I have an Autometer dual gauge pod for the A-pillar on my '92 Camaro, but I haven't decided what I want to stick in it. I have thought about a fuel pressure gauge (with an isolator kit, of course) and an air/fuel ratio gauge. But then again, I thought I might should get an accurate oil pressure gauge since the stock gauges leave something to be desired. I have the factory speedo, tach, oil pressure, water temp, voltmeter, and fuel gauge. I would like some input from people with experience on this one!

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1992 Camaro RS
305 TBI, 5-Speed
K & N open element, Hooker cat-back exhaust,
SplitFire plugs, Moroso Blue Max wires,
Macewen white-face gauge overlays
http://www13.brinkster.com/scbaeb/camaro.html
scbaeb@hotmail.com

 

None of the factory gauges are 100% accurate. The air/fuel gauge is a good choice. Since you are still using the rest of the factory gauges, install a tranny temp gauge. Fuel pressure gauge isn't really required. Sometimes it's nice to see how much fuel pressure you have as you cross the finish line but it's not a gauge that you should need to see all the time. Once the pressure is set and operating properly, it shouldn't change unless you run out of fuel.

I have a total of 5 gauges in the race car not counting the tach and shift light.

Fuel: Factory dash is disconnected and I still need an easy way to check fuel level.
Tranny temp: A must with a high stall converter.
Battery voltage: Gotta keep the voltage up to run the electrics.
Engine oil pressure: Mechanical gauge. Not as easy to install as an electric gauge since you must use copper lines or steel braided. Plastic line inside the car is a no-no.
Engine coolent temp: I manually turn on the fans at 160.

I also use a very bright light mounted in the dash to tell me when oil pressure is almost down to zero. I don't want to lose another engine because I was too distracted to watch the gauges.

My 2 gauge A-piller pod holds the voltage and coolent temp gauges. I have a 3 gauge pod mounted on top of the dash right in front of me to hold the rest of the gauges. The pod was designed for a ford truck but I adapted it for my own use.

I also have a pyrometer gauge but haven't decided to mount it yet. With only one sending unit the choices are limited as to where the best place to read exhaust temperatures are.

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z Pro ET Bracket Race Car
383 stroker (carbed) with double hump cast iron heads and pump gas
461 Big Block installed and ready for the 2001 racing season

Best results before the 383 blew up
Best ET on a time slip: 11.857 altitude corrected to 11.163
Best MPH on a time slip: 117.87 altitude corrected to 126.10
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP based on power to weight ratio: 476.5
Best 60 foot: 1.662

Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

[This message has been edited by Stephen 87 IROC (edited February 25, 2001).]

 

I have a manual tranny, so I don't know if I need a trans temp gauge. You have a good point about the fuel pressure gauge...maybe I should just mount an in-line gauge under the hood. Now I think I should get the air/fuel ratio gauge and an oil pressure gauge...

By the way, I'm just using my car on the street for now. I just want to mount some extra gauges now that will be useful once I swap in a hotter engine (hopefully a 330 HP 350 HO from GM).

 

to me the oil and water temp are the most important. i have a rebco idiot lite/autometer gauge set up for them and then a/f, vacumm, and volts and fuel preasure on the cowl.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

I agree with ede!! The oil and temp guage would be the best to go with!! I was thinkin' about buying one of those pillage guage pods myself!! Hell, the dual one is only $25!! But damn, have you seen the price of the 2 1/16 guages you have to buy for that sucker??? They'll run ya anywhere from $40 to $60!!!

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1986 Trans AM
305 TPI
200,000+ miles (speedo/odometer non-funtional! Odometer reads 142,000)
4 Wheel Discs
9 bolt Borg Warner Rear (2.73's....oh joy) :P
Completely Stock
Soon to upgrade to a 350 converted from TPI to Carb, Edelbrock 750CFM Carb, Edelbrock Performer RPM Intake, Headman Shorty Headers, Some sort of ported heads (undecided), XE268 Cam, Moroso HEI ignition kit with external MSD Blaster II Coil and an MSD 6-AL Box!!
Current project: Keeping my 305 running until I get my income tax returns!

 

If you look around you can get industrial 2 1/16" gauges for about $25 and senders for about $9. The only difference is they're not made by Autometer.

 

I looked up some prices in my Jegs catalog and here's what they had for 2-1/16" gauges:

Mechanical oil pressure, 0-100 psi: $35.99
Mechanical water temp, 120-240 degrees:
$55.99

Electrical oil pressure, 0-100 psi: $51.99
Electrical water temp, 100-250 degrees: $37.99

I'm assuming that our stock gauges are all electrical...does that mean that I could just re-route the senders over to the new electrical AutoMeter gauges in the pod?

 

Already checked. You can't use stock senders. You have to buy Autometers, that is what an Autometer tech told me.

The air/fuel ratio gauge is rather useless. I have it just to look pretty and impress people. "Hey look, flashy lights" . Also I had nothing else to blow my money on.

Get an Autometer electrical fuel pressure gauge. You don't need to dish out the extra $60 something dollars for the mechanical gauge and the isolator. In my opinion, a mechanical gauge is not a mechanical gauge unless the hose connects directly to the gauge.
Anyway, I have verified electric fp gauges and mechanical fp gauges to be very very close in accuracy.


I cannot disagree more with Stephen 87 IROC's statement of :
"Fuel pressure gauge isn't really required. Sometimes it's nice to see how much fuel pressure you have as you cross the finish line but it's not a gauge that you should need to see all the time. Once the pressure is set and operating properly, it shouldn't change unless you run out of fuel."

Fuel pressure is one of the most important things to monitor. Especially for cars running NOS or superchargers. Any number of things can go wrong in your fuel system under WOT. Debris in the regulator, failing stock pump, etc.. It is not one of those things you can just set and never have to worry about again. Ask any racer.

A fp gauge will also help correct the problem before it becomes a VERY BIG problem. Ex: A failing fuel pump sometimes cannot maintain consistant fuel pressure. If you catch this problem before you make a WOT run this weekend you may have just saved your motor if that pump was to fail during WOT!


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91 Formula
305 TPI 5speed
1LE/G92/WS6

Paxton SN92 polished kit, SLP airfoil, ported/polished plenum, March pulleys, Crane AFPR(43psi),Crane Gold 1.6rrs,MSD coil,MSD6AL,MSD boost-master,Holley 9mm wires,Ac delco R43ts plugs,custom chip,Ford SVO 24# injectors,Bosch O2sensor, Bosch in-line pump(w/stock pump), SLP 1 5/8" headers,SLP catback,short shifter,3:73s w/Auburn posi,170* t-stat,JET 195* fan switch, Macewen white face gauges, Autometer gauges, Zoom hi-performance clutch.

[This message has been edited by theformula (edited February 25, 2001).]

 

Wow, guess you're right. Hadn't thought of it that way. However, I looked up some prices on fuel pressure gauges and it looks like the electrical ones run about $180 while the mechanical ones (w/isolator) cost about $100. These things ain't cheap!

 

Bulldog, my electric fuel pressure gauge was $84.95 and it included the sender. Call Summit and ask them. If you need the part # give me an email


[This message has been edited by theformula (edited February 26, 2001).]

 

Heres the part #4309

Auto meter electric fuel pressure gauge 4309
Includes sender,fittings, and installation kit.
Heres what Summit's website had to say about it:
ATM-4309 ULTRA-LITE ELECT FUEL PRESSURE
$84.95

Just for reference its a silver bezel with a silver face. Looks good. It illuminates white at night but you can buy different color screens for like $5 to change the color

[This message has been edited by theformula (edited February 26, 2001).]