routing wires and vacuum hose for gauge

[zd0gg]

Hello,

I am trying to install a mechanical boost gauge, mounted on the a-pillar, a lotek 2 guague pod. I will most likely run the vacuum hose through the steering boot, and will power with a source behind the cig lighter. The write up for taping into the cig lighter seemed the easiest for me to do, and i already bought the tap in clamp things for it.

So, basically, i want to do the option that will help me best route the wires and hose so it is minimally exposed, sorta hidden and away from moving stuff. I know there is a way to bring the vacuum hose through the speedo cable, but i am not exactly sure as to how to get to that.

And finally, and i guess my main question is, if i do the setup sated earlier, how should i route the electric wires from the cig ligher, and the hose from the steering boot? Did you guys like tape it up up underneath for the hose and and bring it to the driver side door, and then what, run it between the inside hinge area of the door up? And what about the wires from the cig lighter? I looked at write ups for this, but the routing part is barely touched on, and pics would be really helpful.

Thanks

 

[fergulus]

Ok, for your vacuum line issue, you are good to go. Just remember to buy extra tubing, and cut once you have all the lines run. Make sure that you give yourself at least 3 inches of slack, so that you can pull the gauges out and unhook everything, in case you need to swap gauges, or unscrew the gauge pod for some reason.

As far as the wiring from the cigarette lighter to the A-pillar... The method that worked for me was to run it parallel with the center console until the panel ends. Then you can run it left, securing it to the top of the floor vent. Once there, you will have to take off the bottom cover of your driver's side dash. If you look up while your A-pillar is off, you will see a small section in which to route both the electrical and vacuum hose. As with the vacuum hose, make sure to give yourself plenty of slack, in case you end up taking panels or gauges off in the future.

I'm sorry I dont have visuals, but when I was doing the same thing, I was too distracted to remember to take pictures. Good luck!

 

[Butterfinger]

I don't have all your info but my vacuume line run through my pillar down the side of the dash and under through the fire wall the wire's would route the same except they only run the light so all my gauge's hook to a toggle so if I need to conceal them I can.

Tell me you did'nt get a SUNPRO universal pod cause they suck I through mine away and kicked myself again for being impatient.

 

[zd0gg]

thanks for the replies, though i am still a bit unsure about routing the wires. I am gonna go give it another look, try to take of the bottom for the steering area off, and see what i can do.

 

[Butterfinger]

Ok to be more specific I made a harness for the wire's I would need for my choice of gauge's. I taped them all together and ran them down the console under the carpet up the other side behind the plastic by the fuse box. Then pulled the weather striping loose to make it easyer to slide them back behind the dash. Then of course put it back.

 

[zd0gg]

alright thanks guys, i got it all hooked up. once you take out the panel under the steering wheel, you can see a black thick wire that runs across, and i just ran my wires with that till it got all the way toward the driver door, then over this little light under there and up the rubber weather strip thing.

So, i have the autometer cobalt boost gauge, and used the stuff that came with it. As the boost goes up, i hear a sound very much like the bov coming from the gauge it self, but the sound is alot smaller in magnitude. I tee'd off at the line that goes to the intake under the hood, and i used zip ties to secure everything under the hood. So i am wondering if a i have leak, but i think it reads correctly, i mean it goes up to about 12psi when on the peddle, and i have a stock turbo.

thanks

 

[fergulus]

You definately have a fitting loose at your gauge.

If I read that correctly, you used the hard plastic piping, correct? That piping is not flexible, and is dificult to seal.

I went and got rubber tubing for my install. It bends so much easier, and will flex to fit around the junctions. I then used a larger piece of rubber tubing to fit around the threaded back of the gauge. You can use one of the other pieces that comes with the gauge in order to go from the smaller diameter pipe to the larger. I secured everything with zip ties, and have not had any leaks.

 

[2slow4now]

I agree rubber tubing is the way to go. A local hardware or auto store should carry it. Just take your guage with you to make sure to get the right size.

 

[zd0gg]

i see. should i leave the nylon 1/8" tube until like close to the gauge, and then cut it off, add the rubber tube, and then connect to the back of the gauge. So you wont need to use that metal adapter for the nylon tube behind the gauge? So the rubber tubing just goes over the part that the adapter should connect to?

The reason i like the nylon tube is because it is really strong, so getting it through the steering boot and under/around the floor mat was easy, and i feel safe that it wont like bend or kink or anything.

 

[zd0gg]

alright, i got the problem fixed, thanks for the inputs guys.

Between the compression and adaptor behind the gauge, there is a ferrule. The instructions said not to over tighten the compression on to the adapter, because the ferrule will break or something. So i hand tightened the compression on to the adaptor the first time around, and thus the leak in that area.

This time around, i used pliers and tightened more, because i was like whatever, if i am gonna be getting a rubber hose anyways, it doesn't matter if the ferrule breaks or nylon tube breaks. Also, I put some sealant tape, kinda randomly all over the adaptor, though i should of used some on the threads first. Either way, i took it out again and heard no noise. I think the numbers are accurate, alot more then last time. On idle its like -18 (last time was like -16 or so), and close to WOT, its like 14ish (last time its was like 12ish).

So far its good, and thanks for the help/advices peeps.