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<\/a><\/p>\nI finally have a real engine temp gauge and crankcase oil pressure gauge.\u00a0 The stock gauges on these old Ford vans are pretty awful, so it’s prudent to upgrade them as soon as possible.\u00a0 \u00a0I’ve had this van for six years, so I’m long overdue for some real gauges to get some accurate measurements.<\/p>\n
Also, I installed a fuel pressure gauge.\u00a0 This was the hardest to find.\u00a0 I wanted a diesel-rated 0-15psi electrical fuel pressure gauge, so that left me with only a few options.\u00a0 I ended up going with an expensive Autometer gauge.\u00a0 Ideally, I wanted all my gauges to be black with chrome perimeter, but since the fuel pressure gauge was almost impossible to find, I’ll have to make due.<\/p>\n
Since this is mounted overhead, I had to invest in electrical gauges.\u00a0 The wiring is VERY long to get from the engine bay all way up the pillar to the overhead position.\u00a0 No stock mechanical setup could be installed in this place because the probes and hoses are way too short.\u00a0 Also, I’m glad to rid myself of the mechanical style gauges.\u00a0 My previous mechanical fuel pressure and oil pressure gauges had nylon hoses that leaked.\u00a0 My oil pressure nylon hose leaked on the dash, leaving a black smear in its absence.\u00a0 And my fuel pressure hose leaked on the IP inlet hose, leading to air intrusion and hard starting issues.\u00a0 I’m glad to be done with that mechanical garbage.<\/p>\n
The wiring was tough.\u00a0 To make the job simpler, I bundled my sender wires and combined my power and grounds into one concise wrapped bundle.\u00a0 The bundle started behind a grommet hole (I drilled in the center of the Ford van trim) that ran over to the pillar, behind the pillar trim piece, through the dash, down to the floorboards, and to the engine.<\/p>\n I made a bundle in my backyard so I didn’t have to sit in the hot van.\u00a0 Also, I mounted the overhead gauge pod to the trim.\u00a0 Sadly, the design of the pod didn’t allow me to situate it behind the trim.\u00a0 Instead, I just bolted it to the trim, so now the trim and pod are basically one.\u00a0 In the future, if I need to remove the trim for some reason, I’ll install a quick release for the 6 or 7 wires going down to the pillar.<\/p>\n Also, the Autometer fuel pressure pigtail wasn’t long enough to reach the engine.\u00a0 Not to mention, the pigtail design had end connectors so large, that they couldn’t fit through any of my firewall grommets.\u00a0 So, I called Autometer, and they stated I could cut the wiring to include some extensions.\u00a0 Even though I had a lot of various wire colors, I didn’t have exact wiring to match the extensions, so I had to settle for what I had.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n