Hewitt Dual Fuel Pressure Gauge in the Worthless Cubby Hole

[Killgore]

I went on ahead and took my own advice and installed the attached gauge in the cubby hole opening. With all the added filtration (GDP MK-2 with a Donaldson P551313), using the Baldwin BF7977 as the primary fuel filter, and the clock showing 230,000 miles, I wanted to both monitor the lift pump as well as watch the pressure differential for an indication of when to change filters. I also run a Donaldson P550848 water separator on my auxiliary tank that doesn't figure into this because it is gravity fed. Total cost was slightly over $100. And yes, I didn't choose to use isolators.

I went to the local Sight & Sound store and had the installer cut me a piece of plastic with a 2" hole for mounting the gauge in the cubby hole area. (The cubby hole is now in the garbage.) The two LED buttons are the on-off switches for my fog lights and driving lights. Since my truck is a 2006, I had already had issues with the TIPM acting goofy and decided to circumvent any potential future problems by wiring around it. All my additional lighting is fed straight from the batteries using relays and I can have lights whenever I choose. This is probably illegal in some states.
- Ed

 

[JR]

Looks good!

 

[seafish]

That's nice implementation of a good idea. Like I mentioned in your other thread, I will do the same think using a Westach dual FP gauge.

Curious, though, is the Hewitt a MECHANICAL FP gauge, meaning that you ran the fuel lines into the cab…I know that some people do so, and I don't necessarily have a problem with it…mostly curious. That bneing said, the Westach gauges utilize an electric sending unit.

 

[Killgore]

Thanks fellas. Seafish, the Hewitt is a mechanical gauge. I debated back and forth with myself, and then finally decided to go without the isolators when I remembered that for years I ran my oil pressure gauges without isolators and without problems. Of course I researched opinions on here because of the wealth of information.

I am partial to Westach but hesitated to make the financial commitment without tearing into the dash first and finding out whether or not I had room for the gauge where the cubby hole is located and how big of a deal it would be to mount something in it. (This was really just an effort to economically fill that void with something that might be considered productive that I wanted but didn't necessarily need.) I only wanted to tear into the dash once. I was really surprised when I pulled the cup-holder, etc. and found myself wondering how to get the bezel off. In truth I was concerned that I would break the bezel. A trip to the radio shop proved to be very educational. The installer took his plastic wedge and popped the bezel off in less than a minute and then asked me why I had disassembled all this other stuff? Duh? YouTube?

Anyway, the mystery was no longer a big deal. The cubby hole mounts are not flush with the back of the bezel so at the installer's suggestion we just mounted a cover over the hole.

And, that's the story from an old man with too much time on his hands.

- Ed