Installing a coolant pressure gauge?

[Phoenix]

Is it possible to install a coolant pressure gauge? Seems like it would be very handy when diagnosing coolant problems?

[BillyM]

Sure you can...

Get a pressure tester instead... Has a guage on it to begin with...

--billyM

[Phoenix]

Is there any way to hook it up permanently, with the gauge inside the car?

[williamb82]

honestly, there is no need to ever do that. if you start to have cooling problems then hook it up to check for a leak. thats all its needed for.

[Phoenix]

Hmmm. I guess you're right. I'd just like to know what the pressure is like before I open the cap and have it spray in my face. 8) I'm planning to put in some new gauges or to make a custom cluster. Maybe I'm looking too hard for 'handy' gauges to add.

I'd like a fuel pressure gauge, an AF gauge and a calibrated coolant gauge. That's what I'm thinking of so far. Can you think of any thing else that might be useful.

[Dave A.]

Hmmm. I guess you're right. I'd just like to know what the pressure is like before I open the cap and have it spray in my face. 8) I'm planning to put in some new gauges or to make a custom cluster. Maybe I'm looking too hard for 'handy' gauges to add.

I'd like a fuel pressure gauge, an AF gauge and a calibrated coolant gauge. That's what I'm thinking of so far. Can you think of any thing else that might be useful.


Sounds good, but putting a fuel pressure gauge in the dash cluster is a no-no. You need to monitor the fuel pressure external to the interior to avoid fumes and a fire hazard inside the car. Monitoring the cooling system pressure wouldn't be that hard to do, but as long as the coolant temp. doesn't get too hot then the pressure should remain in check.

There's a whole slew of different guages you could add, but the interior can start to resemble a submarine if you get too carried away. 8) How about a calibrated oil pressure guage to go along with the coolant temp. guage?

[williamb82]

dave,they make fuel pressure gauges that use electric senders and also autometer has a device that runs water to the cabin for fp and oil pressure so you still get the same accuracy and sweep of the mechanical gauge.
william

[Phoenix]

Hmmm. I guess you're right. I'd just like to know what the pressure is like before I open the cap and have it spray in my face. 8) I'm planning to put in some new gauges or to make a custom cluster. Maybe I'm looking too hard for 'handy' gauges to add.

I'd like a fuel pressure gauge, an AF gauge and a calibrated coolant gauge. That's what I'm thinking of so far. Can you think of any thing else that might be useful.


Sounds good, but putting a fuel pressure gauge in the dash cluster is a no-no. You need to monitor the fuel pressure external to the interior to avoid fumes and a fire hazard inside the car. Monitoring the cooling system pressure wouldn't be that hard to do, but as long as the coolant temp. doesn't get too hot then the pressure should remain in check.

I like the comment about the submarine. Thats pretty funny :D :D I'm not planning to use analog gauges. I'm thinking more of a Knight Rider inspired led display with lots of stuff in a small space.

There's a whole slew of different guages you could add, but the interior can start to resemble a submarine if you get too carried away. 8) How about a calibrated oil pressure guage to go along with the coolant temp. guage?

Oil pressure gauge sounds good. I'm not sure I like the idea of having the same thing twice. I might just make a whole new cluster and upgrade all the gauges. That's doable isn't it. I'm not in any hurry.

About the fuel gauge. I didn't know you had to run a fuel line all the way to the gauge. Cant you get an electronic one with a sender in the engine bay, sort of like the oil pressure gauge. Come to think of it couldnt I just get a calibrated gauge to work with the stock oil pressure sender?

Any chance you could tell me more about how I'd install an water pressure gauge. I think it would be handy. The pressure should go up before the temp if the engine is low on water. It would give me a sort of heads up on overheating. Anyway I think it would be cool 8)

I like the submarine comment. :D Thats pretty funny. I'm thinking of making a Knight Rider inspired led cluster with lots of stuff in a small space.

[Phoenix]

dave,they make fuel pressure gauges that use electric senders and also autometer has a device that runs water to the cabin for fp and oil pressure so you still get the same accuracy and sweep of the mechanical gauge.
william

Williamb, could you expand on that a bit?

[BillyM]

Two types of gauges.

Mechanical - fitting on the back, you run a pressure hose and there is a diaphram inside the gauge that makes the needle move...

Electrical - Has nothing to do with "if it lights up or not" or whatever. Electrical referrs to a sender (temp, pressure, etc) and electrical wires that run to the display gauge. This is the safest way to get measurements from hazardous fluids, especially when concerning pressures in oil and fuel.

Dont want the fiting right at the back of the gauge getting weak over time and popping off turning into a 40psi 1/4" hose putting about a gallon of hot fuel into your car in less than 10 seconds...

Now they make this thing that lets you use a mechanical gauge and you run water between the gauge and this "Isolator" and there is a low-tension diaphram that keeps only water running into your car, and the fuel runs to the other side. If the fitting on the back of the gauge busts, you have about 2oz of water leak out, the diaphram isolator keeps gas from flowing in

This kindof shows what I'm talking about the vertical bar stands for the diaphram that seperates fuel and water.


Normal Mechanicall Pressure gauge:
Fuel--------------------<through firewall>-----mech.Gauge

Mechanical Gauge with Isolator
Fuel------- | --------water---<through firewall>--- mech.gauge

Electrical:
Fuel-Sender->Wires-------<through firewall>-----Electrical Gauge

Mechanical Gauges can be had cheap, but the isolators are a little pricey. Your best bet with fuel would be to monitor from under the hood only or splurge on the electrical.

As far as coolant pressure is concerned, I would tap a bung into your radiator somewhere. That will have the most constant pressures. Keep in mind though you wont ever see anything more than 13psi (or whatever your cap is rated at) the only good thing about seeing coolant pressure is to check for leaking or cap it and rev it hard to see if youve got BHG allowing exhaust into coolant system. Without a pressure tester (does not release at certain psi) and using only your rad cap, you will not see anything. If you do infact have any leaking or Blow Head Gaket, it will release pressure as needed.... It wont tell you anything. No need, waste of time.

--billyM

[Phoenix]

Thanks billy, I think I'll go with the electrical gauge. Sounds like the simplest solution.

I thought the water pressure would go up when there is a load of steam in the system. But what you say makes sense. I think I'll ditch that idea. 8)

What else would be useful for diagnostics/safety/etc? I might fit a fuel kill switch for safety. This is in the design stage right now. The only part currently under construction is the air/fuel gauge. I'm using mwebbers design.

Anyone know if the stock oil pressure and water temp senders can be calibrated and wired to a graduated gauge?

[Digilog]

When I installed my Oil Preassure gauge I tried to used the stock sender first it didn't work, however I have a digital cluster and only an idiot light, but my understanding is that the factory senders/gauges are pretty inacurate. I bought my Oil Preassure gauge with sender from Princess Auto and it only cost $20 with a sender that screwed right it, ditto for the Temp Sensor.

Digilog

[Phoenix]

That's awesome. :D Thanks Digilog 8)

I might try to rig up a single switch to kill all non essential electric devices.
I also read of someone rigging up all the car lights to individual switches. That seems like it might be cool. An exhaust spark plug with switch is something I'm toying with also. I wonder if I could get a more reliable fuel full/empty gauge too. A built in accelerometer would also be cool but if I splashed out on one of those I'd probably want to use it to tune my wife's VW too.

I'm guessing the best time to do this would be when I install my ultramega squirt. It would be awesome to build in an old laptop to run the ms software. Probably a waste though, and a theft hazard. I think I'll settle with a usb port in the glove box. 8)

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.