Planning on installing an aftermarket coolent temp and oil pressure guage tomorrow (if i still have power) on my 88 7.3. where is the best location for the coolent temp sensor and the oil pressure sender?

 

There's a coolant port on the passenger side rear of the head. Remove the plug and install. For oil, assuming you DO NOT have a turbo, you can either install a brass "T" fitting in the stock location at the rear of the manifold or on the driver side of the block near the oil filter there is a small plug you can remove and install the o/p sender.

 

I put my mechanical temp gauge sender where the temp light switch was in the head.

Oil pressure, there is a row of five 1/4" square headed pipe plugs under the oil cooler.
Pull one of them out, 1/8" pipe thread fitting screws right in it's place.
Just watch the exhaust pipe and steering linkage when you pick the plug you use.

 

To clarify my original comment, in Dave's picture the temp light switch is on the front driver's side head. Like I stated, the rear passenger side head has a plugged identical port to use instead of losing your stock temp light (the cylinder heads are the same left to right, just flipped around). I like having a warning light, and all mine work.

 

allright thanks guys, well the lights are still on and the shop is warm so it looks like im gunna do it today. wheres the best place to pick up a key hot for the power for the guages?

 

IIRC I used a fuse tap in the fuse panel.

 

There are actually several square headed plugs in the heads that can be used for temp sensors.