What Gauges are Must Have's?, For a /6 Conversion Options

[kconway]

I'm trying to work out what to do for gauges for a /6 conversion. I've been chatting with Mark about building a triple gauge for oil pressure, oil temp and fuel. My question is do I really need an oil pressure gauge for a street car or is the idiot light adequet? I think an ammeter is just a novelty and I'm not crazy about a quad gauge as it looks too busy.

I have a NOS combo gauge for a /4 motor and I was contemplating just updating the oil temp gauge portion with a matching sender for temp telemtry.

My other alternative is sending my NOS combo gauge (I hate to sacrafice a NOS gauge) as a core and having a triple gauge made by Vintage USA.

What is the combo gauge I've attached worth? Thinking of maybe selling it and sourcing a core for my triple gauge.

Any opinions? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)





Kev

[mepstein]

Oil pressure and temp are crucial to monitor the health and function of your engine. Don't try to save a couple hundred at the cost of many thousand.

[scotty b]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) My 2 cents would be a triple gauge with fuel, oil pressure, and oil temp. You can also go with a center console with additional gauges for whatever else you want. Maintains a factory look tht way

And if you're building a triple gauge, get a nice used one and keep/sell the NOS as the triple will be rebuilt and new anyway

[kconway]

Oil pressure and temp are crucial to monitor the health and function of your engine. Don't try to save a couple hundred at the cost of many thousand.

I hear ya. Is the fact that the /4 only has an idiot light for pressure have something to do with it not being dry sump engine? What will a pressure reading tell me over an idiot light? Not being stubborn, just don't have a feel for what its will tell me. I don't think my 2003 vehicle has anything more than a bar (no actual numbers) to represent pressure. Perhaps it's too late by the time an idiot light comes on?

Kev

[MDG]

The factory six used a combi gauge like the top pic below: I have one in mine like the one in the second photo. I'm going to add the fuel gauge to the bottom of it.

Not sure what the NOS gauge is worth but I bet you could sell it for a lot more than an old 911 gauge like the one I have. I think I paid 50 bucks for mine. and I definitely want the pressure gauge in there.

[kconway]

The factory six used a combi gauge like the top pic below: I have one in mine like the one in the second photo. I'm going to add the fuel gauge to the bottom of it.

Not sure what the NOS gauge is worth but I bet you could sell it for a lot more than an old 911 gauge like the one I have. I think I paid 50 bucks for mine. and I definitely want the pressure gauge in there.

Good point, the original 6 didn't have a pressure gauge. However, I'm starting to think this through and think I'm starting to be convinced it's worth extra $$ to have the data. Center console pressure gauge maybe an option, if there's one out there that fits.

[mepstein]

914's were low cost cars. 911's have more guages. Guages can tell you when something bad is going to happen. Idiot lights tell you something bad has just happened.

[MDG]

Guages can tell you when something bad is going to happen. Idiot lights tell you something bad has just happened.

I agree. The engines we are swapping into these cars are all getting old. I'd rather glance at a gauge and seeing something that is starting not to look right than have a light blinking on 15 minutes too late.

[John]

Here is the last one I put together a couple weeks ago.

[proto31]

I used the combo gauge from a 911, it's got the idiot light, alternator light, oil temp and oil pressure. Oil pressure is really nice to monitor, the idiot light comes on once oil pressure falls below 7 psi, that's way too low if your cruising at 3,000-4,000 RPM's, your normal oil pressure in that range should be anywhere from 60-75 psi... I didn't want a radio so I just took the stock fuel gauge out and built my own radio delete plate with the fuel gauge in the middle. It's a lexon piece of clear plastic, used some acrylic glue to glue plastic studs on the back and attached the gauge to the studs. I like it.

[proto31]

Here is the last one I put together a couple weeks ago.

I like John's gauge a lot! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[ArtechnikA]

Good point, the original 6 didn't have a pressure gauge.

Here's a data point - contemporary ('70-'71) 911E and S had a 10-Bar oil pressure guage and _no_ idiot light. What a guage will tell you that a light won't is when the oil pressure is too _high_ to operate safely.

I saw my 10-Bar gauge pegged on several occasions - cold-weather (Single-digit-F) startups. The temperature guage doesn't really come to life much below 140ºF. When you can peg the oil pressure with a throttle blip, things are still too cold to hammer the throttle.

Ideally, the idiot light switch is wired to a BIG, BRIGHT, RED light (and maybe a horn, for the track...). Fuel guage is nice, and I wouldn't eliminate one from a car that had one already, but I never ran out of gas in my '53 which has no guage... You've got a 60-mi lo-fuel light, two odometers, and a clock. There's really no excuse for running out of gas.

Fuel level, oil temp, oil pressure. Some lights for truly alarming things wouldn't be bad, but they can be small and don't really need to be in your scan.

[Cap'n Krusty]

I used the combo gauge from a 911, it's got the idiot light, alternator light, oil temp and oil pressure. Oil pressure is really nice to monitor, the idiot light comes on once oil pressure falls below 7 psi, that's way too low if your cruising at 3,000-4,000 RPM's, your normal oil pressure in that range should be anywhere from 60-75 psi... I didn't want a radio so I just took the stock fuel gauge out and built my own radio delete plate with the fuel gauge in the middle. It's a lexon piece of clear plastic, used some acrylic glue to glue plastic studs on the back and attached the gauge to the studs. I like it.

60 to 70PSI at 3000-4000 RPM? Not good. Try 10 PSI/1000 RPM at normal operating temps.

The Cap'n

[John]

Here is the last one I put together a couple weeks ago.

I like John's gauge a lot! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I have a few kits left. This one, the guy provided the donor gauges and asked me to assemble the kit. It took me a while (I don't have too much spare time), but he reported that he likes his new gauge.

[kconway]

Here is the last one I put together a couple weeks ago.

This is what I've been thinking about doing. Is the metric on these oil pressure gauges in 'bars' ie 0-5? Think I would like to have it read psi, I assume VDO makes that gauge as well?

John, you making these for your use or profit? I can use one... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[SLITS]

I use a 911 combo oil temp / oil pressure mounted in a center console, along with a Volt gauge & clock.

If you use John's gauge on your 2.4, it will peg the guage and possibly ruin the sender as it is 5 bar. The 2.4 will produce damn near 10 bar on cold startup. Sub in a 10 bar gauge.

[kconway]

I use a 911 combo oil temp / oil pressure mounted in a center console, along with a Volt gauge & clock.

If you use John's gauge on your 2.4, it will peg the guage and possibly ruin the sender as it is 5 bar. The 2.4 will produce damn near 10 bar on cold startup. Sub in a 10 bar gauge.

I imagine there is an appropriate gauge/sender that can be sourced for my application? I was thinking of a 140psi gauge and sender?

[markb]

Here is the last one I put together a couple weeks ago.

I like John's gauge a lot! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I have a few kits left. This one, the guy provided the donor gauges and asked me to assemble the kit. It took me a while (I don't have too much spare time), but he reported that he likes his new gauge.

I'm still hoping to get another kit, John. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[John]

The 911 gauges labeled 1-5 are in BAR. These were used in several later air cooled 911's. The PSI numbered gauges were only used a few years.

IMHO, I prefer the 1-5 BAR gauges. The sending units need to be matched to the gauge in order to operate correctly.

The temp gauges are similar. They need to have the appropriate sending unit.

Once upon a time I wanted a numbered temp gauge and a pressure gauge in PSI. I didn't have them when I made my first kit and have grown to like the cleaner look of the gauges not cluttered with insignificant numbers.

VDO gauges are not all that accurate, but they are repeatable. Once you know where your car is supposed to operate, you know where the gauge should point. The numbers become insignificant. Cool to look at, but insignificant.

The 911 gauge I used in my personal triple gauge is the one from my 3.2 engine. This way, I know what senders to use and it is uncluttered with numbers. 1-5 bar pressure and one of the temp gauges with 3 or 4 lines and no numbers.

just my $0.02

[Eric_Shea]

I have the stock 911 temp and pressure (combo gauge) and the fuel gauge is where the radio is in most cars. Temp and pressure are essential for a 911 motor.

Here's a link to the fuel gauge plate I made...

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=59512