I don't much trust factory gauges, seeing as how I've driven the truck for several hundred miles and have never seen the oil pressure gauge move once from it's resting point, and have only seen the water temp gauge move slightly to the beginning dash of the "Normal" range... Despite my infrared non-contact thermometer reading the thermostat housing at 200 deg. (Useful little device. I can see pressure differences in the dually tires with it as well... I can get a crude estimate of my EGT at the manifold... It also indicates the condition of my front wheel bearings...Brakes...)

I went out and bought a three set of VDO mechanical gauges.

Oil Pressure
Oil Temperature
Water Temperature

Where would be a good place to tap into for the sensors?

I'd like to put the water temp sensor in one of the heads, as those are kinda critical to temperature. Is there a location that would be easy to put an NPT fitting in?

I'd probably put a "T" fitting where the stock oil pressure sensor is and put the mechanical gauge's sensor there... My only question is where is this stock sensor?

I'm not sure where would be a good place to put the oil temp sensor.
Any suggestions?


Finally, where would be a good place to put the gauges in the cabin?

I was looking at the dash, and just above the radio and heater controls, there's an ncie flat area... But if I mounted the gauges there in the dash, they'd be at a difficult angle to read. Perhaps a pod to mount them in?
Maybe mount them on the "A" pillar like people do in sports cars... Is there a manufactured gauge pod that I can buy for this purpose?

Have any of you installed aftermarket gauges? Show me your installation or give me a few pointers.

Thanks.

 

In my 86 I have a pillar pod that has a pyrometer and boost gauge in it.
On top of the dash I have a three gauge pod that has oil pressure, water temp and a volt meter in it.
Under the dash I have an oil temp.

Temp sensor for water temp is mounted in the head.
Oil pressure is tee'd into the turbo oil feed line, the stock oil pressure sender is located in the rear center of the engine behind the intake manifold.
My oil temp sender is located in the oil pan.

 

Exactly what Dave said. The port I used is the water outlet for the heater core, Except in the drivers head. Front right side when head is on passenger side, puts the port @ the rear left when on the driver side. Directly on top of the exhaust manifold near the steering shaft. The oil sender is as Dave said @ the rear of the engine, no turbo feed line on NA engine. Just thread in a "T" . The factory oil sender is just a pressure switch. It does not make the guage move, regardless if you have 100 psi or 10 psi. All it does is center the needle , some call it a glorified idiot light. Cheers Rick

 

Summit racing has the pods for your A-pillar and they are quite reasonable. That is where I got all the gauges and mounting pods for mine.

 

Well I can tell you today that the temperature gauge does get above the N...mine never did either until I got on I44 today and held it to the floor for a while and watched it climb to the L.... yeah, it works.. time for a turbo lol

 

Have pics of your dash and pillar pods?

I'd rather not have airing sticking out the back of some gauges that're just thrown up on the dash on a piece of sheet metal.

 

Also, how did you hook up your Oil Pressure gauge? I'd personally like an isolator so that if the gauge or line breaks, I'm not shooting oil into my passenger compartment.

 

Pele, I have Autometer guages with pillar style on my 86
-boost
-pyro
-oil pressure

You can buy the pillar almost from any one.

I also have boost and pryometer readings on my water/methanol consule.