Hey guys!

The factory gauges in my 85 F-250 are all over the place. My temp gauge is reading at the L but when shot with a temp gun it wasn't even 170 degrees. Same with the oil pressure gauge. Either way I am planning on installing ISSPRO temp and oil pressure gauges.

I know a lot of people have recommended installing an EGT gauge on these trucks but I'm not sure if I need one. My truck is not going to be doing any towing, but I do intend on driving it up to the White Mountains a couple times a year. It's a 5,282 foot elevation difference. I know driving it up there I will keep an eye on the tail pipe and the smoke coming out, and be easy on the throttle but should I spend the $200 on a pyrometer?

 

Will, does your 6.9l have a turbo? Do you plan on towing with it or turning up the fuel screw? If you're answer is NO then a pyrometer probably isn't necessary. However, I installed a pyro on my NA 6.9l only because I plan to install a turbo and adjust the fuel screw on the IP eventually.

 

Hey Jesse! My 6.9 does not have a turbo. I may add one eventually, but it is not a high priority. I don't plan on screwing with the IP at all, it runs well now and doesn't smoke at all.

 

If that's the case then you MAW hold off on installing a pyro. Use the money on that coolant temp and oil pressure gauge instead. Those are always handy for a project vehicle. In fact, I intend to install a coolant temp gauge before too long.

 

Unless you are turning up your IP or running a turbo (or both), then you don't need a pyro

 

Thanks guys!

Where's a good place to install my new temp sending unit? I'd like to leave the dash gauge working so is there another port I could install it into? I'm just going to a T with my oil pressure sending unit so I got that one all figured out.

 

I have a van, so I had a super easy time just pulling one of my cylinderhead plugs on the top rear of the engine, accessing it from the doghouse. But on a truck, you would likely have to find one of the plugs on the front of the cylinder head, probably obscured by some of the accessories.

I also put a tee on my oil pressure sender for my aftermarket oil pressure gauge. Easy enough in a van as well, probably a pain to do on the truck. I guess if you have to get back to do the oil pressure tee, then you might be able to find one of the rear cylinder head plugs for your temp gauge as well.

 

You can see my temp sensor and oil pressure tee on my wicked wheel video:

 

There is a threaded port on top of the water pump that you can use for a temp sending unit. I used it on my truck when I wired up my electric fan. Just be careful that you don't tighten the temp sender so much that it strikes the impeller on the water pump.

 

I highly recommend you don't add a T to your oil pressure hole. Reason being the excess vibration of the extra stuff on that really small 1/8" npt fitting will cause it to shear off eventually. It's happened on mine twice from some junk the po had cobbled together and I've seen it before on other diesels.

There is a port on the back of your oil cooler header you can use if you want to keep the factory gauge. Personally I'd put all the manual gauges in the factory locations and forget about the factory gauges. They're terribly inaccurate and too expensive to replace when they fail.

You could always build a custom cluster too if you don't want all the manual gauges taking up space. All you need in the factory cluster is the Speedo which should be manual on yours, it comes out and seperates quite nicely as one unit. Tach will too if you have that option you'll just have to trace the wires back to the connector which isn't hard if you have a multimeter with the continuity setting. Fuel gauge also separates but they sell compatible aftermarket ones. You just need to know the ohm specs

 

If it was me, id add the coolant sender in the water pump or below the t-stat. I was trying to control my electric fans from the head and it wouldnt turn on until temp gun said 235/240 at the t-stat (fan set to on at 210, off at 190) and the thing wouldnt shut off until the engine wasnt under load for several minutes. Come to find out, theres at times more than 20* difference between the head and t-stat... i had the sender mounted in the factory idiot light sender.

Having a pyro is never a bad idea with a diesel, i cant think of any situation where i wouldnt want one. That said, i agree that you probably dont *need* one.