I'm looking to get a new gauge for my single a-pillar pod. I have a cheap a/f ratio one in there now that no longer works, but my tuning is done, so I don't need it anymore.

I'm looking to get something that would be beneficial to monitering the engine's health. I was thinking about a mechanical oil pressure gauge seeing how ours sucks so much anyways. At the same time though, this car has a habit of destroying trannies, so a temp gauge for that might be a good idea as well.

What would yall do? Just looking for opinions and ideas.

 

I would personally opt for an oil pressure gauge, and an electric one at that if your installing in a A pillar. Electric and mechanical are both accurate using a good name but it'll be much easier to hide 3 wires as opposed to that thick stiff steel line for a mechanical guage. Also, and I've only seen 1 leak and one blow, but if the lines do either it would make a terrible mess in the car

Trannies are alot easier, faster, cheaper to rebuild/replace than an engine so monitor engine first and foremost then worry about the tranny.

 

Vacuum/boost gauge. Then just install the rest of the parts to make it functional.

 

If you fund it, I'll do it.

I thought that if I got an electric oil pressure gauge that it would just be as inaccurate as the stock dash one seeing how they're reading from the same sending unit? Or is the actual gauge the weak point?

 

Gunny, there have been MANY comparisons over the years by both racing shops, magazines, builders etc...about the mechanical vs electric. Everyone found the electric to be just as accurate as the mechanical so it came down to face preference. Typical electrical guages are only 180* sweep while most mechanical are 280*-numbers are spread apart more. This has also been addressed by Autometer who now offeres a full sweep electrical guage, but it is a little spendy when compared to typical electrical guages.

I've been running ALL electrical for 4 years and never a problem, I have changed out 2 sensors over the 4 years, but at only $13 it's not an issue for the trouble free installation and no mess possilibity IF something ever happened with mechanical line which is highly unlikely...but it can happen-I've seen it.

Just stick with a name brand like Autometer and you'll be fine whichever route you go, seen quite a few autoparts store guages give faulty readings or just flat quite working.

Here's my electric guages so you can reference the shorter sweep, the guage under my cowl is a mechanical compared to the electric in the dash for comparison. Like i said, just a preferene thing, so long as it reads right I literally dont care what it does apperance wise.