Electrical vs. Mechanical Autometer Fuel Gauge

[PUFF00]

Any thoughts on electrical vs. mechanical Autometer fuel gauges?

I'm thinking about the mechanical. Anyone think I should go with the electrical?

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2001. 5 3500 QC 4X4 6-speed HO 3. 55 blackhttp://www.flash.net/~dpuffer/rig03a.jpg
1998 Jeep TJ black http://www.nm4w.org/members/puffer.htm

 

[radixr]

Mine is electrical but I'm already on my second sender. If this one doesn't last, I will go with mechanical.

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1996 Dodge 2500 4X4 SC, SLT,Cummins 12V, 5-spd. , JRE 4" exhaust (my kitty ran away into the woods and the muffler fell off!), TST 280 HP/685 Ft-Lb Uprate Kit, AFC Spring Kit, ATS 3-piece Exhaust Manifold, Chrome Valve Covers, Horton Fan Clutch, Jacobs/Ram Exhaust Brake, MagHytec Differential Cover, Prime-Loc, Rancho RS9000 Shocks, Combo Gauge, K&N Air Filter, Brite-Box, Geno's finger-touch oil pan drain plug, Optima Yellow Tops, no turbo silencer ring, full-time fog lights. As of 5-19-01, 68,522 miles.

 

[dieselboy25]

Puff,
I was originally going to go with the Autometer mechanical with the isolator, but they were backordered from the factory. I ended up deciding to go with just the mechanical gauge. I felt the electric was too expensive for something that fragile. I am not concerned about running diesel fuel into the a-pillar because I am running a braided line from the gauge to the firewall and black fuel line from the firewall out too the test port on top of the fuel filter. A friend of mine and I are going to be installing it tomorrow night and I will let you know how it goes.
Eric

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I had a mechanical gauge plumbed into the cab for awhile. It worked fine, except it was NOISY! I had it connected at the injection pump and unfortunately the injection pump pulses resonated up the line and the gauge sounded like spark plug static on an AM radio #ad


Vaughn

 

[PUFF00]

The Autometer mechanical gauge I'm thinking about comes with an isolator, so that fuel is not running into the cab. Perhaps this would eliminate the noise also?

 

[B. Gill]

i have an autometer 0-15 mechanical and it works fine,the way i plumbed is i ran that thin tubing thru another plastic tube from the filter to the guage and is just working great plus the pressure is not that graet that it will make the tube burst. total cost was less than $ 40.
my 2 c
bob

[This message has been edited by B. Gill (edited 05-24-2001). ]

 

[dresslered]

I went with the electrical and it looks like a quality product (though I haven't hooked it up yet). Also, the electrical wiring will be much easier to route than tubing. No sender is designed to withstand the pulses found at the input of the injection pump. I plan to tap into this location as well, but will be using a snubber (20-thousands for fuel) and rubber tubing (additional snubbing) to mount the sender remotely.

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David Dressler
2001 Driftwood 3500 Quad Cab 4x4, 155 inch WB, HO Cummins ETH/DEE, SLT+, 3. 54 LSD, Camper Special, Trailer Tow, Heated Leather, Sliding Window, Jacob's E-Brake, Rhino Liner, VDO Vision (pyro, boost, engine + diff. temp. ), Autometer Ultra-Lite (electric fuel pressure, vacuum), Weather Guard Diamond Plate Saddle Box, Tork Lift camper tie-downs, Mag-Hytec, Mopar Tow Hooks, SmittyBilt Outland Sport Bumper Gaurd, 2-LO kit, AND functional Halo light!
Bigfoot 3000 10. 11 Slide-in Camper. "Do it in a Dually"

 

[Vaman]

I have the autometer electronic... I am not impressed at all. It's expensive, the quality in my opinion isn't very good, and my first one wouldn't read over 3 psig. The second one just arrived and hasn't been installed yet. Even if this one works, I won't buy another autometer. My DiPricols are, in my opinion, a much higher quality product.

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98. 5 2500, 24v, 5 speed, QC, 4x4, 4. 10 LSD, short bed, Line-X liner, tow package, camper suspension, Westin nerfs, camper shell, TST PowerMax Competition, 275 RVs, Psychotty air, HX-40, 4" straight pipe exhaust, ProComp A/T 305/70/R16s, EGT/Boost/Fuel pressure pillar gauges, Grover air horns... Love my Cummins, no love for Dodge

 

[EMDDIESEL]

If you are getting eraatic readings it is most likeley air in the line, be sure it is bled properly, air compresses, liquid doesnt and therefore you get bad readings.

 

[illflem]

After replacing two senders I went to a mechanical gauge, whole setup is cheaper than a sender alone. The two senders were located away from the engine and went though a snubber, they still died. As long as you have faith in your plumbing ability you won't have a problem with leakage. If you run the small tubing though a larger tube to protect it, it will also be easier to feed any where you want without kinking. If the air in the line theory holds true then a gauge isolator wouldn't work, but they do.

 

[EMDDIESEL]

A gauge isolator works because it is seperated from the fuel by a diaphram in a sealed system, the fuel presses against the diaphram which acts like a piston to push air against the gauge (have also used antifreeze).
Air in a line to a liquid pressure gauge has the same effect as not bleeding your brakes, its "Spongy" and therefore not "true" or completely accuarte. It will work, but not the way its supposed to. We have air bleeds on all our gauges and senders on our $800,000 diesel engines.