Which Gauges?

[R-N-R]

Results

Thank you to all who voted! Anybody care to comment on the results?



I was sold on Banks until I joined TDR, now I'm on the fence.



Does AutoMeter have the best marketing group or the best gauges?

 

[illflem]

My only comment is with almost 500 hits on this thread and less than 100 votes it seems that many folks don't have gauges. The results didn't really surprise me. Banks gauges are made by AutoMeter, they're good gauges and the price is decent.

 

[Rob Thomas]

I have DiPricols, very nice, accurate, and trouble-free.





Later, Rob

 

[Dkevdog]

Re: Results

Originally posted by wesoule

Thank you to all who voted! Anybody care to comment on the results?



I was sold on Banks until I joined TDR, now I'm on the fence.



Does AutoMeter have the best marketing group or the best gauges?

I had the Banks guages and had to replace the Pyrometer twice within a year under warranty.



Made by autometer or not, I think $175 for an analog Pyro is steep.



Kev

 

[R-N-R]

Surprised!

Given my vast TDR experience of about a whole month now

I am very surprised at the lack of voters / guage users. I say this because the advise that I have read to new bombers and members having trouble has been very consistant in recommending to start out with gauges. lleh, its just logical to me!



Not to start a Banks debate in this thread, but I was actually referring to the entire product line. My comments were not excluse to their guages. Browsing the TDR has opened my eyes to a wide range of options that I never knew existed. I suppose Camping World can only advertise so many products at one time. I do like the colorful green/yellow/red guages that I have seen advertised by banks.



I would prefer a matched set of guages and the AutoMeter line is the only only that I have found with identical styling of a variety of gauges.



btw..... votes over 90 now with IssPro and Westach starting to catch up to AutoMeter!

 

[nickleinonen]

for everyone with gauges, how are your gauges lit up at night?



1- are they through the dial lighting like the VDO vision series?



or



2- are they around the dial lighting like the autometer phantom series??

 

[Shovelhead]

Speaking of gauges... ... .

Has anyone installed any of the Autometer Cobalt series gauges yet?



Autometer

 

[JCockrell]

It took me awhile....

To get my gauges. Reading here on the TDR, pouring over all the posts, doing research, and saving money. I know now why the gauges are so important and I would not be w/o them. The next one I buy whill have gauges on it the day after I take delivery, in 2010

 

[EMDDIESEL]

There is no problem using a mechanical Fuel Pressure gauge in the cab with DIESEL fuel. 20 psi tops of diesel is no threat of explosin or fire, so dont worry. Just use braided stainless steel line and you have nothing to worry about (2,000 PSI burst strength). You can use the clear plastic tubing, but i dont want to clean diesel fuel off my interior because the plastic hose rubbed agaist a screw or metal and got a hole. If a boost gauge hose gets punctured, there is no mess, but anytime liquid is involved, i just spend an extra $40. 00 and get indestructible stainess line.



When gauges fail, they stop working, they dont burst so your chances for leaks are virtually non exsistant. The isolator setups companies like Autometer sell are for Gasoline/Alcahol applications where in the rare event you did have a catastrophic gauge failure it would result in a fireball and of course, death. Diesel does not have those properties, ESPECIALLY at 15-20psi. In my expierience in drag racing and being a Locomotive mechanic, i have grown to dislike electric gauges, especailly digital ones which are annoying as hell since they are never steady. Also, senders go bad alot more often then mechanical gauges. There is a post on here now where a members oil pressure gauge went to zero and he pannicked and pulled over and it was just a bad sensor. When you have mechanical gauges, there is no question that what the gauge says is really happening. No need to wonder if its electrical interferrence, bad sender, loose wire, blown fuse, etc.

When mechanical gauges fail (Usually the diaphram) they just go to zero or stay locked where they are. Its rare that it happens anyhow. I have'nt had a single mechanical gauge failure in over 12 years. We have locomotives built in the 50's with the original gauges in them still working fine.

Digital gauges look nice and give you lots of options like alarms and such, but i just cant justify the aggrivation and cost. I can see my EGT, Boost and Trans Temp gauges on my A Pillar fine and out of the corner of my eye i can tell if a neddle is not where it should be. Just my personal prefference, to each his own.

 

[illflem]

I agree, analog only for me. I find the digital very distracting with numbers changing all the time. Quick glance at an analog and I know where I am without reading any numbers.

 

[Tom G]

Autometer

Black background

White lettering

Red indicators



Just like my dashboard gages



and they work well.

 

[jeepit]

What is everyone using?Mechanical or electrical guages?

 

[EMDDIESEL]

I use mechanical whenever possible. Just more reliable and easier to install. Its all personal prefference, do a search, there a TON of threads on this subject.

 

[JR2]

Two SPA. Some problems but all of the resolved by SPA. The problems where all failed sensors and now I have one gauge that has a failing LED in it so it flickers on occasion. SPA said they would take care of me when I decide to fix it.

 

[Bhale]

I've got a Banks pyro that's made by Isspro, had it since '96 and it still works fine. Just recently replaced the Banks 0-30 boost gauge(Isspro) with an Autometer 0-60.



As others have mention, it sticks at zero most of the time and if i tap on it at higher boost levels, it'll sometimes jump 5-10 psi. How do i fix this?



Brian

 

[EMDDIESEL]

Call Autometer and they will replace the Guage, they are great with customer service. I have not had the needle sticking problem so i cant say what to do other then to replace it.

 

[R-N-R]

12,696 Members; 867 Views; 115 Votes; 35 Replies???

My only comment is with almost 500 hits on this thread and less than 100 votes it seems that many folks don't have gauges. The results didn't really surprise me.

I am very surprised at the lack of voters / guage users. I say this because the advise that I have read to new bombers and members having trouble has been very consistant in recommending to start out with gauges.

12,696 Members; 867 Views; 115 Votes; 35 Replies???



:--) :--)

 

[illflem]

You have to remember that of the 12k members just a small percent even own a computer. I also figured that the reason only 115 voted out of the 867 hits was not entirely non-gauge folks, non-member hits are counted but they can't vote.

 

[R-N-R]

aaahhh, thanks for the education Bill, I'm getting it... slowly but surely!



You mean everybody doesn't own a computer



Thanks again, Have a good one

 

[chuck3]

Auto-Meters here, a little fogging problem on the Pyro gauge at first snow, but gauge was replaced, been fine since.