Integrated new boost gauge into my dash

Kurt K

SCCoA Member
Well, it took a lot of work, but I've finally finished one of my projects for the car.
The followin pictures shows the original length of the male spade connectors used to power the LED back-lighting of the gauge (these originally stuck out of the back of the gauge):
garage_attachment.php

I drilled the hole in the center of the gauge so the new power wires shown below could be routed out of the back of the gauge.

This picture shows that the male spades have been shortened so that they fit inside of the gauge housing:
garage_attachment.php


Here's the final test fitting of the bezel. I had to ground down the inside of the bezel far enough for the bezel to sit flat without toughing the gauge. I estimate I removed about 3/16" of the bezel, as well as cutting the gauge housing all the way back to the face of the actual gauge.
garage_attachment.php


Since the hose barb for the new gauge is about 3/8" lower than the factory gauge, going straight out of the back of the gauge caused the hose barb to interfere with stuff behind the cluster. I ended up with this configuration. There "might" have been enough room to go straight out if I could have located a 1/8" FPT x 3/16" hose barb adapter locally, but all I could find was male pipe thread adapter and then had to use a coupling....way too long. I double wire-tied the boost line onto the fitting after installed.
garage_attachment.php


Autometer sells a device that is used to dim their LED gauges. I bought that and wired it so that the illumination level was similar to the factory gauges. I might have been able to disassemble the gauge even further and try to color the LEDs green to attempt to match the rest of the dash, but I didn't want to take the $75 risk to buy another gauge if I couldn't put it back together.
garage_attachment.php
 
I did basicly the same thing but made the holes all round and replaced oil and temp gauges as well. To be honest I really dont like my gauges that well. I have been thinking of scrapping the whole thing and buying everything new, speedometer, tach, oil, boost, temp and fuel and doing a real first class all matching instrument cluster. It is an improvement over stock though. Comparing the auto meter boost gauge to the accuracy of the dyno gauge, it reads 2 lbs of boost low which is dissappointing:(

Ken
 
Well, it took a lot of work, but I've finally finished one of my projects for the car.
The followin pictures shows the original length of the male spade connectors used to power the LED back-lighting of the gauge (these originally stuck out of the back of the gauge):
garage_attachment.php

I drilled the hole in the center of the gauge so the new power wires shown below could be routed out of the back of the gauge.

This picture shows that the male spades have been shortened so that they fit inside of the gauge housing:
garage_attachment.php


Here's the final test fitting of the bezel. I had to ground down the inside of the bezel far enough for the bezel to sit flat without toughing the gauge. I estimate I removed about 3/16" of the bezel, as well as cutting the gauge housing all the way back to the face of the actual gauge.
garage_attachment.php


Since the hose barb for the new gauge is about 3/8" lower than the factory gauge, going straight out of the back of the gauge caused the hose barb to interfere with stuff behind the cluster. I ended up with this configuration. There "might" have been enough room to go straight out if I could have located a 1/8" FPT x 3/16" hose barb adapter locally, but all I could find was male pipe thread adapter and then had to use a coupling....way too long. I double wire-tied the boost line onto the fitting after installed.
garage_attachment.php


Autometer sells a device that is used to dim their LED gauges. I bought that and wired it so that the illumination level was similar to the factory gauges. I might have been able to disassemble the gauge even further and try to color the LEDs green to attempt to match the rest of the dash, but I didn't want to take the $75 risk to buy another gauge if I couldn't put it back together.
garage_attachment.php

Kurt,
Looks good.....btw autometer sells a green led gauge. It is their GS series. I am looking into those.

Ken
 
Now you tell me....maybe that will be next year's project.

It was on there website about a year ago. I was looking into DiPricol gauges, but they don't make a vac/boost gauge.

I have DiPricol gauges on my f350 and love them. They match the factory gauges.
 
Looks good Kurt, I'm not smart enough to do all that fitting. I had to put my new gauge in the pillar pod..............:rolleyes:
 
Kurt,

When you first started talking about doing this, I had visions of Mendola's cluster bomb, but it turned out great.

Seeing as how you seem very comfortable tearing into the instrument cluster, maybe you can help me replace the odometer gears and reset the mileage on a couple of late model speedometers I've aquired for my two SCs.

David
 
Kurt,

When you first started talking about doing this, I had visions of Mendola's cluster bomb, but it turned out great.

Seeing as how you seem very comfortable tearing into the instrument cluster, maybe you can help me replace the odometer gears and reset the mileage on a couple of late model speedometers I've acquired for my two SCs.

David

Getting to the speedometers is easy, but I've never done any of the other working you are talking about.
 
Great job on that Kurt. takes patience and a subconscious that can come up with an idea once and a while.

I know I'm not 100% happy with my gauge setup, but it's low on my priority pole.
 
Great job, Kurt. I really like the looks of that. In my own car I replaced the factory boost gauge with the voltmeter from an LX cluster when I installed an A-pillar boost gauge. But your work gives me ideas to do something with the now-redundant stock oil pressure gauge.

Dave, resetting the mileage and replacing the odo gears isn't difficult but it's hard to explain. I've done it several times, but it's something I just had to take stuff apart, look at it, study it, take more stuff apart, etc. until I was able to pull it off. On the off chance you haven't taken care of it by the Shootout this year I'd be happy to help you out.
 
Yeah the odometer is fairly easy though I can't for the life of me get the speedo needle off so I do it with it on.

If you want to come down to Memphis area I can lend a hand.
 
Tips

I'm starting my gauge project soon. I'm going to be using the Cobalt gauges. I pondered for a while what gauges I wanted to use and determined these were the best looking because of the blue led lighting. I will be mounting the boost gauge in the stock location like Kurt's. I thought about doing the short-sweep gauges for the o.p. and w.t., but I decided to go with all full sweep. I will be using mechanical for boost, o.p., and f.p.. I will then get matching faces for fuel, speedo, and tach. I may decide on a different style face and change them all including the Autometers. I was designing my own and then found franky 402 already did so. I don't think I like white faces though. Any tips on replacing these gauges with the Autometers will be appreciated.
 
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