Hey guys, i have three gauges i want to hook up,
oil pressure/ amperes/ water temperature

To be honest with you, i'm sort of lost with it all (never been good with wiring or anything like this)

What is the best way, or the only way to hook these up? If you can shed some light on installation on any or all of these, it would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

btw my car is a 1970 el camino, 350 small block, 2 bolt main
Steve

Oil & Temp. Power to gauge,Ground. Connect wire from sending unit.
Back of gauges should be marked.
Amp gauge, I believe spliced into a 12 volt wire. Not for sure on this one.
someone will chime in and correct me if im wrong.

Buck

thanks,a nd where would the sending unit be?
also, this may be important that i should have mentioned,
-the water temp gauge has a 'probe' (for lack of a better word) on the end of it already attached to gauge,
-and oil pressure includes a small (1/8th inch) hose supplied to run to the back of the gauge?
-ampere gauge is set up for two wires run to the back of it, which makes sense with what you said,

what about the other 2 then?

i figure my description there may not be too great so here is a picture of what they actually look like,
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/elcamino-dude/gauges.jpg

the gauge on the left is water temperature, middle is oil pressure, and the right is the amp gauge

You have what are usually called mechanical gages.

The tube lets oil under pressure go to the gage and measures it there, directly moving the oil pressure needle. On a sbc you can use the oil pressure port at the top rear of the block.

The temp gage tube lets heat from coolant reach the gage, and the heat operates the gage. On my 350 I have this into a port on the front left of the intake manifold. Most likely you will need some adapters. It is best to use some teflon thread sealant to seal against leaks.

The gages have provisions for lights for nite use. Find a dash light source wire and tap into it and ground the gage cases.

Sometimes finding a hole large enough to pass the sender through the firewall can be pain, if it is made as part of the gage, like the oil pressure unit.

I am not sure on the amp gage. I am not a fan of these, and don't want to put something here that is wrong.

There is another type of gages for temp and pressure that uses variable resistors as sensors or sending units, where they operate the gage electrically. My preferred type, because you dont have hot or pressurized fluid in the car. However, my Chevelle came with a set like yours in it, and they work, so I am usng them.

Hey guys, i have three gauges i want to hook up,
oil pressure/ amperes/ water temperature


Do you have a true ampmeter or a volt meter? Can we see a pic of the front of the gauges? If it is a true ampmeter, I do not recommend using it as they were a major cause of car fires (the reason why car manufactures don't use them anymore). A true ampmeter must be wired inline with the battery charging wire, which can carry a lot of current.

If it is a volt meter, they are easy to wire, and draw very little current.

The gages have provisions for lights for nite use. Find a dash light source wire and tap into it and ground the gage cases.

One can also use the INST LPS terminal at the fusebox


http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/DSC00923.JPG

I hooked up a gauge set like yours yesterday.
I took of the dash pad for eaiser acces, but that depends on where your gonna install it.

For Ground I made a new wire from the floor. Connect the 3 black wire from the sockets to that and the ground port on your Voltmeter.

Make a new wire from the LPS port in your fuse box connect it to the 3 + wire on the sockets.
Make a new Wire from the IGN port (I used the ACC port because I have the Distributor to the IGN port)to the + port on the voltmeter.
That should be the wiring.
I took the olie pressure tube to the port underneath the distributor on the back of the block.
Water temp unit I have on the front of the intake.
If you need more pics let me know what you need and I will try to post them

http://www.r-k.dk/gauge6.JPG

http://www.r-k.dk/gauge1.JPG

http://www.r-k.dk/gauge2.JPG

http://www.r-k.dk/gauge3.JPG

http://www.r-k.dk/gauge4.JPG

http://www.r-k.dk/gauge5.JPG

Kriller, awesome, great work and thanks a lot for the pics, that helps a lot.


http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/elcamino-dude/gauges002.jpg

- undee70ss this is my amp gauge,
-alright for ligthing i will use the INST or LPS for the lighting, and i get the water temp one now, thanks again,
- about the oil pressure one, where is the port for the tube? on or under the distributor, on the manifold?, block? and how does the hose attach?

If it is a true ampmeter, I do not recommend using it as they were a major cause of car fires (the reason why car manufactures don't use them anymore).

is this the 'bad' kind, if so not a terrible deal i may not use it, and fabbing up a new moutnign plate to hold the other 2 gauges is not a big deal at all for me, i might even be able to do something that would fit in my car better than the other one as well.

The port for olie pressure is located on the block under the distributor

- undee70ss this is my amp gauge,

is this the 'bad' kind,

Yes it is. I would replace that gauge with a volt meter.

about the oil pressure one, where is the port for the tube? on or under the distributor, on the manifold?, block?
Small block? It is on the block, right behind the intake manifold on the drivers side of the dizzy. There should be a sending unit with a wire attached to it, (its for your oil light) the tube gets connected there.
and how does the hose attach?
There should be fittings with the gauges to connect it to the oil port.

Take out the oil sending unit. Go to hardware store and get fittings to make a "T" ( I believe they are 1/8 NPT) Put the oil sending unit in one side and the tubing for the gauge on the other. Then you will have both the gauge and the oil light. Be sure to route the tubing where it won't rub on anything. I prefer to incase with vacuum hose. The tubing has 10-80+ psi oil pressure, if it leaks it can make a real mess, or a fire.

awesome, thanks, and k well i foudn the sending unit,
so i need to remove it, and make it one of the arms of the T, and the base of the T into the whole on the block.? Or am i trying to T off from that sending unit? if you know what i mean?

The set I installed came with some fittings like part 6801 on this link http://www.iequus.com/accessories.php?product_id=8100&category_id=105

If you would like to keep the oil light you also need 6909T from the same link.

I just mounted the tube a few hours ago and it took me around a half an hour, I used a vacuum tube to protect the plastic tube through the firewall.

oh alright, is it possible to find those parts that i need at a hardware store, or is it goign to have to be like a specific "oil pressure Tee fitting kit'?

Hardware store plumbing section. It's common 1/8" Pipe Thread. You need a "Tee" and a short (2 inch) piece of pipe, and some pipe sealant.

alright awesome, if i cant find what i need i'll get the stuff from the link above,
where would the 2 inch peice of pipe go? between the Tee and the block or the sending unit and Tee?

where would the 2 inch peice of pipe go? between the Tee and the block or the sending unit and Tee?

Between the block and the "T". The "T" should have all female threads, the 2 in piece should be male threads. The block is female threads.

Any decent hardware store will have what you need.

Myself, I would get:

an 1/8" X 2" NPT pipe nipple
a 1/8" NPT pipe 45 degree street elbow
a 1/8" NPT pipe tee.

The 45 degree street elbow lets you point everything in the right direction.
Use Permatex Form-a-Gaket on the male pipe threads, leaving the first couple of threads with NONE.

awesome! thanks a lot guys, i get how to do it all now and understand about that oil pressure one now too,
thanks a lot guys!

Myself, I would get:

an 1/8" X 2" NPT pipe nipple
a 1/8" NPT pipe 45 degree street elbow
a 1/8" NPT pipe tee.

The 45 degree street elbow lets you point everything in the right direction.
Use Permatex Form-a-Gaket on the male pipe threads, leaving the first couple of threads with NONE.

That's a great idea. I might have to do that.

hello the temp sensor in the front of the left cyl head beside #1 spark plug will have the samel hook up goes size thread as your probe.as far as the oil gauge goes i would replace the plastic tubing with copper tubing available at most parts stores i just bought a 67 138 chevelle and it has similar gauges,car had been sitting for 20 years the motor was stuck but a few weekends of oil in the spark plug holes and a johnson bar managed to free it up rebuilt carb drained fuel from tank and flushed it out new points and it ran. first drive today.i will check to see if it has a amp or volt meter, unfortunatly
it has a 350 auto in it now was a 396 m20 car which i will slowly convert back