1st Set of Gauges, Need advice

[nevinst]

Just ordered my guages which should be arriving next week. Got Auto Meter Ultra-Lite series Pyrometer (ATM 4313), Boost (AMT 4304), and Fuel Pressure (ATM 4344). Also ordered the triple A Pillar for mounting. I know there has been a number of threads regarding how to install the guages and sensors and I have reviewed most of them. I'm looking for opinions which guage to mount where, which to mount first, where to route wires, cables, mounts, etc.



Also, how does the lighting for these guages blend with the rest of the interior at night. I'm concerned that they may be too bright. Any recommendations or solutions if that is the case?



Any other great concerns over this guage combination or anything I should be aware of before digging in next week?



Thanks, I am enjoying this site and am catching the BOMB bug quickly. Hope I can afford it!

 

[tntway]

i'm no expert but........

i hane the autometer ultralite pyro and boost in a double a-pillar mount. my pyro is mounted low and the boost above it. i'm thinking of adding a fuel pressure gauge and i'd put that above the boost.

as for the brightness... . i run with my dash lites turned down a bit and i find that the gauges are almost too dim... . jmvho

 

[Whitmore]

Nevinist

I too havw the A tripple mount, I put the fuel psi up high then I put a temp in the middle and at the bottom I did my boost/pyro combo, the bottom hole is easiest to read so make it your priority also your gages will come with a red or green condome covar if you put the green condome on it will be just like your other dash lights and wont be too bright either... ... ... ... ... ... Kevin

 

[me4osu]

I mounted my pyro above the boost gauge, just my preference. I too used the little green jimmy hats that go over the bulbs. They help the gauges match the dash, but like tnt said, they are a little dimmer than the dash.



Be sure and use a flexible plastic paint and prep with urethane reducer. I got that advice from the place I buy auto paint from, and it worked great.



For mounting, I used a conical rasp on my die grinder to whittle the speaker pod off of the stock pillar. Then I ran the wires and capillary tube on the side of the dash and up under the stock pillar and out of the old speaker hole.

 

[Dr.Kayak]

gauge lights

I wired in a small switch to kill the lights my A-pillar gauges, just in case they were too bright. Very easy to add the switch. Mounted the switch next to the lowest gauge. Don't use the switch much. The gauge light are not very bright. Tried removing the green bulb covers and they were not much brighter. Did not like the color without the green covers.



Be sure to reseach how to isolate the senders for the electronic fuel pressure gauge. Mounting the senders directly to the fuel filter housing has been know to cause failures of the sender.



I have 2 fuel pressure senders with a switch (pre and post filter). Very cool.

 

[nevinst]

Thanks for the inputs. From what I'm reading, the A pillar will mount over the existing one without having to remove it? Does the existing one have to stay on or can it be removed completely?



I'm glad to hear that the lighting will be OK. I was afraid I'd have to fix in some sort of rheostat to keep it toned down. I might consider Dr. Kayak's idea of the switch in case, for some reason, I'd need to turn them off.



me4osu;



What paint (brand if any) works that you know of? Also, how do I best match my color? I have a dark grey (Charcoal, I believe) interior. Are they all the same or do they have different shades of dark grey?



One other question. (For now!)... ... Where is a good thread on installation of the boost guage. I've seen several on the pyro sensor install locations (Pre-Turbo for me) but can't recall much on the boost.



Thanks

 

[Dr.Kayak]

I found it best to remove the origional A-pillar. It is much less work than grinding down the tweeter mount on origional cover. I used one screw above the top gauge to hold the new A-pillar. You can place the screw where it will tap into an existing hole.

 

[TNT]

I mounted my A pillar dual gauge pod over my OEM pillar. It's a real nice fit. I got the one made for the tweeter. That was an easy swap. I put two small screws through the pod into the A pillar under the door molding. Then I put 4 expanding fasteners (the kind used on snowmobile windshields and dashes) on the windshield side. Now I've decided to add a fuel pressure gauge. Since I've learned that there is a problem with some lift pumps. I'm also going with the single gauge, with two switchable sending units. So I guess I'll have to start over with a triple A pillar mount



Want a good deal on a dual "A" pillar mount?

 

[mongoose]

I have my fuel pressure up top, then boost, the EGT. If i had it to do over again, I would switch Boost and EGT. For me the middle one is easier to see.

 

[kslayton]

I just installed a dual gauge A pillar mount about 2 weeks ago in my truck. I bought the paint from the dealer. It sounds like you have the Agate interior so the part number will be PN 82201399 code LAN Agate interior. It comes in a 5 oz. spray can. I think it was around $8 or so. I cleaned it with mineral spirits and applied about 4 or 5 light coats. It looks great.

At first I mounted my FP gauge on the bottom and my EGT/Boost in the top hole but I swapped them around because I find it easier to glance at the bottom gauge and the EGT/Boost is what I watch the most.

I completely removed the original cover and saved it so I'll have it if I ever sell the truck. Good luck





Kevin

 

[rono]

From what I understand, if you order the A-Pillar from Smokindiesel, they will paint the pillar for you to match your interior.

Ron

 

[me4osu]

Paint

I'll try to get the manufacturer of the paint this evening. It is a flexible coating made specifically for painting plastic interior pieces. I just fastened the new pillar onto the old one. Here is a photo.



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=371&width=3



For the boost pressure tap, I tapped the firewall side of the square 180 deg. return (air horn) on the driver's side. It mounts to the manifold with four bolts and to the charge air tube with a piece of hose. I completely removed it to drill & tap, so I didn't get shavings in the engine. Others use a plug in the head plenum. I like the air horn mount, because my gauge always stays steady and I can check the fitting easily.

 

[3dracer]

Has anyone mounted in the center of the dash? What do you have to do to hide the wires there. I have the triple pod coming and it is in the middle.

 

[nevinst]

"Then I put 4 expanding fasteners (the kind used on snowmobile windshields and dashes) on the windshield side. "



TNT,



I can't picture what you are talking about. (In my part of New Mexico, we've only heard stories about snow mobiles!)



Are the fasteners visible or do they require altering the original pillar? It sounds like it doesn't but I just can't quite picture it.



Thanks,..... and thanks to everyone else for your inputs, I can't wait to get everything in so I can get started.



Troy

 

[Dr.Kayak]

Here's a shot of my gauges:



#ad

 

[me4osu]

Paint

The paint I used is:



SEM Colorcoat

Flexible Coating

Saddle Tan #15033

 

[nevinst]

Thanks

me4osu,



Thanks for the info. I'll look into a local source for my color. I haven't gotten any of my stuff in yet so I'm not in any rush at the moment. If it doesn't get here soon, I will have to wait till late next week anyway, as I'm going out of town till Thursday! Oh well,... . Good things take time.



Troy