gauge swap, need advice

[acorn3583]

hey all, im trying to swap a 90 cluster into my 92 gsx. im also sanding the backs of the faces from yellow to white, getting rid of the stock boost gauge for an externally mounted one, and preping the center holes for larger aftermarket gauges... most of it will be pretty simple, but im wondering what the most simple way to get the other gauge to work would be... should i keep on the path that im on and wire in the 90s tach filter to the current coil pack (already wired in but a simple delete) and run the full 90 cluster, or just prep the faces and black surround and swap faces to the current cluster... ive already taken out the stock boost gauge and am planning to swap odometers to keep my original milage. most of the work is done... but am i doing too much for such a simple swap? i can post pics for what i have accomplished so far later. let me know, any help is appreciated!

 

[hubbazoot]

Generally the simplest solution is also the best solution, so I'd recommend keeping the project as simple as possible.

As for the stock boost gauge removal... why?? It actually can give some handy information about the MAF readouts, and gives away when your turbo piping fails immediately.

 

[acorn3583]

Deleting the stock one because I was told that if I run higher boost than the gauge can read it would break and I would just have at dead gauge in my cluster and I'm just trying to clean it up and prevent that problem... I have a larger turbo that's going into the car and I'm hoping to run about 20 lbs to start off. Also, how would the new gauge not do the same thing?

 

[hubbazoot]

The stock one won't break, it's an entirely digital gauge that uses the MAF to "guess" how much air is coming into the boost system and it really has absolutely no clue how much pressure there is. Most other boost gauges have an air line that feeds directly into the back of the gauge and will read your pressure right out of the manifold. If they don't display the pressure that way, they go into a digital pressure reader and send an electronic signal to the gauge.

Regardless of how the aftermarket gauge works, the OE gauge really only reads airflow. I've run 20 psi with it in, no problem. A lot of the guys that run upwards of 30psi still have theirs in their car, too.

 

[blizz99]

the only thing the stock boost gauge is good for is for knock count via DSMLink. Other than that I wouldn't trust the stock boost gauge.

 

[hubbazoot]

the only thing the stock boost gauge is good for is for knock count via DSMLink. Other than that I wouldn't trust the stock boost gauge.

As far as for boost, you're right, it is useless.

HOWEVER. If you realize that it's measuring the airflow into the engine, it makes a pretty good airflow meter. I use it to measure airflow into the engine (like for how fuel efficient I'm driving and such).

 

[acorn3583]

i have an eprom and im planning on a dsmlink hopefully by the time i get it all put back together... so if i hear you right that would render it totally worthless and wouldnt hurt anything by deleting it except for the knock count but again, dsmlink would still catch that... am i getting you all right? im just trying to clean up the look of the cluster... if its a good thing to have dsmlink considered, i can keep it, thats no problem...

 

[hubbazoot]

i have an eprom and im planning on a dsmlink hopefully by the time i get it all put back together... so if i hear you right that would render it totally worthless and wouldnt hurt anything by deleting it except for the knock count but again, dsmlink would still catch that... am i getting you all right? im just trying to clean up the look of the cluster... if its a good thing to have dsmlink considered, i can keep it, thats no problem...

Well if you can still use it to display knock, I wouldn't say totally worthless. I'd say it's a good thing to have for dsmlink becasuse you can customize what you want it to display. Knock sensor is ONE of the options.

 

[razrman8]

OP, your stock boost gauge will not just "break" because of high boost levels. The stock boost gauge works off of a signal from the mass air flow. So the more boost you create its not going to keep "pushing and pushing" the gauge farther, it is just an electric signal. The reason that you should not trust a stock boost gauge for accurate boost readings is because it merely estimates how much boost you are producing by the amount of air flow through the mass air flow. A mechanical boost gauge does not work off of signals, but the actual boost pressure of the system.

 

[hubbazoot]

OP, your stock boost gauge will not just "break" because of high boost levels. The stock boost gauge works off of a signal from the mass air flow. So the more boost you create its not going to keep "pushing and pushing" the gauge farther, it is just an electric signal. The reason that you should not trust a stock boost gauge for accurate boost readings is because it merely estimates how much boost you are producing by the amount of air flow through the mass air flow. A mechanical boost gauge does not work off of signals, but the actual boost pressure of the system.

This feels oddly like what I've been saying to him.