinions?

Second - Oil Pressure

Looks like people put the sending unit off the stock sending unit location or use an adaptor plate off the oil filter. Which location is "better" and why? I would like a good reason why one is better than the other before i decide where to go.

Discuss, and thanks for the help

Dave

for the boost gauge, i tee'd mine in where the cruise control is, and routed the line through the firewall where the throttle cable is (i have a bunch of stuff going through there) and was able to mount the gauge where the cig lighter was.
for the oil pressure.... i used a sandwich plate adapter. i had trouble even with that because there were clearance issues with the block. and i tried mounting it in the stock location and there were clearance issues with the exhaust manifold heat shields. so i ended up using the sandwich plate adapter but had to remove the stock sender so the aftermarket would fit.

-pete

 

[supradjza80]

Thanks for the response, anyone else have opinions?

 

[trydrew]

I have they same gauges (mine are autometer).

For my boost gauge, I ran the nylon tube through a hole that i srilled and grommited, somewhere under my clutch master cylinder. I teed it off of my stock boost gauge line, mainly because of it's location.

As for my oil pressure gauge, I put the sending unit in the stock location, but that required me to run a die down the threads on the unit to fit the threads on the block. I then ran the wiring though the same grommit as the boost gauge tube.

Both of my gauges are on my steering column and the wires are carefully routed under the dash.

Another way you could run something is past the hood hinge and then behind the fender. Then you run it through the door wire harness grommit. It is pretty far out of the way but it's an idea.

 

[supradjza80]

does anybody know of some good options that don't involve drilling the firewall?

 

[CyFi6]

If you remove the inner wheel well cover you will see that you can run the wire into the fender though a pre-existing grommet and then into the cab through another pre-existing grommet.

 

[Sil]

Yah, there's a hole on the passengers side of the firewall where your harness runs to your ecu, I ran mine through there, all you have to do is pull out the glove box and fish the line through. Then depending on where you want it, some dissasembly of the dash may also be required.

 

[CyFi6]

I also don't recommend putting the sender unit in the stock location. I did this and it ruined the sender unit twice. Its so close to the exhaust manifold it gets way too hot, even with the rubber boot over it, they got ruined.

 

[supradjza80]

If you remove the inner wheel well cover you will see that you can run the wire into the fender though a pre-existing grommet and then into the cab through another pre-existing grommet.

I will probably give this a try so I don't have to go across the entire dash to the harness, and then go back across the engine bay to the Intake Mani for the boost Gauge.

 

[supradjza80]

I also don't recommend putting the sender unit in the stock location. I did this and it ruined the sender unit twice. Its so close to the exhaust manifold it gets way too hot, even with the rubber boot over it, they got ruined.

thanks for the tip, I will probably get an adapter plate for the filter and see how that works out for me.