[grivera]

I have a Rally Gauge conversion cluster from Classic Industries (link below)- it is a new set of gauges and speedo face with a re-engineered circuit board made to work with dummy light harness. Then, one uses mechanical sending units for coolant temp and oil pressure. The conversion does NOT include the sending units so I purchased my own spec’d for Rally gauge car. I did this to clean up interior and remove the three gauge panel under ash tray.

My question is for those who have done Rally gauges or have done a conversion. How accurate are the gauges? Any particular senders more compatible then others?

https://www.classicindustries.com/product/f76441.html

Senders:

[grivera]

If I can’t get these calibrated I may be left with installing a gauge panel - at minimum for the oil pressure since the Sniper hand held displays volts and coolant temp. Was trying to keep a clean look but seems impossible to avoid.

[max 93]

When I installed factory gauges, I was able to but all the senders from local part stores. Probably no more or less accurate than aftermarket gauges would be.

[grivera]

Originally Posted by max 93

When I installed factory gauges, I was able to but all the senders from local part stores. Probably no more or less accurate than aftermarket gauges would be.

That what I originally thought but aftermarket gauges are matched to the senders and come as a package. This conversion requires one to source sending units - which I did . I think it’s ridiculous they don’t sell as a package deal.

[rwfisher]

Originally Posted by grivera

That what I originally thought but aftermarket gauges are matched to the senders and come as a package. This conversion requires one to source sending units - which I did . I think it’s ridiculous they don’t sell as a package deal.

Agreed, I just picked up a gauge package and couldn’t believe it doesn’t at least come with a sheet recommending sender types / manufacturers.

[indymanjoe]

I have the same rally gauge sender from ames. my mechanical vs the factory gauge was 5lbs difference. And i went from idiot lights to factory gauges. easy 2 wire swap. i get about 2 yrs out of the ames sending units. Temp wise its been as accurate as my infrared handheld gauge says it is. my temp sender is in my crossover. fwiw. I do want Pete serio to rebuild my fact gauges but just havent done so yet..

[grivera]

Indymanjoe- Are you saying you bought the senders from Ames for Rally gauges? Or bought the conversion and senders from Ames?

Ames shows the 69 Bird mechanical sender as discontinued. https://secure.amesperf.com/qilan/Se...g+unit+&sort=0

[DavesGTO]

I have had good luck at Lectric limited, just sayin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[grivera]

Originally Posted by DavesGTO

I have had good luck at Lectric limited, just sayin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks- Lectric Limited doesn’t list a oil pressure sending unit for a 69 bird. Maybe I’m searching wrong.

[indymanjoe]

Originally Posted by grivera

Indymanjoe- Are you saying you bought the senders from Ames for Rally gauges? Or bought the conversion and senders from Ames?

Ames shows the 69 Bird mechanical sender as discontinued. https://secure.amesperf.com/qilan/Se...g+unit+&sort=0

I bought the sending units from ames which i bet is made and duplicated somewhere else.( If its an ames exclusive i apologize to ames.) My. rally gauges are factory used as i found them,i had to modify my existing wiring to the IP from idiot lights to rally gauge type. which for my car is a 2 wire swap. So no i didnt buy a conversion kit only the senders.

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by grivera

Thanks- Lectric Limited doesn’t list a oil pressure sending unit for a 69 bird. Maybe I’m searching wrong.

'68 & 69 Birds (and I'd bet '67's) use an 80lb oil sending unit for factory rally gauges, so do all the late 60's -81 Pontiac Rally Guage oil sending units. From a used parts point of view, the '74 & later INTROL design oil sending units are fairly common. The bell shaped aftermarket oil sending units most retailers sell are a facsimile of the INTROL design Rally Oil sending units.

Original Pontiac Rally Guage water sending units of the '69-70 era had a flat spade on the top. The side groove style water sending unit is what most folks use as it was an SR of some kind, & is commonly available.

The Parts Place, I believe, was the entity that had the '69-early 72 LeMans/GTO Rally Guage clusters reproduced. Then a while later, the '69 Firebird Rally gauges were introduced, same gauges, just different font lettering on the face of each Guage assembly. One could easily see what the PartsPlace is selling for sending units, I'd bet they are the same parts as other repro parts sellers that they wholesale to.

[rtanner]

electricaly there is no difference in a 69 bird 78 bird or 80 chevy c-10 oil pressure sender for a gauge,
i have interchanged what ever gm oil sender for gauge i had on hand into what ever engine or car that needed it.

[grivera]

Originally Posted by rtanner

electricaly there is no difference in a 69 bird 78 bird or 80 chevy c-10 oil pressure sender for a gauge,
i have interchanged what ever gm oil sender for gauge i had on hand into what ever engine or car that needed it.

Have your gauge readings been in-line with your expectations?

[jhfaust]

I bought the lights-to-gauges conversion dash for my '67 GTO from Parts Place, the set-up looks good but the oil gauge has been a bit unreliable from the get go...it didn't work at all for the first 100 miles or so then it suddenly came to life. Now, a few months later, it has quit working altogether. I've got a spare sending unit somewhere so I'll put that in and see what happens.. If it still doesn't work then I'm going to have to consider the gauge itself which would be pain if it has to come out of the dash.

[grivera]

Originally Posted by jhfaust

I bought the lights-to-gauges conversion dash for my '67 GTO from Parts Place, the set-up looks good but the oil gauge has been a bit unreliable from the get go...it didn't work at all for the first 100 miles or so then it suddenly came to life. Now, a few months later, it has quit working altogether. I've got a spare sending unit somewhere so I'll put that in and see what happens.. If it still doesn't work then I'm going to have to consider the gauge itself which would be pain if it has to come out of the dash.

Thanks - exactly the type of feedback I'm looking for. What sending units did you use?

[GoGoat]

I'm having a similar issue with oil gauge and sender . Starts out fine, then after about 5 min it drops to about 1/2 pressure for a while, then returns to normal for quite a while. Sometimes goes back and forth for 10-20 minutes. replaced sender and did same thing. Been reading here that this seems common with todays parts. I'm with you looking for better parts.

[grivera]

Makes me wonder if gauge or sending unit is the cause...

[jhfaust]

I bought the oil and the water temp senders from OPGI, they came in generic wrapping, no brand names as I recall. I have another oil sender, similarly with no markings at all on it, which I will install and see what happens. When I first installed the ralley gauge dash (from Parts Place) the fuel gauge also didn't work at first. It took some miles of driving then suddenly it sprang into life. Same behavior as the oil gauge. I had a very nice NOS fuel gauge which I'd planned to swap into the new gauge setup only to discover that the original fuel gauges do not fit into the repro dash. The new dash itself looks great in the car but the whole thing has not been without issues. Unrelated to the gauge story but I will add that I installed a new CHINESE brake booster last week and it was DOA. Worthless. I now have ordered a GM original rebuilt unit from Steve Gregori's shop up in Fresno, Ca. Pretty expensive but it will actually work. Someone in a GTO club canvassed members and others and found that 3 out of 4 of the imported boosters don't work. Alarming statistic which I only heard after I'd bought one of them. Anyone else had problems with them?

[grivera]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

'68 & 69 Birds (and I'd bet '67's) use an 80lb oil sending unit for factory rally gauges, so do all the late 60's -81 Pontiac Rally Guage oil sending units. From a used parts point of view, the '74 & later INTROL design oil sending units are fairly common. The bell shaped aftermarket oil sending units most retailers sell are a facsimile of the INTROL design Rally Oil sending units.

Original Pontiac Rally Guage water sending units of the '69-70 era had a flat spade on the top. The side groove style water sending unit is what most folks use as it was an SR of some kind, & is commonly available.

The Parts Place, I believe, was the entity that had the '69-early 72 LeMans/GTO Rally Guage clusters reproduced. Then a while later, the '69 Firebird Rally gauges were introduced, same gauges, just different font lettering on the face of each Guage assembly. One could easily see what the PartsPlace is selling for sending units, I'd bet they are the same parts as other repro parts sellers that they wholesale to.

I sent inquiry to Parts Place on what senders to use and they advised:

Oil pressure: Part's Place part # "EL6480Z" https://www.thepartsplaceinc.com/pro...y-gauges/43569

Water temp: Par's Place part # "EL5399Z" https://www.thepartsplaceinc.com/pro...onnector/44044

I also asked brand/and if made in U.S and the response was "no idea" ...lol

[grivera]

Originally Posted by jhfaust

I bought the oil and the water temp senders from OPGI, they came in generic wrapping, no brand names as I recall. I have another oil sender, similarly with no markings at all on it, which I will install and see what happens. When I first installed the ralley gauge dash (from Parts Place) the fuel gauge also didn't work at first. It took some miles of driving then suddenly it sprang into life. Same behavior as the oil gauge. I had a very nice NOS fuel gauge which I'd planned to swap into the new gauge setup only to discover that the original fuel gauges do not fit into the repro dash. The new dash itself looks great in the car but the whole thing has not been without issues. Unrelated to the gauge story but I will add that I installed a new CHINESE brake booster last week and it was DOA. Worthless. I now have ordered a GM original rebuilt unit from Steve Gregori's shop up in Fresno, Ca. Pretty expensive but it will actually work. Someone in a GTO club canvassed members and others and found that 3 out of 4 of the imported boosters don't work. Alarming statistic which I only heard after I'd bought one of them. Anyone else had problems with them?

The brake booster before my current one was no name- made in China and it was DOA. I replaced it with one from Inline Tube and it's been fine since 2015