I want to get some guages for my Bronco but I am unsure as what to buy in order to hook everything up right. I want a transmission temperture guage, water temperture guage, oil pressure guage. Also, has anybody looked behind the original guage cluster? I was thinking if there are just guages like you buy at the store then maybe I can just remove the stock ones, cut larger holes and install aftermarket ones.

 

There are many threads on this under Forums > Search. Most go with under dash or on the A-Pillar. I put mechanical oil pressure and water temp under ash tray area and connected to ash try light to dim them with the dash lights. Used plastic split harness wrap over the tubings. Be sure not to connect the original ones to force you to look at the new guages.

 

Just click on the link in my signature, and you will see where I mounted the Auto-Meter gauges.....I have the exact three you named water, oil pres, and trans temp.

 

I know how to use the search function but I couldn't find an answer for what are the best guages and what are the pros and cons of cheaper ones such as sunpro, etc. Also I didn't see any information about how to hook up a trans temp guage. Could I just install a sender in the cooler input line? Or should I put it on the cooler output line?

 

I like my Auto-Meter mechanical Auto Gauges. For oil, I screwed a 1/4" X 6" brass nipple into the block. Then connected the plastic tubing to it to make it easier to get to that connection if needed. I covered the tubing with split cable harness plastic to protect it and also ran mechanical water temp tubing along with it. I do not have the transmission temp gauge.

 

Here in this pic you can see how I did mine. I have the sending unit screwed into the manifold that I put on the line coming out of the trans, so before it goes into the rad cooler/heater or my B&M stacked plate Super-Cooler, I can get a accurate reading of my ATF temp. (BTW even in July w/AC cranked in NYC stop and go the ATF never even gets past 180*F)


As for the quality of the gauges, well since all the items I am looking to monitor are quite critical, I went with some high quality Auto-Meter gauges. The oil pressure is the only one that is mechanical (that is most critical, so I wanted no chance of a elect fault causing the gauge to read incorrect), and the trans, and water are both elect. These gauges are very accurate when I checked them against the shop gauges we have. I also used the very inexpensive SunPro oil press gauge at one time, and when I checked that $14 gauge against our shop gauge it was dead on also.......??

But if you want high quality go with the AutoMeter units.....they have many to choose from, and just about every accessory you could want to go with them.