DustyJL

I am looking at getting Autometer Sport Comp gauges:
Question 1) Do they light up at night?(I feel stupid asking that)
Question 2) I am making a cf faceplate but how are the gauges supported in the dash?
Question 3) What is the wiring like to install aftermarket gauges?

I am buying a 5"tach and speedo and 2 1/16"fuel level and oil pressure.

I did some searching but didn't find the answers I was looking for

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

Check out Covan's classics. I think they sell a wiring harness for installing all the guages.

heck, you might even like his entire kit!

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

Yes they each have a bulb in them you wire up. The gauge has two studs coming out of the back, a U shaped bracket slides on from the rear after the gauge is in its hole and a nut goes on each of the studs wedging the gauge front bezel against the panel.

smokefan

i have a covans kit that i have bought for my 86. they only make panals up to 89 but the wiring kit goes up to 92. i think the wiring kit goes for 119 or something like that. i dont think that it is worth it. you can go to radio shack and get connectors and do it yourself. the only think that was good in the kit was the wiring diagrams.

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

They all wire real easy. No need in shelling out $100 for a pre made wiring harness, but if you want to go that away, i'll make you one for half that price lol

Your not useing much of the stock wiring any way

The gauges (the 2-1/16" and 2-5/8") has pop in light bulbs, package comes with a red and green slip on bulb cover, so you can have your pick of 3 colors white norm. light, red or green.

Each pop in light has 2 16 ga. wires one them (black and white)

Are you going with mech. or elec sender gauges on oil pressure and water temp?

If mech. you just have a hose/line for the sender, if elec. you have 1 wire per gauge.

The fuel level, you'll need to cut the sender wire on your stock wiring harness on my 88 it's the plug on the right after you take the clister out, and its the 4th wire over on the bottom, solid pink.

Hook that wire to the sender wire on the gauge

The speedo if elec. you'll have 2 light wires, and should just be 1 sender wire, that goes to the elec speeo sender at trans

If mech. You'll need to buy a custom double female speedo cable (napa can get you one for under $20) , then you'll have 2 wires for the light

The tach's has 5 wires.. red = 12 volts switch, white = 12 volts lights, black = ground, green goes to your tach output on coil, dist. or CD spark box

The mounting is like Z28racer said.. 2 studs per gauge on back, 2 L brackets or 1 U bracket.. Each bracket has 1 hole per side, slip hole over stud, put tap on stud. The bracket goes down next to the gauge and pushs against your panel, next to the hole.


If your making your own panel.. You'll need a pc. of sheet metal. Trace your bezel shape onto the sheet metal, use a jig saw to cut the sheet metal to size, and then cut your holes out. bi metal hole saws works the best. I don't have any so I just drill a 1/2" hole close to the side, and use a jig saw to cut the hole out.. Cut it smaller than it needs to be and use a drill with grinding stone (old way) now I use a die grinder since I got my air set up, to finish hole to right size for the gauge to fit. Drill holes in the same spots as the bezel's mounting holes.. Put sheet metal panel with gauges in dash, then bezel over it, and OEM screws for the bezel through both bezel and panel

Back 7 years ago I made an auto meter panel like that for my camaro, and just 2 weeks ago I helped my dad make a custom panel for his 82 firebird

DustyJL

thanks for the info

Timz2882

iTrader: (1)

actually the pre made wiring kits are great. i bought the wiring kit and bezal from a memeber on here and im glad i did. becuz theres alot of wires there and to wire it into the stock harness with out instructions or any good diagram its pretty tuff.

the wiring harness took me 2 - 2 1/2 hours to fully wire up everything to the stock wiring harness and to the gauges. and everything worked perfect the first time i turned it all on. well excupt the check engine light but that was a small problem since i dont have a computer, i just wired that to the wires for the choke light.

if you well like you can do a good wiring job, then go to radio shack and get everything but if your not sure spend the extra money get the wiring harness and do it right and smart. dont chance it.

exotikcamaro

sorry to bring this post back from the dead, but does anyone have the wiring schematic as to what color wires in the dash go to what senders or somewhere i can get it? I am about to do this swap with all Stewart Warner gauges and i thought it might be easier if i had someone with experience give me some hints. I have searched and haven't been able to find anything. Any help would be appreciated.

also, DustyJL, how are you making your cf faceplate?

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

Best place I found for wiring schematics is the last few pages in haynes repair book for your car.

All the part stores (auto zone, advance auto, pepboys, etc) sells then. Paper back covers, about $15-20

In the back is the wiring part. It shows drawing (schematics) of all the car's wiring.

Each page shows a diff part, like one page will be tail light wiring, anoither will be headlight wiring, another dash wiring, the gauge wireing, etc etc

I used one to find which wire was the fuel sender wire

BOTTLEDZ28

iTrader: (9)

Does the Covan Classics harness plug into the stock wiring harness behind the cluster or do yo ustill have to cut your stock harness plug(s) off? I ask because I put all Auto Meter gauges in my stock cluster and I wired the entire thing myself. It works perfect but I really didnt want to cut the plugs off in case I wanted to go back to a stock cluster.

Timz2882

iTrader: (1)

the Covan classic wiring harness isnt just a plug in connector. they supply dffernt connector plugs that connect to there wiringharness plugs. basiclly you have to cut off the old connectors and then wire up there connectors. they give you all the pins and wiring diagram,.

exotikcamaro

timz2882,
is there any way you can post the wiring diagram??

Timz2882

iTrader: (1)

umm i can try to find my copys of the "diagram".

smokefan

fyi if you contact covan they will fax you a wiring diagram

Eats5.0's

iTrader: (1)

Go to the electronics section, and search there. If you can't find what you need, try to PM or post for Trickster, he's got what you need.