How am I supposed to decide which gauges to get besides boost, pyro and trans temp? Fuel pressure? Coolant temp? Am I supposed to flip a coin? How do I get just 3 gauges when there are so many to choose from? I don't need to know my coolant temp? What's my rear axle up to?

It's madness.

 

What do you use the truck for?

 

Towing about 4 days a week, ~120 suburban miles in a day. 3500 lb dump trailer with less than 3000lb of load. Sometimes a skid loader, maybe 9000lbs machine and trailer. Winter time it has a plow and tailgate spreader, usually overloaded with ice melt.

I have a 5" MBRP going on this weekend and I will keep adding upgrades through the holidays.

 

I would vote fuel pressure.

 

I would also add fuel pressure. The value of the fuel pressure gauge is maintaining over 45lbs when towing. Loss of fuel pressure isn't something you notice when driving but can kill injectors.I don't keep milage records for fuel filter changes,when the pressure drops 5lbs lower than it is set I put a filter change on my list. Other wise you've got it covered IMHO.

 

I'm going to put in fuel pressure, pyrometer, and boost gauges. I've seen FTE members pics where they'll do more gauges across the headliner over your rear view mirror too. I'm going to buy the a-pillar kit. Just wanted to give ya my idea, but the sky is the limit!

 

I would actually do a four gauge pod.

1. EGT-I think everyone would say this one is not up for debate
2. Tranny Temp-I would say this isn't up for debate, especially what you listed as activities that you do with the truck(if Auto)

These last two are the ones that really depend on you, for your purposes I would recommend:

3. Fuel Pressure
4. Water or Oil Temp.-I put this on there because you really need to know when your truck is at operating temperature especially if your looking for longevity out of that engine and the stock gauge just doesn't cut it

Others to Think About:

1. Oil Pressure-Stock is crap and it will let you know if something is wrong or if it's getting close to an oil change
2. Boost-I prefer the 60psi due to range of display, but stock gauge, while it's one of the better ones, is still not totally accurate(~2-4 psi off from A/M)

At your stage of the game, you would actually see more results from a 4" than a 5". Your not pushing enough thru that pipe and you won't until you add more goodies beyond a tuner to do so(those might be after the holiday upgrades I don't know).

 

I use my 2007 F-350 similarly. Towing up to 12,500lbs 8-9 months out of the year or hauling 3000lbs in the bed, and running a 9'2" plow in the winter.
For 4 gauges I'm doing:
1.Pyrometer
2.Trans Temp
3. Water Temp
4. Voltmeter.

I too am debating how many to get, but next in order of importance for me:
5. Fuel Pressure
6. Oil Pressure

7 or 8. Oil Temp (should be within 20* or so of water temp unless your oil cooler took a dump, but you'd figure that out pretty soon either way, LOL).
7 or 8. Boost



Just my opinion.

 

Besides pyro and trans, which 2 gauges would best warn me against potential failure pulling a trailer in the summer heat (DC area) with the A/C blasting?

If I monitor water temp and it goes up, does water pressure also rise? Can I assume oil temp and pressure are going up if water temp goes up?

I change my oil regularly but haven't touched the cooling system. I'd like to monitor the weakest systems so would that be oil because it's changed more often or cooling because it's rarely touched?

My truck is an 06 f350, 56K miles.

 

My original upgrade plan included 8 gauges (pillar, overhead) but after seeing so many guys on here with far fewer I figured a.) 8 would make me look crazy or b.) i can speculate on what the other systems are doing based on other gauges. But I don't know which way to speculate.

 

Well here is a suggestion for you. Do the 3 or 4 a piller setup with the key ones you want in front of your face. I wanted a volt meter, which I guess you would want as well given the load you are putting on your sysytem with the work you do. You only really need to see it when you think there is a charging problem so I put it here . . .

Other 3 here . . .


Just a thought . . .

 

Don't assume anything. Water Temp and Oil temp and also oil pressue as well as the HPOP does have it's weak links as well. Now alot of people say either or on the water and oil temp because they move together. But you could have one or the other and have a problem with whatever system that you aren't monitoring and never know it.

I have seven(3 a pillar, 3 windshield, and 1 steering column(custom)) and thats what I wanted to monitor the vitals that i felt were important to me. Who cares what other people think. One guy on here(haven't seen him in awhile or he hasn't posted in awhile) had 16 guages. Get the ones that you think you want to do the job that you need to get done.

You can speculate, but I wouldn't suggest it. You could have a problem with one and if you don't have a gauge on that one specific area, you may not ever know it. Now some things you can speculate on based on some gauges, but not on systems that may follow a similar pattern but aren't connected to each other. Like you can tell if your having egr problems with an egt gauge and/or an accurate boost gauge, but you can't tell if your oil temp is spiking based on water temp(or vice versa).

 

OIL TEMP! Hands-down the best indication of what's going on in the engine. IMHO, and the next gauge I add.

 

Actually oil temp stays the same as water temp after the truck is up to operating temp. It will go higher when you are towing something. I was digging back through old posts to find the member who has 18 gauges in his truck, he posted pictures. It was impressive!! I'll keep searching and post the link when I find it.

 

Talk about over kill . . . But this is America and you can do your own thing eh?