Most important gauges

[THEKILLERWHALE]

Okay so I already have a vent gauge with a aftermarket boost gauge and an aem air/fuel. But I have a steering column 2x gauge cluster I would like to put into affect, but I'm not going to get just any gauges just to do it. I want them to be useful, and something it would help a lot to have. In addition to boat and air/fuel, what are some of the other probably most important aftermarket gauges to have?

 

[bsbllfit7]

water temp, egt, oil pressure. Those would be the next gauges i would get in your situation

 

[miguelmcv]

Okay so I already have a vent gauge with a aftermarket boost gauge and an aem air/fuel. But I have a steering column 2x gauge cluster I would like to put into affect, but I'm not going to get just any gauges just to do it. I want them to be useful, and something it would help a lot to have. In addition to boat and air/fuel, what are some of the other probably most important aftermarket gauges to have?

If you have your balance shaft removed. Then you need an oil pressure gauge,
So, I would say.
Wide Band,
Boost Gauge, and
Oil Pressure Gauge

 

[D's GS-T]

Boost, Wideband, and Oil pressure If I had to pick 3.

 

[Absit]

Which critical value of your engine's operation would you like to monitor? Different people like to keep an eye on different things. For instance, I don't care what my water temp is beyond what the stock gauge tells me.

 

[dalesmitsu]

Trans gauge if you have a automatic.

 

[miguelmcv]

Which critical value of your engine's operation would you like to monitor? Different people like to keep an eye on different things. For instance, I don't care what my water temp is beyond what the stock gauge tells me.

Agree.

 

[BigRSnail95]

I have a boost, oil pressure, and wideband o2. Dont really feel like anything else is to critical at the moment.

 

[4Lurker4]

You could always get an OBD gauge which reads info off your ecu

PLX Devices iMFD DM-200 OBDII OBD GAUGE 60MM OBD2 METER | eBay

Voltage could also be useful if you have many electronics.

Personally I'd go with oil pressure and water temp. It really depends on you like Absit said

 

[Guzman08]

oil pressure,
boost/vac,
water temp.

I dont want any over heating that would crack ## head. Any lost oil that will spin a rod.

 

[usmcjay]

Definately boost, wideband, and oil pressure. I just spent alot on a rebuild and monitoring these gauges gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling when driving...

 

[90gsxjuice]

water temp, egt, oil pressure. Those would be the next gauges i would get in your situation

U don't need an egt if you already have a wideband but if u still want it u can install it.
But definitely oil pressure

 

[my dreamt dsm]

A rice gauge, fast gauge and pos gauge
I would say air/fuel, boost, egt, oil pressure.

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

How about a knock monitor/gauge! I know hks make them and I am currently looking at buying one but there damn expensive its either that of there evc-s as that's a built-in boost gauge.

Oil pressure seems to be the most common and of course most sensible option.

Unless your building a big HP car most other gauges are over kill and you only need basic info so oil press/ water maybe as the stock gauge is fine I feel! You have AF and boost so that's cool

 

[floader]

Boost, oil pressure, and wide band. Then get Link so you can set the CEL if it gets hot and use the factory boost gauge to read knock. Link really should be one of the first mods for these cars

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

Boost, oil pressure, and wide band. Then get Link so you can set the CEL if it gets hot and use the factory boost gauge to read knock. Link really should be one of the first mods for these cars

To use the stock boost gauge as knock that would involve a lot of re wiring? I never know you could do this? Hmmm

 

[DSMTyson]

Boost, oil pressure, and wide band. Then get Link so you can set the CEL if it gets hot and use the factory boost gauge to read knock. Link really should be one of the first mods for these cars

Thats what I do.

 

[LiquidX]

If you decide to get ECMLink v3, you can have the stock boost gauge read voltage (which is how I found out I was killing alternators before I became stranded), have the CEL flash when you go over x* timing pull (knock - I have mine set at 2*), and also have the CEL turn on when your water temp reaches a much lower temp (say 220* instead of 235*).

All you really need are a boost gauge and a wide band. If you have an auto I would place in a tranny oil temp gauge especially if you will be racing. If not then an oil pressure gauge would be good.

EGT is an old tuning tool but it does help in some situation.

 

[69_luv]

OP your in Cali and it gets warm enough that water temp could be important. Having a FMIC my water temps went up and I have to watch not driving to hard when it's hot out.
You have boost already and when you say air/fuel I am guessing that is not a wideband? If it's not a wideband I would toss that out and replace with a wideband. With the two spots you have open I would have oil pressure, water temp. If you are automatic it is nice to watch trans temps if your power braking...
Liquid's ideas for utilizing factory spots is really cool.
You should have made this a poll

 

[THEKILLERWHALE]

thanks for the feedback guys

the air/fuel is a wideband, and i have an aftermark boost.

so its looking like my 2 addition gauges should be water temp, and oil pressure

the car has a factory oil pressure gauge tho, whats so beneficial of having an aftermarket one? wouldnt i only watch to check if it gets to low? couldnt the stock one be enough for that?

as for water temps. what would actually be the point of monitoring that? if there was a water temp problem would the car just overheat, so shouldnt watching the engine temp be enough?

just trying to clarify justification and purpose of gauges. i just spent a lot of money on a rebuild as well and im really trying to do things right and take care of my investment.

i know this is wasnt i started this thread for but in addition to the gauges, i have a very small occasional puff of smoke, could that just be cause rings arent completely seated and maybe its just a little occasional oil?

also, im spitting a lot of fuel out of my exhaust, i have been researching and from what ive read its possibly because i have a walbro fuel pump and its not tuned, so its being overrun. but i dont know. i have an adjustable fuel regulator, but the adjustable range is very small, its like 43-48psi. i just lowered to 43 to see if that would help, and nothing.

any suggestions?

 

[99gst_racer]

the car has a factory oil pressure gauge tho, whats so beneficial of having an aftermarket one? wouldnt i only watch to check if it gets to low? couldnt the stock one be enough for that?

The factory oil pressure gauge is not numbered, and it also moves inconsistently. I've had an aftermarket gauge hooked up with the factory gauge to compare and I've seen pressure drop on the aftermarket gauge from 65 PSI to 20 PSI with the factory gauge not moving at all. It's really only useful for determining if pressure is present or not. An aftermarket gauge is useful for determining exactly how much oil pressure you have. Remember, too much oil pressure can be detrimental, just as too little pressure. It's good to know how much pressure you have on a cold start-up on a cold day compared to hot oil on a hot day. It's also useful for determining the proper oil viscosity to run for your given temperature environment.

I put an oil pressure gauge equally important to have as a boost gauge. So, aside from boost, WB, and oil press., there's really nothing more that I'd recommend. Maybe an trans temp gauge if you have an A/T, or an oil temp or water temp.

 

[little-razcal]

The stock oil pressure gauge is WORTHLESS. The readings are just pathetic. An aftermarket oil pressure gauge is a must in our cars. If your BS's are deleted, this makes your pressure go up that much more. A lot of journal bearing turbo's depend on oil pressure to be in a certain window. Not to high, not to low. Why not protect your investment. If for some reason your pressure drops and you can't see it drop, you can do some major damage.
EGT gauges are a thing of the past. If you have proper tuning software, this is not needed in my opinion. I would invest in a water temp gauge. You over heat your new engine, your screwed.

Protect your investment.

 

[LiquidX]

A water temp isn't going to prevent you from over heating. The CEL comes on at 235* from the factory, all a water temp gauge will do is tell you that you are there with numbers. It doesn't prevent anything from happening.

If you cant bother looking at the factory gauge to see if it's sitting higher than normal then a temp gauge isn't going to help out either.

If you don't even need any other gauges, then don't buy them. You aren't forced to have any. You already have the 2 most important gauges, all you would need to add is an oil pressure gauge and an transmission oil temp gauge if you were on an auto transmission.

 

[fwdmaster]

Boost, oil pressure, wideband,thats it

 

[sunnybuck07]

water temp, and oil pressure