Mechanical Gauge Install Help

xs man 27

Active Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
401
Reaction score
2
i am having a problem with installing my gauges in my 1995 gt vert ... this is my first time trying to do the gauges all by myself... however i cant find any hole in my firewall to fit through the probe and the nut that is attached to my autometer mechanical water temp gauge... i have read every post and you tube and seems there is a hole 2-3 inches from the steering wheel,,, however my car has my clutch cable adjuster there and i have no other other hole at the moment i can see where this big ass nut and probe is gonna fit and i know the wire from the water temp gauge needs not to be bent and crimped or will break... please if anyone else can help me out or just please let me know a safe place i can drill my and be an easy install,, i have never drilled into my car by myself and willing to do it.. the only hole i see by my clutch pedal is just not going to work and is too small... please any help will be great . this is pissing me off to no end.. i just don't wanna drill into anything unless i have to... thanks for any input
 
OP
OP
X

xs man 27

Active Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
401
Reaction score
2
sorry no pics at this time .. i can text the pic to a phone no problem.. i cant see how i am having this problem n i cant find a simple freakin hole to poke through...anyone with the mechanical gauge and the probe and the nut attached is pretty decent size where did you put it through ??? all the posts i have read and seen pics of everyone is running there probes through where my clutch cable adjuster is ???? does this sound right ??? please any help.... i have one day off i can do this install and already i hit a wall... thank you
 

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,383
Reaction score
5,557
Location
Evansville Indiana
There is generally a grommet on the drivers side that all the wires go through that is thick enough to poke a hole on the side of the wires and feed it through.
 
OP
OP
X

xs man 27

Active Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
401
Reaction score
2
yea I was able to feed both lines for the mechanical gauges through the firewall with out cutting any holes... it got dark on me real quick so I had no time to wire the gauges but I did turn on the engine for just a min or two and put a flash light to the gauges to see if they work ,, and the water temp didn't move at all,, and the vacuum gauge moves up to 10 when I start the engine and when I rev the engine the gauge reading shows it going down to zero. I m sure I have something backwards.. any input would be great.. tomorrow morning I m going to undo the probe from the engine and get a hot boiling pot of water from my house and bring it by my car and see if the probe works or not .. than I should know if there is a bend or kink in the line ? or maybe being the engine hasn't been run in a couple weeks the engines cold and will take time for the water temp gauge to read ? any input will be great... whoever said putting in gauges in these cars bending down is def a pita...
 

RichV

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
4,230
Reaction score
251
Location
CO
I'm sure you just need to run the motor longer. Most gauges don't even start moving until you get past 100 degF. Boiling water will register 212*. Where did you hook up the sending element for the water temp gauge? The OEM location is the best, if you put it in the radiator or the lines it will take longer to register.

The vac gauge sounds normal. Your engine makes vacuum when in idle, when you get on the throttle it will go to zero. What's the purpose of this gauge for you? I've only seen oldschool carb guys use them for tuning purposes.
 
OP
OP
X

xs man 27

Active Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
401
Reaction score
2
thanks for the reply Rich v and sorry for sounding like a new b.... the water temp gauge I have ( autometer phantom ) mechanical I put where the stock water temp sender was,, I just unscrewed the old one and bought the autometer adapter for the gauge and did the Teflon tape on all threads and ran it that way.. It was a tight fit and barely reached to my a pillar and even had to switch the gauge to the lower pod in the pillar.. I never unscrewed the cable from the gauge so that's y I wanted to try the lighter or hot water trick just to quickly see if I did ruin the wire and that's not why its reading or it will just take some time... thanks again for all replys... I wanted to finish wiring the car today but my luck its raining....
 

Twista

Legend
Joined
Mar 7, 2006
Messages
6,042
Reaction score
77
Yea i have a mechanical water temp gauge also and it doesn't start moving till the car is on for a bit like said above.
 
OP
OP
X

xs man 27

Active Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
401
Reaction score
2
I finally was able to finish what I started yesterday and update being I got all lines through the firewall and to the a pillar and than finally today I was able to wire the two gauges together and I used a add a circuit fuse and truth be told,, the lights for the gauges lit up and the temp gauge moved to a lil over 100 degrees and the vacuum gauge I have worked all along.. question I have about the vacuum gauge whats a good number the gauge should read at ? and I was totally unaware that when I give the engine a rev the gauge reads down and to zero.. hate to sound stupid but the number I should be at ? stock 302 with fresh hci swap ... reason I have a vacuum gauge was to make a long story short buddy owes me money and had this sitting for over a year n seemed like an easy install n fact they were free.. but again any help would be great... since I got my first mustang this car being it I finally was able to do something to the car myself and its a great feeling doing everything yourself... vacuum gauge is the only thing I m unsure about.. previous owner already had the vacuum line cut and had a tube connecting already,, I just unplugged it got a T fitting to fit and it works but I m not sure if how the previous owner did is affecting my readying.... thanks
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
77,435
Messages
1,502,106
Members
14,917
Latest member
virocanah

Members online

No members online now.
Top