EDIT- Thanks to photobucket, the embedded pics dont show up cause they want you to pay. I had to upload them and attach to LS1tech so theyre no longer embedded, but at least theyre still there.

I made this because it seems like a lot of people have trouble installing the gauges and/or vacuum lines as it can be tricky for some parts of it. Hopefully this will help out others so they don’t have to search and ask so many questions like I did, and still do. For the gauge wiring, most go with an “A” pillar mounted gauge pod and install the gauges there. If so you will have to remove your factory “A” pillar and drill a small hole (usually ¼ to ½ “) to run the wires from the gauges.
IMG6
As far as power sources the fuse box on the side of the dash on the driver side is a great place. With the factory “A” pillar removed you can feed the wire down to the fuse box. You can then either use the correct connectors(spade connector) to stick in an empty slot or wrap the bare wire around the fuse itself and push back into the slot with some effort. You’re going to want to use only the slots that are power on ignition only so as not to kill your battery.Most wiring diagrams will ask for an "ignition switch 12V". Such fuses are acc, radio, radio acc and so on. That should be all the power you need.
Before:
IMG 10

After:
IMG 9
You will also need good grounding sources as well. I’ve found that a self tapping screw in front of where the shifter is in 6 speed cars works nicely, or just look around for any screw going into metal and you have a decent grounding source.
IMG7

As far as running wires into the engine bay from the cabin….DO NOT try to feed then through the door and fender as it can be pinched and exposed and cause big problems. If you cant find a hole already in the firewall then underneath the dash on the driver side on the upper left there is a plastic panel that you can drill through then through the firewall, if you put it in the correct spot it will end up next to the brake booster which is great for hiding wires and makes it easy to run then as they’ll be right under the driver side to run to the gauges. If you make it big enough you can run your fatter wires that connect to things such things as the sensor for the boost gauge or wires that connect to the boost controller, etc.
IMG2
For widebands it’s easiest, at least for 6 speeds to come up through the shift boot in the floor. The 2 panels under the dash on the driver side will be your best friend to hide wires. It’s easiest to take both panels off, do all the wiring you need to do, and then zip tie all the wires compactly together and reinstall the 2 panels with the wires hidden behind them. If you have switches, the ashtray is a great place to hide them….a 2 port switch will have 1 wire coming from whatever you’re going to want to give power to and the other port will go to a power source. If it’s a 3 port switch you have a ground added.
IMG8


Now for vacuum lines, most people get their reference’s or sources from the intake manifold or the brake booster hose leading to the back of the intake manifold.
IMG4
Some people just try to follow the instructions and run vacuum lines to the port on their turbo. If you don’t have an intercooler than it won’t matter much, for those with intercoolers this will impact performance as you wouldn’t be accounting for the drop in pressure across the intercooler. So if you reference your boost gauge to the turbo and the wastegate after the intercooler than you will be boosting less than what your boost gauges says. Try to be consistent. Most people reference their boost gauge at the intake manifold after the throttle body because that it what the motor will be seeing.
IMG5
Normal Blow off valves have 1 port on them. Reference them after the throttle body, it will normally perform better and will definitely sound more like a turbo car. The wastegate can be a big PITA to run correctly depending on what you have and what you’re trying to do. For a normal 2 port external wastegates see this reference.
http://www.tialsport.com/documents/w..._wginstall.pdf
Usually, the top port will be vented to atmosphere, which it’s usually recommended that you just run a short vacuum hose to nothing to try to keep the port from getting clogged. And the side port is referenced before the throttle body.
IMG3
If you have a boost controller, it gets a lot more tricky. For electronic boost controllers, there are so many different ones to choose from and how they are installed can be different. My experience was with the Eboost2. Click here and go to the boost controller section and click on eboost 2.Go to pages 4-7 to see how it can be connected as an example.
http://www.turbosmart.com.au/index.php?s=downloads
If you have a manual boost controller, it usually will work 1 of 2 ways. Usually the top port is referenced to the intake before the TB and the side port will go to the boost controller. If it’s a 2 stage controller then the side port will go to a T which will go to the controller and to the vacuum source after the TB. The other way, which you will have to test to see which way works, is the top port goes to atmosphere and the side port T’s with the controller and the manifold. Well that’s all I can think of for right now, hope that helps some people out.Hopefully this will help others getting started so they dont have to go through what myself and others have been with so many questions.It should help clean up the interior and the engine bay.
IMG UNDERHOOD

 

Excellent idea for a writeup! Should this be added to one of the stickies above?

 

Nice Write Up Man, I'd Like To Check Out Your Gauges In Person

 

good pictures... i was looking at how people hid their wires that went in behind the fuse panel on the driver side...
on another note... what do the ends of the wires look like that plug in? with those were is your fuse?

Thanks,

Tyler

 

i like it. if the mods say we have to many stickies. (which we do, haha) we can rename mine to like "turbo basic information" and ill add it in

 

Where can I find longer sections of the very very tiny vacuum lines that come with boost gauges, and how can i fit it to mine that has a npt fitting on the back? I'm using 3/8 ID rubber hose about 6' of it, so I'm sure there's a small difference in actual boost than what my gauge reads.

 

GMS....yeah no problem ive been wanting a ride in that beast you have as well.
tyty...for the openings in the fuse box that already had fuses in them such as for the radio i just stripped some of the wire and wrapped it around 1 of the pronges on the fuse and shoved it back it.it gets it nice and tight in there and wont come lose.If there wasnt a fuse in there i would have just used a basic connector to push in there.
Westside....i hope they make it a sticky,i tried to make it as easy as possible to understand with pics and stuff.as far as vacuum line,silicon line is really better than regular vacuum line as far as durability and doesnt crack as easily.ebay has plenty as well as Hightempsilicone and some other places.try google if you cant find anything.im gonna go work on the car more and thing about more to add.

 

is there a problem with running one of those boxes like the golden eagle one, T it off the brake booster and run all lines to it? I see you mentioned before TB, and after for different scenerios... whats the difference, anything bad to running a souce like the golden eagle box off brake booster? Thanks

 

all depends on what youre trying to run and what you need referenced.You have to remember that somethings cant have vacuum,they only want boost.So if thats the case you reference it before the TB if it doesnt matter then usually after works easier.a single port BOV will sound ALOT better when referenced after the TB.And i try not to run more than 2-3 things to a single vacuum source.So 1 of the splitters is cool just try not to run EVERYTHING to the same source.

 

ok, what needs to be run off boost only? im confused there... i have 2 WGs, a BOV, boost guage, and not sure if my meth kit needs refrence or not yet...

 

what kind of wastegates do you have?are you running off the springs only or running a controller?the BOV you want referenced after the TB and the boost gauge you want after the TB so it will read vacuum as well.The meth kit you have to check on.

 

Wgs are Tial 38mm, running off WG spring...

 

ok for that you should look here
http://www.tialsport.com/documents/w..._wginstall.pdf
it says that your top ports will be vented and your side ports will go to a source before the TB

 

ok thanks a lot! I actually have that drawing in my box with WGs but could never understand it, haha. Thanks again!

 

no problem glad i could make that part of the install easier for someone

 

add to sticky and get this article a little more involved. Needs more pics.

 

what do people use the port on the turbo then if you have an intercooler? just block it off?

 

correct.just a rubber nipple ziptied on will be fine as there is boost there.

 

My MBC has 2 ports. It says to run the marked port (has ->) to the top port on the WG and to run the unmarked port to the side port on the WG w/ a "T" in that line going to a boost source. Does that sound right? The instructions from my Tial says to run all MBC their way and to follow manufacturer's instructions for EBC. Which one should I go with?

 

if Tial says run all MBC's a specific way to work with their setup then do that.But honestly i have an ebay MBC and a Tial wastegate and i have it hooked up the way you first described and it works perfectly.but just to be sure do what Tial says since thats what they ask.what i would recommend is to try that first with a higher gear pull so u can get out of it if it overboosts.