i am thinking of disighning a custom gauge cluster (using stock speedo and tach at least for now) and i had a few questions. in order to maximize the ammount of gauges i can fit i am using "2-1/16" size gauges. i am going to get an oil temp gauge. which one of the following would be better:

1. summit part # ATM-2638 (oil temp 100*-250* z-series)
2. summit part # ATM-2639 (oil temp 140*-300* z-series)

or in lamens trms, "how hot is our oil suposed to get?"

also, for the fuel level guage. the catalog says most GM cars use 0 ohms for empty and 90 ohms for full, is that true wih f-body cars as well or are we the reason they say most and not all.

thanks for the help. i will keep you all up-to-date on this project if and when it progresses. if i do half as good a job as i would like it is going to kick ***.

in case you would like to know i am going to get the following guages:

oil pressure
oil temperature
cyl temperature
water temperature
fuel level
volt meter

i wanted to get a fuel pressure guage as well but the electric one that matches the rest is 180 bux. the rest are no more then fifty each. the total for them all is $248.14 since that is like a week and a half of pay and i have expenses this will not happen till feburary, unless i get some major money for christmas and my birthday (january).

the hardest part will be fabbing the custom bezel. i am going to need to fit six guages in that spot where two (big ones, fuel/water, batt/oil) now take up, could be difficult, pluss i will need to re-locate all those indicator lights that are built in to the guages. i will probably just have a bank of labeled LEDs. should look pimp. i am thinking of doing the bezel out of dash pad matereal pulled from any donor car i can find in the junk yard. i would like to use polished steel, but i have no means of cutting such matereal or bending the bottom and top edges without making it ugly.

any input would be appriciated

 

i know somoen knows, c'mon, i would tell you!!!!

 

if your oil temp goes above 250 you got a problem. should be about the same as the coolant temp.

as for the fuel guage its 0 ohms at empty, 90 at full. thats from my 86 ta service manual.

 

you really don't need an oil temp, cylinder temp, AND water temp.....realistically one of these would work well enough and typically people choose a water temp only.

 

i would rather have oil or cyl temp then water temp. but i spose your right, i guess i dont need water if i am going to have the other two, well for thirty bux why not, gauges are cool.

::to all honda drivers:: maybe i should get a boost gauge too!!!

 

Gotcha ya cover in the V6 section. A vacuum gauge is also a nice addition. Helps with the gas mileage too.

 

i was originally planning to get auto meter gauges but my brother says they are crap, he just boght a brand new oil temp gauge and it broke allready.

what is everyones recommended gauge brand?

 

autometer....nothing better.

also I use mechanical autometer guages whenever possible for temp guages.

 

why do you use mechanical instead of electric?

 

the tech at autometer told me that mechanical would show fluctuations in temp/pressure type guages better than electrical would....aka if the oil pressure hunted up and down at idle a mechanical would pick it up and the electric might not.

 

i am also disighning a custom gauge cluster im my 1991 camaro rs. doing the same thing also using the 2 1/16 gauges and i was only able to get 4 in mine they are (fuel, Temp, Oil, volts ) and a speedo 3 3/8 on the right side. the 2 1/16 gaudes went where the tach was. I used a some sheat meatel for my gauge cluster and used a roto saw to cut out the holes for the gauges im still mot done yet i would love to post some pic but i dont got a scaner.

I dont think your going to get 6, 2 1/16 in. gauges in you gauge cluster unless your doing it a different way then me but i was only able to get 4 in there where the tack is so im mounting the tach outside the cluster


All Gauges i used are the auto meter (ultra-light)

 

well in my firebird there are Four big gauges

1. speedo
2. tack
3. fuel level/volts
4. watertemp/ oil prssur

i am removing three and four, not just the tack, i am actually leaving the tack(for now), so i think i will have room.

 

Dude check TomP 12 pod dash board. We were just talking about it.

<img src="https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/attachment.php?s=&postid=1160617">

Find a car like Toms and your set. I have an 86 bird too but mine doesn't look anything like his. I think just about every 3rd gen I have been in, had a slightly different interior.

Thats not a custome job but stock parts, though its the first time I have ever seen that dash.