I run Defi advanced CR gauges and an AEM wideband, work excellent but Defi is a little pricy.

Jayson

AEM WB and a harbor freight boost gauge.

Anyone successfully running a mechanical oil psi gauge?

Well i am, technically... But it has an electronic receiver. Damn aem oil pressure gauge.. It is an analog layout though on the gauge face

Hi guys I was wondering What brand of gauges you all prefer? I don't want to cheap out with my gauges and have to replace them in a year.

Thanks for all your replies!

I run AEM (air/fuel, oil, and boost gauges) on the a-pillar. I also have an autometer water and egt mounted beneath the radio. Get mechanical gauges if possible. Don't buy any ebay gauges for they worthless and you will waste your money.

Autometer, boost, oil pressure, oil temp: "mechanical"
Innovate wideband: "digital"


Best setup IMO

autometer

Definitely go with an Innovate wideband and really any brand mechanical boost gauge.

ISSPro Smart Gauges.



I had a set of autometers gauges on a previous DSM, and it just made for a cheap feel.

Autometer ftw and Innovate for the wb! Never let me down.

Autometer Sport-Comp series
Boost "Mechanical"
Oil Press "Mechanical"
Water Temp "Mechanical"

I love their precision.

AEM Wideband "digital"

Exxxel said:

Autometer Sport-Comp series

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Best looking gauges IMO

Awesome! Thanks for all the fast replies guys!!!


Why do you guys recommend "mechanical" over "electric"?? I was trying to stay away from boost leaks and oil messes inside the cabin

I was looking at AEM "electric" boost gauge, AEM "electric" oil pressure gauge, innovate digital WB in a triple A pillar pod and autometer "electric" water temp and trans temp and a dual gauge cluster pod

All my gauges are electric and just have a sending unit to plumb where needed. It allows me to run multiple bungs and take readings easily from multiple spots. Just putting a plug in the unused ports:

black97spyder said:

Awesome! Thanks for all the fast replies guys!!!


Why do you guys recommend "mechanical" over "electric"?? I was trying to stay away from boost leaks and oil messes inside the cabin

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#1 I have NEVER heard of a boost leak coming from a gauge unless the line is crimped & bent to hell.
#2 Also never head of having "OIL" inside the cabin, a oil pressure gauge reads off of a oil pressure sender. "which is usually SS line"
#3 Mechanical gauges might not have the "cool" factor but they are a lot more accurate than electric ones.


From above****

http://www.extremepsi.com/store/product.php?productid=23312

Mechanical stuff is awful. Running boost lines through the firewall? No thanks.

Get Stack: STACK World Class Instrumentation, Data-logging, TPMS & Video.

Old Greddy stufff was decent, although the "brain boxes" take up room. Defi is more or less the same as the old Greddy stuff.

If you just want to get it all done at once, run a Stack cluster for about 1400 bucks and it'll datalog + replace everything in your dash with one unit. I wish I did that initially instead of having 6 separate gauges.

Regarding oil and coolant in the cabin, if anyone is using mechanical style Boost, Oil pressure, Oil temp or coolant temp gauges, they indeed have oil and coolant running through hoses from the engine directly to the gauge in the cabin, and as mechanical gauges do not use sending units, the pressurized, heated fluid (or just air, in the case of a boost gauge) goes directly into the gauge itself. The advantage to this is that since there is no sending unit to fail, and in theory, mechanical gauges can be more accurate. The downside is that, if the line between the engine and gauge fails, you get hot, pressurized oil or coolant in the cabin- this is why mechanical gauges for oil pressure, oil temp, and coolant temp are better suited for dedicated race cars. Many people get mechanical and electric gauges confused, so here's the bottom line:
A guage which uses a sending unit in the motor, whether its pressure (boost, oil) or temperature (coolant, oil), which is wired to the gauge is an electric gauge, regardless of the gauge's display style- digital numeric, analog short sweep, analog full sweep. A gauge that utilizes a hose directly from the motor to the gauge itself is always a mechanical gauge, and the pressure or temperature measuring device is built directly into the gauge.

Yea, I could do without a face full of hot, high pressure "anything" while piloting a vehicle at speed. Or even in general, that is something I would prefer to avoid.

Hence, sending units.

Best looking gauges out right now have to be the Prosport Evo series. Man they look sharp. Digital in the center with a sweep on the outside. Perfect imo

91stocker said:

Best looking gauges out right now have to be the Prosport Evo series. Man they look sharp. Digital in the center with a sweep on the outside. Perfect imo

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Sounds like AEM gauges, which is one of the reasons I chose AEM.

For my wideband, it's Innovate.

Everything else? AEM. High quality harness's that I'm not scared to string out to the engine bay. Quality electric stepper motors that are fast and precise. Accuracy is the biggest thing for me because I like to go by the book as far as MHI turbo's go, so I use the AEM in series between the oil restrictor and turbo inlet to set my turbos' oil pressure. (Unscrew and drill out .005" until it's right)

You can set the color to most closely match the stock color and for the most part the gauge matches the instrument panel. I like to make things look stock and not modified

The only gauge needed IMHO is a wideband gauge. So I'd just can an LC1 and call it a day.

Has anyone had to replace their senders for the gauges very often? That's one thing I'm worried about with an electric gauge.

I'm very picky when it comes to gauges for my car because I want them to be spot on when it comes to accuracy.

I've had a boost leak with a mechanical gauge before that was on the tb nipple. And have heard horror stories of oil lines coming undone from the back of gauges and making a huge mess everywhere. This is Why I was thinking electric gauges.

Mechanical is going to be more accurate and be much less likely to fail. Normally if someone has a problem its due to improper installation.