914 gauges, daydreaming/random idea Options

[tat2dphreak]

I was browsing egauges.com today after hearing that the autometer monster tachs will fit in the gauges, and I have some questions... I'm sure if I felt energetic I could find the answers myself, but I know someone out there knows right off the top of their head....

1) which autometer tachs fit in the stock hole?
2) say someone, such as myself, wanted to change all of the gauges in the car...
a) what size gauges would be needed for the console? the speedo? the fuel/light gauge?
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) what size/type of senders would work? 1/8" for the oil temp? etc...

3) mechanical or electrical for the oil pressure and the oil temp?

4) how difficult would all of this be?

I doubt I'll do this... but, I would like to know, because I think it could look very sweet! and if time/money permits... I would be willing to do it.

[ArtechnikA]

1) which autometer tachs fit in the stock hole?
3) mechanical or electrical for the oil pressure and the oil temp?
4) how difficult would all of this be?

1) all the 5" ones.
3) mechanical works okay for front-engine cars - the runs are pretty long for our applications.
4) oil pressure sender is a bit of a challenge because the obvious was isn't good; you need a short run of 'remote' hose - a SS brake line or high-pressure grease-gun hose. the tach is easy, less easy is figuring how to make the turn signals that used to be in the tach work... the rest is straightforward if tedious. use good grounding technique. there may be a limit to how many gage lights the stock lighting circuit is designed to operate

[Dave_Darling]

"Which gauges will fit"?? Tat, just measure the holes!! It's not that tough.

I think the center console ones are 2 1/16", but I could be misremembering that. I know they're a bit of an odd size, so you may be SOL.

The speedo and the combo gauge are the same size as each other. Just measure one of those two holes.

--DD

[tat2dphreak]

I know it's not tough Dave, I'm just at work...

I tried to drive it up the elevator and park it here, but they got all pissy about that... I was even playing that stupid Black eyed peas song from the XM radio commercial (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

also I wasn't sure if I could get the measurement accurately with the Bezel on...

the Console wouldn't be tough... I could open the holes up a bit if needed... the dash ones I think are a weird size but ??? the senders are the hard part for me... I don't have a stock temp sender or oil press. sender for the console...

I was asking because if I decided to do this, it would be so they all match... but not all styles have all sizes...

the only 5" tachs I saw had the giant shift light... can that POS be removed? as far as the lighting circuit, I've reran an extra wire for one before... I'm sure that can be done on a 914 as well... I hadn't thought of the blinkers in the tach though <_<

[Qarl]

There is an aftermarket face plate you can get that will allow you to mount different gauges in the 914 place.

This plate is often on E-bay.

(IMG:http://www.9xauto.com/images/914clus1.jpg)

I'm not sure if the tach is a straight plug in swap. Just make sure it can accept a feed from the coil. Some of them are set up for signals from electronic ignitions.

As far as th gauges, you will have to find a gauge that accepts the resistance range for the fuel sender.

For the pressure sensors, the stock sensors might work (but again, it's you really need to know the resistance ranges for the sensors being used to match to the gauges). If you want to use THEIR sensors, then you may need to get a thread adapter. The 914 engine probably has metric threads on them.

The big dilemma is for the idiot lights and turn signals. You can just get some indicator lamps to make up for these. The panel has some holes set up for it.

(IMG:http://www.9xauto.com/images/914clamp.jpg)

If you can do the homework, you might end up with a set of gauges that work better than stock.

Also, VDO makes aftermarket gauges as well. These may be more compatible with the stock 914 sensors. The problem is that the sizes are different than stock gauges (smaller).

I can go on and on... as I researched this years ago.

Good luck!

[Qarl]

There is an autometer gauge without the shift light!

[tat2dphreak]

I've thought about cutting something like that... the guy on ebay seems pretty proud of a piece of sheet metal, and I have access to a plasma cutter... so the job would not be hard.... IF I do decide to do this, I'll probably do that for the dash...

the fuel problem has come to me before... may have to find a sender that can mount in the stock place..

hmmm... I did not see the tach witout a shift light... may have to look again... all of the ones I saw were very ricer... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) I also looked for VDO in dash tachs(no shift light but they were smaller than the 5"

[tat2dphreak]

my bad on the tachs w/out a shift light... I found some! and if I end up cutting a new dash plate... it wouldn't HAVE to be 5" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[Elliot_Cannon]

FYI I bought VDO gauges and found I needed an adapter to get them in the larger holes. I found out if you cut a small slice of 2 1/2 inch black PVC pipe and sand out the inner wall a little, it will fit over the gauge really nice. It makes for a nice bezel if you need to fit it into a larger hole.
Cheers, Elliot

[ArtechnikA]

the only 5" tachs I saw had the giant shift light... can that POS be removed?

they don't all have it and yes, it comes off easily. i relocated mine to the clock hole.

as far as aux gauges, sizing, and a place to put turn signals (and in my case, high beam indicator) - turns out a standard tuna fish can is an almost-perfect fit for the combo gauge hole...

[tat2dphreak]

cool, I also looked last night and they have many adapters for the senders too... thanks for all the replies...

If you can do the homework, you might end up with a set of gauges that work better than stock

that's my exact hope... 30 year old gauges... even if they were the best at the time, are probably not the best now. thanks for all of ya'lls help. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)