A huge thank you to everyone on FTE who inspired my installation.

Finally got home early from work - and it wasn't raining so I could finish up the wiring under the dash.

I "needed" to add a fuel pressure gauge, and decided to put it on
my A-pillar,but I also wanted to monitor voltage so I could free up 1 reading on my Scangauge2. I was considering the Ford Racing
fuel pressure gauge from Autometer ($220) and then just use
a "cheap" digital voltage display stuck to the dash. But, I didn't like
the cheap look and decided to get the dual-gauge.

It's a standard size 2 & 1/16" digital gauge that displays input from 2 different sensors. You can select from a variety of
combinations of sensors - I needed fuel pressure and voltage, but
others could use fuel pressure & EGT in a single gauge and retain
their grab handle - here is the link on these gauges.

Dual Gauges

The gauge comes with the sending unit(s) a pre-fab cable wired for
the 2 sensors you choose in a nice 12-pin snap-on connector.

I ordered the 6.0 fuel pressure adaptor hose kit from Strictly diesel
along with the autometer 15318 Single Gauge Pod, and the
Medium Pebble matched paint.

The Autometer pod required a little mod'n to get it to fit.
Not sure if it's because the Excursion pillar is different than the
super duty or not. It only took 5-10 minutes with a dremel tool
to carefully remove the material in the places that didn't allow it
to "snap-in" around the pillar - it is pinned in real tight..

The gauge snapped right in to the pod after just a tiny bit of filing to one edge
of the pod. The gauge is just pressed in.

The sensor is pre-wired to a 4-conductor "cable" which was a bit
tricky to feed through the firewall. I decided to pull out the grommet/bushing around the wire bundle and put a small slit into the
outer ridge and push the connector through. Once through the
rubber grommet/bushing fits tightly around the cable and easily pushed
back into the firewall - and it's sealed nice and tight.

I have yet to install the fuel pressure sensor and adopter, along with
the blue spring upgrade kit - hopefully this weekend.
And I will put plumbers tape on the sensor threads.

The paint is a very close match - I gave it 3 light coats and I'm real
pleased with it. I have to find a home for the "button" which
allows me to configure the gauge's refresh rate, brightness, etc.

In the picture with the gauge "on", the truck is not running.
So the fuel pressure alarm light is on and so is the low voltage light,
I have it programmed to alarm at 12.4 volts.

I'll update once I complete the install.

 

Nice job...I really like having my Aeroforce gauge mounted in that single A-pillar spot...a very natural place to look while towing!



Thanks for sharing!

 

Thanks, it looks like your pod was an equally tight fit.
That spot is so easy to monitor while driving

 

looks great

 

It was a tight but almost "perfect" fit!...I liked being able to keep the grab handle there and I personally liked the clean look of how that gauge fits right there...your choice couldn't have been any better!...

When I painted mine...I used a Krylon camo paint that didn't match that bad actually...I think it was $4 at the time and is good for plastics...I was having a hard time finding the Ford medium parchment locally and was too cheap to spend $25 on a can of spray paint shipped to my house

You will really like having the gauges right there!

 

Those are not cheap gauges! WOW!

Looks great guys! Some day I will get around to getting a couple gauges in my X. I realized I should have at least a trans temp gauge in my X after pulling some long grades in WV a little over a week ago. My stock engine coolant gauge was moving around like a gauge should but the trans temp "LOL" gauge was useless. Thats another thing that ford pisses me off about, why have gauges if they aren't gauges?

 

Snow,

The factory gauge will actually move once the trans temp tops 220°

take a look at this picture



What I've done is mark my instrument cluster clear cover with a white grease pencil for the spot the trans temp NORMALLY sits...in the attached photo...that would be from 100-220°.

Notice the white mark in this photo...I've marked my oil pressure, engine temp and trans temp in this manner...this way when I glance down at the instrument cluster...if the needle is BEHIND the white mark...I know everything is NORMAL!

 

Snowseeker, it's 'only' $60 more than other fuel pressure gauges that I wanted. Most were $200-220 (I liked the Autometer Ford Racing since it matched the dash, but I really liked having the voltage in the same place w/o more work).

I wish it would stop raining here so I could install my blue spring kit & FP sensor.

It is a shame the stock "gauges" are what they are. Too bad we can't
just cut a 2 1/16" hole where each stock gauge is and put in a real one.
I rented a Chevy Traverse a couple weeks ago and their gauges had
voltage markings on their gauge and it appeared
to be accurate (engine off, key on - lights on voltage 11-12.
Started the car voltage 14) I would guess temps also were true gauges.

Strange how Ford feels drivers of "trucks" would be content with
gauges that don't move even when under load/uphill until - "boom".

Every chevy I've ever owned had real gauges. Still love my first Ford a LOT better!

 

NOT TO DEFEND THEM...but I can kind of understand where Ford came from on the trans gauge...

They feel the trans is SAFE up to 220* so the gauge is solid up to that point...

I can only imagine some folks calling the dealer day in and day out because their gauge moved a little...

But I would have like to see movement about 210* so you know you are heating up and can start to take some precautions BEFORE it is already at 220*...

Typically "moving" gauges for the lay folk causes concern...that's my take/assumption as to why they did it this way...

But I am WITH YOU that I would have liked to see an earlier movement of the trans gauge...my solution...add a gauge to give me what i want since I tow heavy under some tough terrain and weather conditions...

 

Can the stock gauges be modified to "move" at different temps? I'm sure if it were that "simple" someone would have done it a long time ago...then again, where would the fun be in installing new gauges?

 

Finished up the install this morning, installed blue spring, replaced
EGR valve (dang it was crusted, had a tough time cleaning out the
internal passages they were gunked up so much).

Took it for a test drive - nice!

 

But they are "trucks", people driving a truck should understand stuff like this. I know lots don't but they would learn. Chevy gauges move around all the time and no one complains.

 

Looking at the guage tab in the spreadsheets for modifing the 6.0, they have a note DO NOT USE AUTOMETER GUAGES. Does anyone know why? I have autometer guages on my 77 restomod F100 and never had any problems with them.

 

Great job, mounting looks awesome! Did you find any links or videos on how and where to install the fitting that allows you to read the pressure? What about where to come through the firewall to get into the cab? I have an Edge Juice with Attitude monitor near there. I suppose it goes through at the same place?

 

sorry to dig up an old thread. I am looking at going a similar route with a single pod on the A pillar. I would like to monitor EGT and Fuel Pressure. anyone know where i could get one of these gauges?