[Citskipper]

Ok so the story goes like this, I just got a steal on an Oil Pressure Gauge and an Oil Temperature Gauge, both electrical, I couldnt help but grab them while they were WAAYYY on sale, $3.00 each when they retail for a good bit more. I bought them on impulse, then realized I have no idea as to how to wire either one of them up. :eekfacepalm: If anyone has done these guys before I would REALLY appreciate some shared knowledge. I tried looking up to see if anyone had posted a project abouut it before and couldnt find anything, anyways, thanks in advance! :thumbsup:

Cheers
-Cody

 

[Citskipper]

I just got a sandwich adapter, I beleive its called, it goes between the oil filter and the block and has two places to put the senders for these two gauges, now I need suggestions on where to mount them, I was thinking either in the center air vents or making a pod for them to go on top of the dash right above the center air vents. Any other suggestions? Also does anybody have tips for me on running the wires? How to get them through the dash? Where the best place to come through is?

Thanks!
-Cody

 

[kmfdmk]

Mount them where you see fit. Search for Mike "SuperSubs" build thread, he made a bad-ass center console to mount 3 gauges.

As for wiring, again Search "Google" for the wiring diagrams for your gauges. There are generally two ways to wire a "standard" pressure/temp gauge. That's a SINGLE WIRE install, and a DUAL WIRE install. Single usually involves grounding out (to a GOOD engine ground) the PROPER wire and then running a single wire to the gauge (which sends the signal) and also tapping a GROUND near where the gauge is installed. This halves the amount of wires you have to running through your engine bay/firewall. However you need to make sure you have good grounds in order to achieve reliable results.

For best peace of mind, just go the DUAL WIRE/2 WIRE install method. (where you run two wires from the sender/probe all the way to the gauge).

I suggest several things. For wire, a FINE BRAID/TWIST wire is better than a coarse/thick wire because of the work-hardening that makes the wires want to crack and become brittle from vibration is much less with fine/thin wire. Secondly, I might suggest doing what I did when I had electric gauges, I bought some hose (vacuum), I think in 1/4" or 3/8" diameter, sliced it ALL the way down the side so I had a C shape, and sleeved it OVER the probe/sender wire. This gives you a really good heat/abrasion shield. This is cheap, there are actual sleeves that you can buy from Summit/Jegs, maybe NAPA that are designed to go over wires/tubing/hoses that reject heat/abrasion and are made from FiberGlass/Kevlar etc.

As for where to come through the firewall... well, wherever you see fit. You could try coming in where the engine wiring harness comes through the firewall. Or you could be SUPER SUPER SUPER SUPER careful and drill throught he firewall in a discreet location and MAKE SURE TO USE A GROMMET, and use Toyota "Form-In-Place-Gasket" Sealer to seal the grommet in place as well as seal the hole closed again.

It's all up to you. There's also a Lotek 2 pod A-Pillar gauge available for cheap as well.

http://www.gaugepods.com/toyota.html

 

[kmfdmk]

OH... do yourself a HUGE FAVOR and don't bother fucking around with Teflon Tape, it's a WASTE OF YOUR TIME. Get PTFE Teflon "Pipe Dope" instead. It comes in a plastic tube looks kinda like toothpaste, or it'll come in a small jar with a brush (if you feel like having a lifetime supply).

 

[Citskipper]

Very helpful! Thanks!
How easy is it to cram a few more wires through the hole where the engine wiring harness comes through? If I remember correctly its a pretty tight fit just for the wiring harness, Any suggestions there? What is the TFE Paste for?

-Cody

 

[kmfdmk]

I honestly don't remember how tight it is. I know there are a few plugs over on the drivers side of the firewall that are pretty easy to pop out, slice, and run wires through. I've got my oil Temp line running through one of those, but I'm running mechanical gauges so it's a bit different, as well as a completely different oiling system.

As for the PTFE Teflon Pipe Dope, you use it on the threads of the fittings that will screw into the sandwich plate that you're using. It gives a MUCH better seal than Teflon Tape. The issue with the tape is that the peaks of the threads cut the tape when the threads engage, so it really only provides additional sealing on the face of the threads. Pipe dope, since it's a paste gets evenly distributed all around. It's a better, less-chance-of-leaks solution.

Hope this helps and let us know how it goes for you.

 

[Citskipper]

Ok, I will check out those plugs and see what I can figure out. I can replace anything as long as I can see what it looks like, but putting new stuff in is a totally different story, it scares me! I appreciate the advice! Thanks a bunch!!

-Cody