Stupid Question
Stupid Question I just ordered the 3 Pod gauge pillar for the camaro. It has 2 1/6" holes. I planned on doing water temp, A/F misture, and Trans Temp
I have seen options for these gauges to be either electrical or mechanical
which are easier to install.... or work best etc etc
thoughts, comments....suggestions please?
I have seen options for these gauges to be either electrical or mechanical
which are easier to install.... or work best etc etc
thoughts, comments....suggestions please?
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,036
Likes: 1
From: Lake Zurich, IL
electrical will be easier to install ... A/F is only electrical... trans temp I'm not sure if they offer a mechanical but the electrical is a synch to install... put a temp sensor bung in the trans pan and run a wire to the gauage.
I was under the assumption that mechanical gauges require the source to go right up to them (example, mechanical fuel pressure gauge needs a line filled with fuel to go up to the gauge, mechanical nitrous gauge requires a line full of nitrous to go to the gauge) ... so mechanical are great for short distances.. IE a gauge under the hood for tuning the fuel system, or if you want to mount them outside the car... but for internally mounted gauges I'd go electric ... electric gauges just use wires ... with a sending unit of some kind to translate the source into whatever signal the guage needs
I was under the assumption that mechanical gauges require the source to go right up to them (example, mechanical fuel pressure gauge needs a line filled with fuel to go up to the gauge, mechanical nitrous gauge requires a line full of nitrous to go to the gauge) ... so mechanical are great for short distances.. IE a gauge under the hood for tuning the fuel system, or if you want to mount them outside the car... but for internally mounted gauges I'd go electric ... electric gauges just use wires ... with a sending unit of some kind to translate the source into whatever signal the guage needs
There is already an electrical trans temp sender
in the transmission (the PCM knows trans temp
somehow) so you might not have to add anything
if you can get a gauge that's proper for 4L60E.
The water temp sender on these cars I believe
is kind of jacked, there is some kind of switched-
drive deal that happens once a certain temp is
reached and you can't apply a "normal" gauge
to our cars (?). So you would need to find a
second place to fit a sender or pressure bulb.
Most of the cheapo mechanical / pressure bulb
temp gauges are for SBC-style American pipe
thread, I think ours are some sort of metric?
Need to dig around on that one. The capillary-
tube mechanicals are not bad until you kink
the line one too many times and then it's all
over. Standard temp senders are not too pricey
(mass market) but the thread & spare-water-
jacket-hole stuff you have to work out.
You don't really want a straight nitrous feed
into the cabin and damn sure don't want fuel.
I sure wish there was a decent-priced fuel
pressure sender out there, I see them at like
$80 and up which seems out-of-line for what
it is. I guess high pressure senders are still
not at the SBC parts price point yet....
in the transmission (the PCM knows trans temp
somehow) so you might not have to add anything
if you can get a gauge that's proper for 4L60E.
The water temp sender on these cars I believe
is kind of jacked, there is some kind of switched-
drive deal that happens once a certain temp is
reached and you can't apply a "normal" gauge
to our cars (?). So you would need to find a
second place to fit a sender or pressure bulb.
Most of the cheapo mechanical / pressure bulb
temp gauges are for SBC-style American pipe
thread, I think ours are some sort of metric?
Need to dig around on that one. The capillary-
tube mechanicals are not bad until you kink
the line one too many times and then it's all
over. Standard temp senders are not too pricey
(mass market) but the thread & spare-water-
jacket-hole stuff you have to work out.
You don't really want a straight nitrous feed
into the cabin and damn sure don't want fuel.
I sure wish there was a decent-priced fuel
pressure sender out there, I see them at like
$80 and up which seems out-of-line for what
it is. I guess high pressure senders are still
not at the SBC parts price point yet....
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
From: Vacaville, CA
??? The mechanical guages do require the line to go to the back of the guage itself. So, that is definitely not a good idea to bring fuel into the cab. I am sure that if you buy these as a package; they should come with detailed instructions on the install. Might even be able to tap the pcm for the readings. My 2 cents. Go to Tucson. --John 
Ditto on the advantages of electric senders, only way to go. I put the temp sender for my electric gauge in one of the holes for the bubble tube; works great! I cut the end off the bubble tube and welded it shut to form a plug for the other cylinder head. When I refill the radiator, I just loosen the plug to burp the system.
