[Greg Reid]

I need a gauge package for my engine break-in... I just bought new oil and temp sending units (stock) for my non gauge equipped '68.
If I go with electrics, will they work with the stock temp and pressure switches?
I'm guessing not but I'm hoping so.

[Ollie]

Best to have a direct reading pressure gauge for first fire up.

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

I need a gauge package for my engine break-in... I just bought new oil and temp sending units (stock) for my non gauge equipped '68.
If I go with electrics, will they work with the stock temp and pressure switches?
I'm guessing not but I'm hoping so.

New electric guages come with their own sending units. The stock ones arent calibrated correctly.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Ollie

Best to have a direct reading pressure gauge for first fire up.

If I go with the mechanicals, I may just mount them directly, ie. under the hood.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by goatwgn

New electric guages come with their own sending units. The stock ones arent calibrated correctly.

Just as I suspected. Thanks guys....

[HWYSTR455]

The aftermarket ones MIGHT be calibrated correctly, since most sending units work in a particular range. BUT, you have to dig to find the sending unit specs, and, why bother when electric gauges come with sending units (usually).

Aftermarket sending units over the last X number of years have become much more accurate than ones from the past, mostly due to technology, and the requirement by ecu controlled engines. Gauges also react faster than in the past. This basically gives an arguement to using electrical gauges in performance cars.

Obviously, hook up is simplified with electrical stuff as well, making it even another plus for street and street/strip cars. And you can suppliment with a warning light.

There's a hazard with mech gauges, like a line burst in or outside the car. Mech water temp gauges are suceptable to capilary tube failure, which trashes the whole gauge. Another arguement for electrical.

Me, personally, I prefer a mech oil gauge, but I do frequently check the line. They get brittle, the ends get boogered up, and other typical stuff with lines. I keep extra line on hand, and a number of extra fittings, so I can at any time replace an end or line when needed. Also carry spares in the 'road kit' with my tools, as well as a block off plug.

The Cutlass project I'm doing now will get a electrical oil gauge, and am curious as to how that will work. First one ever for me, but it's going to be my daughter driving it mostly, and doubt she'll look at it anyway!

.

[rolling money pits]

if you go with a mechanical oil pressure, be safe/wise/prudent and invest in a pre-made length of braided AN line for it.

no nylon, no copper, no compression fittings.......

obviously, where it goes through the firewall, use a grommet.

and like mentioned above, you could spring for two in case one blows out while on the road, or simply keep an AN cap in the car and get a new line after the fact.

[Greg Reid]

I really would prefer electrics for ease of installation and less risk of leaks but they've got a selection of mechanicals at the local Advance and because convenience is a factor for me, I'll probably go with one of them.

[rolling money pits]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

I really would prefer electrics for ease of installation and less risk of leaks but they've got a selection of mechanicals at the local Advance and because convenience is a factor for me, I'll probably go with one of them.

what brand? if theyre "cheapies", i'd stay away.

you could order from advance on-line a better one(s) and just p/u in store. actually, advance has a 40% off 100 dollar on-line order going on right now, you may want to take "advan"tage of that. LOL

one thing to keep in mind about electric oil pressure, is the size of the sending unit.
i assume you're putting it up by the distributor? it may interfere with the vacuum advance, cannot recall for sure tho....

[HWYSTR455]

Buy cheap now for startup, and sell once you get others installed. Or mount the ones you get now in the engine compartment.

This place carries a number of gauges, has an ok website to view them, and are pretty good prices:

http://egauges.com/

I'm a VDO and SW kind of guy, but did do Classic for the Cutlass, and am impressed with the quality.

.

[Murf'sDad]

Originally Posted by rolling money pits

one thing to keep in mind about electric oil pressure, is the size of the sending unit. i assume you're putting it up by the distributor? it may interfere with the vacuum advance, cannot recall for sure tho....

I moved my stock sending unit to port by the distributor. I used a 45* adaptor out of the block and pointed the terminal on the sending unit toward the RR tire. No interference with the advance can unless you've got the timing extremely advanced.

Stewart

[HWYSTR455]

Originally Posted by rolling money pits

.one thing to keep in mind about electric oil pressure, is the size of the sending unit.
i assume you're putting it up by the distributor? it may interfere with the vacuum advance, cannot recall for sure tho....

Good catch! You can though use an angle adapter, or some companies include several in their' installation kits.

One thing too with electrical gauges is that many are not full sweep. When it comes to oil and water, and you're driving hard, that makes a difference.

A number of marine gauge manufacturers do have full sweep electrical gauges, like ISSPRO.

Classic has quad gauges, which is nice, and they fit perfectly in the dash openings of the Cutlass, would in a 68-72 LeMans as well. They now make them with LEDs in the for turn indicators and hi beam, some with their' 'halo' effect. Interesting eye-candy!

http://www.classicinstruments.com

.

[rolling money pits]

Originally Posted by Murf'sDad

I moved my stock sending unit to port by the distributor. I used a 45* adaptor out of the block and pointed the terminal on the sending unit toward the RR tire. No interference with the advance can unless you've got the timing extremely advanced.

Stewart

yeah, i think i used a 90* when i did mine.
i forgot to put that in the post, using an angle adapter.....good catch.

[grparen]

I use a copper line for my mechanical oil pressure gauge.

[HWYSTR455]

Here's the Cutlass quad gauge setup. I did LEDs on the panel for turn, high beam, and brake indicators. (And yes, the lower wood grain looks different, swapped it out before the final pic)

.

[Greg Reid]

I've got some thinking to do on how I go. I just took another look at the ones at Advance and I'm not real impressed with them. Made in China, like everything else now.
Thanks for the tip on the 40% off offer. I'll look at that.
Appearance is important. I don't want anything that looks 'too' aftermarket.
I like the Cutlass dash but I don't want to get that involved and I like my original instrument cluster. It's in good shape....not looking for an entirely new project as far a re-designing the entire cluster package. The '68 has that gunmetal blue color on the instruments and the black stands out as being 'wrong'...also, not a ton of room below the dash for the three pod setup.

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

The aftermarket ones MIGHT be calibrated correctly, since most sending units work in a particular range. BUT, you have to dig to find the sending unit specs, and, why bother when electric gauges come with sending units (usually).

Aftermarket sending units over the last X number of years have become much more accurate than ones from the past, mostly due to technology, and the requirement by ecu controlled engines. Gauges also react faster than in the past. This basically gives an arguement to using electrical gauges in performance cars.

Obviously, hook up is simplified with electrical stuff as well, making it even another plus for street and street/strip cars. And you can suppliment with a warning light.

There's a hazard with mech gauges, like a line burst in or outside the car. Mech water temp gauges are suceptable to capilary tube failure, which trashes the whole gauge. Another arguement for electrical.

Me, personally, I prefer a mech oil gauge, but I do frequently check the line. They get brittle, the ends get boogered up, and other typical stuff with lines. I keep extra line on hand, and a number of extra fittings, so I can at any time replace an end or line when needed. Also carry spares in the 'road kit' with my tools, as well as a block off plug.

The Cutlass project I'm doing now will get a electrical oil gauge, and am curious as to how that will work. First one ever for me, but it's going to be my daughter driving it mostly, and doubt she'll look at it anyway!

.

Put electric guages on my car about 5 years ago to simplify connections. (Used Stewart Warner). The oil guage reacts just as quickly (maybe even quicker) than the old mechanical guage I had in there.

[HWYSTR455]

3 gauge pod = $30, easy to mount, 3 small screws, and it's out of the way, won't get kicked or anything.

I took the gauge pod, put a piece of sandpaper on the lower duct, and sanded the pod to match the curve of the duct. Fits perfect, minimal effort.

The ones in the pic are VDO, mech oil, electric water and volts. These are on the 71 LeMans, same as the 68 for the most part.

Volt = 24 bucks

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/VDO-332103/

Oil = 26 bucks (electric)

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/VDO-350104/

Water = 25 bucks

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/VDO-310105/

Gauge Pod = 30 bucks

http://egauges.com/vdo_indA.asp?PN=POD-004

I wrapped electrical tape around the tach, and it fit right into the right-most dash opening next to the speedo.

.

[Greg Reid]

Hwy, That looks good and is where I'd have to mount mine if I got a 3 gauge pod. The one I was looking at at Advance is already in a 3 pack but not an enclosed pod like that. Just the basic stamped steel fascia. I don't care for that as everything in the back is exposed. I like that angled pod style, looks better and I could paint it turquoise to match my interior...I may go with what you have there. I could even keep my factory stuff operational.
Already have an in-dash factory style tach.

[HWYSTR455]

The auto-gauge ones? Junk. Don't waste your time, really. I've had the VDOs in the car for years, never even a flicker, still read and work great, well worth the money. 150 bucks plus 3 hours and you'll never look back. You can have all the stuff in 3 days.

.