hissing noise in dash + no boost gauge, plug came off?

The_Ghost

Registered User
quick q, before I get at the dash-- the vac line from the boost gauge fitting on the inlet plenum runs into the dash and connects to a vac reader somewhere, right?

I have hissing noise in the dash and my boost gauge isn't working. Am I correct in thinking the fitting on the backside of the gauges must've come off, since the boost gauge elbow is still on the manifold where it's supposed to be.


Thanks,
Ghost
 
Ghost, sure sounds like that's what happened. It's just a rubber elbow pressed onto the back of the gauge. Once you pull the cluster, there's not much slack in that line, but maybe you could somehow get a nylon zip tie on it to help prevent it from happening again?

If you do pull the cluster, it might be a good chance to do the oil pressure gauge mod, if your resistor is on the back of the cluster. I did that part, but haven't been able to replace the sender yet - way too small of a space on the front of the engine where it goes.
 
Oh yeah, the pressure gauge mod-- I forgot about that. There's something wrong with the sender I put in anyways, but at least it works... I put in the one Kragen lists for thunderbirds with 'digital dash', which is what was recommended by SCCOA... that pressure sender is the worst thing ever to change.

Anyway, what do I do about the resistor again? And I figured on zip-tying the thing into place. My gauge always reads about 2psi of vac, is there any way to correct that as long as I have the cluster apart?

Thanks,
Ghost
 
Regarding the boost gauge being off by 2psi, maybe the needle is just off? I've never tried with our SC gauges, but on other cars you can carefully pull the needle off of the gauge with a fork (slide it under the needle and pull straight up), then press the needle back on so it points to zero. Again, not sure if it's that easy or not, but maybe.

The resistor thing, for the oil pressure mod:
http://www.sccoa.com/articles/oilgauge.php
 
mod

where do you buy the new oil pressure sending unit? I am assuming this is a different one from stock??

I'll do some hunting of my own!!
 
where do you buy the new oil pressure sending unit? I am assuming this is a different one from stock??

I got mine at Advanced, I showed them the list of part #'s in the link above, and they were able to find one. I haven't installed it yet though.

Sorry if this thread is veering off topic.
 
I carefully dismantled the dash and gauge cluster-- sure enough the vac line that goes on back there had come off completely.

What's more interesting though is that my boost gauge needle was just off. Now the car idles at exactly 20 psi of vac and when off, the gauge shows 0 like it should. w00t!
 
Back
Top