Ok... so im on the river store, and GlowShift seems to be the best (only real) option there. Covers a lot of ground, for sure. Heres my multi point question.

I know some (a lot?) Of you use some version of forscan on your phone, and i assume a bluetooth obd addapter, for at least some things. I have only used it on a laptop, and was immediately over my head.... so if i do the app thing... what can i monitor (accurately) and what do i still need aftermarket gauges for?

As to gauges... im considering the three dial A pillar mount, with a triple gauge, boost/egt/temp (thinking water temp) a fuel pressure, and hpop pressure. So 5 things that, from reading here, seem to be the most important. I skip trans temp because i have the zf6 and so i dont think i need to keep as close an eye there, as the other stuff.

Looking for holes in my logic, better recomendations, pitfalls to look out for, etc. Planning to redo the air intake, exhaust, at minimum, and plan to put a hydra on it. Turbo... probably a kc if the garret tanks, until then, trying to just optimize a stock engine setup.

 

Most would say
EGT is near or at the top of the list
ECT is not monitored the gauge is dumb so definitely a good idea
EOT yep right after coolant

Fuel pressure, yep tells you what is going on and good for diagnosing issues
Transmission temp auto or manual is a good idea
I also like the idea of monitoring the rear end temp

As for FORScan I have it up when driving for gauges and can monitor several items but real gauges are needed for EGT, ECT, Fuel pressure. HPOP can be done on FORScan also.

 

Is the river store the same as the rainforest store?

Or is the river store in de Nile?

Because there are a lot of other "real" options out there.



Examples of well known brands of gauges include, but are not limited to:

Autometer - Over 1,840 gauge products
Classic Instruments - Over 1,630 gauge products
Dakota Digital - Over 500 gauge products
VDO - Over 330 gauge products
Stewart Warner - Over 310 gauge products
New Vintage USA - Over 200 gauge products
Intellitronix - Over 190 gauge products
Isspro - EV2 & Performax
DiPricol - 2 in 1 double needle sweep
ScanGauge
Banks Power DynaFact & iDash
Bosch Performance
AEM Electronics
AED Performance
Longacre Racing
Innovate Motorsports
Drew Technologies NDash & NGuage
AeroForce Intercepter
Stack Gauges
Aeromotive
Auber Instruments
and dozens and dozens and dozens of other automotive gauge brands not listed here.

 

Zf6 okie here. If you run any tunes with a stock turbo EGT would be #1 in importance, followed by fuel pressure, post filter. Boost while cool to watch, is the gauge I watch the least. Oil temp is in my 4th pillar pod, a second sending unit for temp and a toggle switch will get you double the locations of use for it

I liked the look of Hewitt gauges for my setup

EGT and fuel pressure are the 2 you cannot get from the obdii port

 

Well dang.... alright. I knew there were other brands, thats just the only one on the rainforest store... I always start with the rainforest/river store, because we have an account, etc. That, is quite the list of options, so i can do a lot of shopping around using your impressive recitation.

 

Duly noted sir, i was wondering about a switch, or valve setup to get a 2 for one.... and knowing what i cannot get from the obdii is a big factor for me, that being said, i also prefer a needle or a number, over one more thing to have my phone doing...... 🤷

 

There are literally dozens of ways to accomplish this, that I will miss a bunch even though I am trying to encompass most of them.

I selected ISSPRO EV2 gauges due to their reliability and customer service. I had a FP sensor fail and an EGT gauge fail, both replaced at no cost to me. Since those failures in the 1st year of ownership, no issues have occurred and I like their function and what they provide to me.

I originally had a modified stock turbo and a Hydra chip, so I installed EGT, FP and boost on the pillar. The 4 pod inhibits the use of the sun visor as I understand it, so I did not want that. Now, I have a T4 turbo and the Hydra chip and would have preferred the gauges to be mounted lower like in a F-650 dash or something similar. I don't pay attention to the EGT or boost gauges like I used to, but this is a minor nuisance for me, but worth mentioning to you since you are asking for advice.

I too have a ZF6 transmission, so I went with EGT, FP and boost. The slushbox (4R100) guys and gals usually go with EGT, FP and transmission temperature if they do not plan to run an OBDII virtual gauge set. If they do plan to run the OBDII gauge set, then boost or dealers choice for the 3rd gauge. Really up to you.

Below are some popular choices of OBDII virtual gauges from FORScan.

• RPM(1/min) – Engine revolutions per minute
• IPR% - IPR duty cycle percentage
• ICP(psi) – Injector Control Pressure (select ICP, not ICPV, as seen in the image below)
• VSS(mph) Vehicle speed sensor
• FUELPW(ms) – Fuel injector pulse width
• MFDES(mg) – Mass fuel desired
• EBP_A(psi) – Exhaust back pressure (select the EBP_A and not EBP)
• MAP(psi) – Manifold air pressure
• IAT(A°F) – Intake air temperature
• MAT(A°F) – Manifold air temperature
• EOT(A°F) – Engine oil temperature (select EOT, not EOTV, as seen in the image below)
• MGP(psi) – Manifold gauge pressure (boost)
• ECT(A°F) – Engine coolant temperature (only available on ZF6)
• TFT(A°F) – Transmission fluid temperature (only available on 4R100)
• VPWR(V) – Vehicle battery power
• TC_SLIPACT(1/min) – Torque converter (only available on 4R100)

Bullets taken from thread by BWST here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post19511701

That link also provides clear and concise details on how to connect to the PCM via the OBDII port if you decide to go that route.

I enjoy having the OBDII gauges at the touch of a finger, so I went with an ATOTO A6 Pro install in the dash, see picture and link below.

Link: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...t-project.html



or




Nothing wrong with virtual or dedicated gauges, just depends on what you like and prefer. I think it was @Tugly that wired up a single EGT gauge to read both banks? That is an option as well if you want that sort of feature.

I would recommend at the very least EGT and FP though. Those are the two (as mentioned by others) that you cannot get from the PCM, no way, no how...

There are gauges that have two different measurements within one housing. There are gauges with multiple readings within one housing. There are things like the CTS3 (not my personal choice by any means) that some people love to use and look at instead of gauges.

It all depends on what you want sir, which is a great thing to have. Choices... Options...

 

@Sous Thank you sir. Sounds like i need to break down and get FORscan app setup... that does cover most of the stuff i would ever need.
personally, i like a needle on a dial face.... for some reason i find that the easiest to use. A number, my brain will not always register, ill look at the time, or what have you, amd look away, and not know what i looked at, forcing me to look again... a needle on a dial, if i dont remember the number, i will almost always remember, at least its relative position on the face.

 

I forgot to add that @akcooper9 took a different approach to the Android head unit than I did. Maybe he will be kind enough to share a picture of his install with you soon.

I understand the desire for a needle and dial, that is why I went with dedicated gauges for the important stuff. The virtual gauges that FORScan provides is a data logging and geewhiz tool. Frankly, since installing the 363/68/.91 T4 turbo and providing a daunting amount of detail backed up by videos, images, spreadsheets, data logs and live virtual gauge overlays, I haven't turned on the FORScan virtual gauges once since then.

Although, they are there and easily brought up within a second or two with the push of two soft buttons.

If you want 20 physical gauges in the truck, go for it! That would not be the first time I have seen it, even here on the FTE.

It is up to you sir, what you desire and what your goals are for the truck.

 

After years of buying gauges, swapping them around, and logging/reviewing hundreds of hours with Torque Pro, FORScan, and AutoEnginuity - this is what I have learned:

Unless you are troubleshooting, most of it is fluff. As an example, I now have a malfunctioning boost gauge (came with the truck, probably a loose wire), but I'm going to yank it. There are 3 important PIDs not available on the OBDII port - Left EGT, Right EGT, and Fuel Pressure. Everything else that matters (and can be monitored electrically as you drive) is on the OBDII port.




Believe it or not, I have found having the left/right EGT gauges very useful, as well as the fuel pressure. All of those were very enlightening, yet you will easily find many arguments against being that ****. If you tow a lot like I do, you may want a dedicated transmission temp gauge - not forcing you to rely on the OBDII system.

Other than those 4 dedicated gauges, I lost interest in the rest - except for those rare troubleshooting events. I drove halfway across the country after a (very) major mod last month, and once I was satisfied with the results - the gauges were promptly ignored.

When troubleshooting your truck, there is a whole host of gauges to look at on the OBDII, depending on what the issue is.

Oh... and seriously - riffraffdiesel.com. You won't find a single person here arguing against THAT.

 

+1 for Isspro. Made in Oregon. I'd happily sell you a gauge/pod package.

 

Consider the overhead gauge mount - it's out of the way, like the lower dash mount, and does not partially block view around the A-pillar or attract undue attention.

I'm using Isspro EV EGT and fuel pressure - about to add boost, 'cause I like to have plenty of data. ATOTO S8 with FORScan Lite running OBDII gauges takes care of the rest.

 

These guys already got you squared away, but I want to comment anyway.

For starters, no one is going to slap you on the wrist for saying the actual name of the river/rainforest store. Many if not most of us buy stuff from Amazon, just got to be careful and make sure its legit because some sellers list counterfeit products.

I think most here are going to steer you away from Glowshift and probably towards ISSPRO. In no way would it be considered the best or only. What is best is very subjective and can only be determined by the user. They just seem like the only option on Amazon because they've got the best sales tactic on there, by offering pre-built kits tailored to specific vehicles. Most other companies sell things universal and by the piece. You can find many of the afore mentioned gauges on Amazon if you search for them instead of by what is listed for your vehicle. Might help to go to manufacturer website and get a part number.

IMO something is better than nothing for the gauges that have been recommended. I don't intend for the life of my engine to be dependent on any aftermarket gauge, just a useful tool to check if something seems off. I can understand why everyone here suggests going a route other than Glowshift. They even did it in my own thread on the subject a few months ago. They might not be the greatest, but I figure that there are a whole lot of them out in the wild that are working just fine. On that note can you guess what I ordered on Amazon yesterday. Glowshift 3-n-1 with Boost, EGT, and pressure. For me, for now, that is the better options. It means I'll probably be buying more gauges in the future, but I'm ok with that. This will get me what I need/want to keep an eye on and I can take my time figuring out exactly how I want it laid out in the future.

Kind of in the same boat you are. Cleaning up, doing a little modifying. Actually have a Hydra sitting on the desk in front of me. Want to get the aux gauges installed first so I can keep an eye on things after the hydra gets installed. From everything I've read I trust the Hydra and PHP's tunes for it, but I want to be able to verify until I'm comfortable with it.

Also FWIW, the Atoto A6 Pro was also in that shopping care when I checked out yesterday and I've already got the OBDII adapter on hand.

 

Some of the discouragement around here away from Glowshift might simply be due to age. For example, I have purchased Autometer, Stewart Warner, VDO, Isspro, and Banks gauges years before either Amazon or Glowshift ever existed.

 

PHP tuning is very good in my opinion. But they can’t control conditions of individual vehicle maintenance. Example would be leaking uppipes or a boost leak. Either of those can drive otherwise good EGTs into a bad place. So you’re absolutely right. Gauges should come first even with “trusted” tuning.

I think folks here steer people away from something they feel may not last over time. Many of us geezers on here are at a place in life where we want to do it once and be done. They may forget about their younger days when price may have been a bigger part of the decision matrix.

I put some Amazon no name el cheapo set of gauges in dad’s truck. He didn’t want to spend much but I was able to talk him into “something” to monitor with. You have to tap the pyrometer sometimes when the needle sticks but other than that they get the job done. Go with what fits your needs at the time. It’s just gauges, easily replaced later if you so desire.