tracking down the right t-fitting

[AlphaAssault]

So a few weeks ago, i bought an aftermarket, universal boost gauge. it came with the cheap plastic line with a threaded metal part at each end, yadda yadda. I go to hook the thing up, and something is missing. To make a long story short, the t-fitting i have has FOUR nipples for vacuum hoses, but it lacks the threaded portion needed to connect the fitting to the hose. Where is a place that has t-fittings that are threaded that will attach to the line that goes to the gauge itself? I have already searched around at the local Oreilly's, with no luck. Do i need a threaded t-fitting, or am i missing something else here?

 

[Rob10_99]

What kind of boost guage?
Just a plastic line that goes to your mechanical guage?

 

[AlphaAssault]

I want to say its a MKI mechanical gauge with a white nylon tube to connect the gauge to the vacuum line. the nylon line has one threaded metal fitting embedded at each end.

heres a pic of the nylon tube that came with the gauge:

<a href="http://www.ringo.com/photos/photo.html?photoId=260766763"><img src="http://photo.ringo.com/259/259679398RL082303657.jpg" border="0"/></a>

also, that is the 4-nipple t-fitting i was talking about. four places for a connection, not one of them threaded :[

 

[AlphaAssault]

I was thinking home depot might have the part im looking for, but i dont know if they carry t-fittings small enough to fit with a vacuum hose.

someone who has used this set-up before, what did you do about the t-fitting? did you make your own, or did you manage to buy one from somewhere?

 

[snox135]

Remove the compression fitting (thread part) and just put the poly hose on the hose barb of the "t-fitting".

 

[TechBenchTony]

There is some arging about the best place to tap for a boost guage, when I put mine in, i tapped right off one of the VAC lines up top. Working at the moment, so no pics, but we had just a basic T-tap that came with the guage, and it works just fine. Though the end that was connected to the boost guage blew off about 2 days after. Nothing a little zip tie action cant solve

 

[1gDSM4g63]

<a href="http://www.ringo.com/photos/photo.html?photoId=260766763"><img src="http://photo.ringo.com/259/259679398RL082303657.jpg" border="0"/></a>
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I don't how much boost you're going for but it don't look like that will hold with it being plastic and all let alone I highly doubt it will give be precise boost level every time.

 

[pwayzjellyroll]

Get a NPT barbed fitting, I can't recall the size I think it's 1/8" and use a a rubber hose (I used hose made for window wash from napa) It will prevent the headaches and hassles from kinks and eliminate the need for a threaded T fitting. I did have hell finding one and ended up buying an assorted kit of T's from auto zone.

 

[nefarious]

Get a NPT barbed fitting, I can't recall the size I think it's 1/8" and use a a rubber hose (I used hose made for window wash from napa) It will prevent the headaches and hassles from kinks and eliminate the need for a threaded T fitting. I did have hell finding one and ended up buying an assorted kit of T's from auto zone.

I did almost the exact same thing. Those assorted kits come in handy over time though.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Where do you guys find your barbed fittings? I've been looking all over for a female end, but no luck.

As seen on the right of this photo:

http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto/mbc/pics/dsc00110.jpg

 

[nefarious]

If you do away with the plastic line and use some rubber tubing, you can use the little plastic 1/8" t-fittings.

 

[AlphaAssault]

If you do away with the plastic line and use some rubber tubing, you can use the little plastic 1/8" t-fittings.

then where is the best place to get rubber tubing? the smallest tube i remember seeing at oreillys was still too big for this sort of application.

 

[nefarious]

Any hardware store will carry it...look in the plumbing department where the icemaker lines and stuff are. They should have all different types of lines and fittings there. I think i bought mine at Lowes.

 

[snowborder714]

I agree with the others on ditching the crappy nylon tubing. It has tendencies to crack, kink, and break very easily.

Go to your local Lowes or Home Depot and go in their plumbing section and look at the brass NPT fittings. Get one of those and some vacuum hose from your local auto parts store. Just make sure to use teflon tape underneath the NPT nipple to prevent air leaking.

If you can't find what you're looking for there, check out McMaster-Carr as they will most likely have what you need.