so I bought last year a 3 gauge set from wally world I first tried to drill out 3 holes in a extra dash but the holes where to big and I did not like the placement.

I wanted to mount them on the pillar but did not want to pay almost 100$ for the pillar gauge mount so this weekend I messed around and came up with this I think I will also make one for my 4runner.







I still have to put a few more coats of paint on then it will look better this cost me nothing I had the pvc pipe laying around and I had plenty of time last night and this evening
I also have to wire up everything and get a copper line for the oil gauge then it will be finished but the price was right I took pictures of how I made it but when I make the next one I will do a write up on this thread
the way I made this one was crude and I have a better laid out process for the next one.

 

Thats pretty cool. I am going to actually buy the real replacment pillar peice so I can mount my 3 guages. But for a cheap alternative thats pretty good

The little things really bug me, especially if I have to stare at them everyday

 

I'm not a fan of a pillars myself.

Looks alright though.

 

well the easy part was making the pillar mount last night I tried to remove the oil sending unit and it was seized up and with out much pressure it broke off in the block lucky for me I bought a nice tap and die set months ago and a few bolt remover sets for when my buddy and I rebuilt his motor.
so I got the broken part out of the block and installed the line for the gauge.

then I made my way over to the block drain plug drained the block and then the drain plug would not come out took 4 extensions and a breaker bar and the whole time I thought for sure I was going to twist a extension or break one.

finally got the plug to break loose took one of the adapters from the gauge kit threaded it in part way and the bugger broke off DAMN CHEAP CHINA MART BRASS. so back to the taps and drilling it out and removing it got it all cleaned out and tried with another one and it went in with no problems.
so the last thing I have to do is install the ammeter.

when I do this again on the 4runner I am 1. buying non mechanical gauges 2.buying brass from the hardware store and not using the brass from the kit the adapter had air bubbles in it.

but I am happy with the finished product the gauges are at eye level and now I feel better knowing what temp the truck is running at and the oil seems to keep around 65 psi at 2K rpms and hits 80 psi at 4K.

 

Just to point something out, but you know your oil pressure sending unit probably threads into a British Standard Pipe Thread (BSPT) and not a National Pipe Thread (NPT). That might be why you twisted it off...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_228

You might need one of these.

http://www.autometer.com/cat_accesso...il.aspx?vid=59

And then I reread your post and saw that you tapped and threaded things. So, ignore the above.

 

Thanks for the link Rob. I will need that when I get my guages.

 

thats funny about the problems... I was doing motor mounts on a truck tonight and the sending unit for the mechanical oil pressure gauge "broke off". I was being a little persuasive with a long pry bad and i caught the sending unit and it just kinda fell off. The guy that installed it thread in the 1/8npt or whatever it is in the block about 1 thread maybe so i didnt damage the block. I somehow had a metric adapter in my parts bin and it threaded right in and the sending unit threaded right into the adapter so now its solid and leak free(didnt leak before amazingly). It wont come off now like it was about too. good thing it happened now and not in the middle of the desert.

 

Is it hard to hook these up???

 

Gauges are fairly easy to install just make sure you do it right. every gauge has a positive(to the ingition), negative and signal wire(If its electrical) or a tube/copperwire(if mechanical) unless its a volt gauge then it reads off the positive wire. If you can afford the few extra bucks for electric gauges buy them.

 

they are easy to install if you go with a pillar you will either have to buy 2 sets of copper line or find a hardware store that carrys that size and get around 10 feet of it the gauge set only comes with 6 feet.

the oil pressure light switch that was 22 years old broke off not the new one.
the new set was the right thread out of the box 1/4 npt

the one that broke off in the block drain plug just broke it was the right one as well like I said it had air bubbles in the brass it was very cheap brass.

a update on the gauges the oil PSI keeps around 35 to 45 at idle and 65 to 75 under a load.

and the normal running temp stays at 200 F degrees.