Mechanical or electric gauges
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
Mechanical or electric gauges
Hey guys. I'll be starting my custom gauge cluster build here soon and am looking for any advice and suggestions. I also have questions. First of all electric or mechanical aftermarket gauges? Along with gauges how to wire in warning lights for oil, temp, fuel and volt? Thanks guys
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,417
Likes: 32
Hey guys. I'll be starting my custom gauge cluster build here soon and am looking for any advice and suggestions. I also have questions. First of all electric or mechanical aftermarket gauges? Along with gauges how to wire in warning lights for oil, temp, fuel and volt? Thanks guys
Warning lights for oil, and water temp are ground based. You run one wire from the sending unit which is a ground to the ground terminal on your lights. The other light terminal is a key on hot. So basically with the key on the power to the light is on. In the case of an oil pressure light, the sending unit ground is on turning the light on until you get oil pressure. Just the opposite with a water temp warning light. It stays off until you hit 225* or so, then it turns the ground on turning on the light.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 862
Likes: 7
From: like subarctic, brrr man!
I swapped to newer 90's style gauges...
I would not recommend that to anyone :P But I don't have a 5v regulator and now have a voltage gauge instead of the ammeter. But the reason I went this way was because the fuel tank sending unit resistances are different between the old fords and new.
Think lots of dremeling, JB welb, soldering, cursing, several trips to the jy for more cos mine don't fly well.
3x Electrics to keep oil and other noxious engine stuff out of the cab.
I would not recommend that to anyone :P But I don't have a 5v regulator and now have a voltage gauge instead of the ammeter. But the reason I went this way was because the fuel tank sending unit resistances are different between the old fords and new.
Think lots of dremeling, JB welb, soldering, cursing, several trips to the jy for more cos mine don't fly well.
3x Electrics to keep oil and other noxious engine stuff out of the cab.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 896
Likes: 55
From: Bothell
I seem to trust mechanical gauges more than electrial gauges and have had a few electical gauges that were very expensive but I could never get them to be accurate.
That said a busted oil guage line in the cab would be a huge mess.
When buying gauges make sure you see if the electric guage comes with the sending unit or not. That can make a big deal on price.
Another note... for a mechanical water temp guage it has a large probe on the end of the signal tube... this requires a much larger hole in the firewall than an electric temp gauge.
That said a busted oil guage line in the cab would be a huge mess.
When buying gauges make sure you see if the electric guage comes with the sending unit or not. That can make a big deal on price.
Another note... for a mechanical water temp guage it has a large probe on the end of the signal tube... this requires a much larger hole in the firewall than an electric temp gauge.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
Use mechanical guages where you can like oil pressure, and water temp. Some gauges have to be electrical. You'll find that if you try to buy guages that have electrical sending units they more than double in price.
Warning lights for oil, and water temp are ground based. You run one wire from the sending unit which is a ground to the ground terminal on your lights. The other light terminal is a key on hot. So basically with the key on the power to the light is on. In the case of an oil pressure light, the sending unit ground is on turning the light on until you get oil pressure. Just the opposite with a water temp warning light. It stays off until you hit 225* or so, then it turns the ground on turning on the light.
Warning lights for oil, and water temp are ground based. You run one wire from the sending unit which is a ground to the ground terminal on your lights. The other light terminal is a key on hot. So basically with the key on the power to the light is on. In the case of an oil pressure light, the sending unit ground is on turning the light on until you get oil pressure. Just the opposite with a water temp warning light. It stays off until you hit 225* or so, then it turns the ground on turning on the light.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
Thanks for all the input guys. I'm getting a set of electrical Marshall gauges. How do I wire up a speedo and tach
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,038
Likes: 4
From: South west Idaho
Any electric speedometer or tachometer i ever bought always had there own instructions to wire them up . That's what i would follow as for the speedometers they are not always the same with different brands and mine had a sending unit [pulse generator] at the transmission.__
__JIM..
Cranky Old Guy
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,562
Likes: 6
From: Raphine, Virginia
At least stay with gauges instead of idiot lights. While I prefer a mechanical oil pressure and temp gauge with voltmeter instead of amp, I refuse to trust an idiot light for oil pressure. Most are set to cut on at 5psi and the damage is already done before you can even pull over. Lost one engine due to this, won't happen again.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
At least stay with gauges instead of idiot lights. While I prefer a mechanical oil pressure and temp gauge with voltmeter instead of amp, I refuse to trust an idiot light for oil pressure. Most are set to cut on at 5psi and the damage is already done before you can even pull over. Lost one engine due to this, won't happen again.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 372
Likes: 4
From: New Mexico
I went with mechanical oil and water based on experience. That is, I have more confidence in the mechanical oil pressure, for example, than I do in an electrical sender. The trade in not losing my engine due to low oil pressure (not uncommon in a 351m) is worth the risk of the capillary tube failing. However, to mitigate this, one could use a copper tube versus the typical plastic one. I still have plastic, but I ran it inside a slightly larger rubber hose sealed on the gauge end and open on the engine side of the firewall. So at least a failure will keep the oil on the engine side.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
uh60
Pre-Power Stroke Diesel (7.3L IDI & 6.9L)
11
Oct 19, 2013 09:02 PM
mattmayo
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
4
Jun 11, 2009 10:50 PM
RussB
1999 - 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel
9
Mar 15, 2009 05:13 PM
custom68
1967 - 1972 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
2
Nov 28, 2004 07:27 PM