Gauges electrical/mechanical

[socalblue]

I would like to hear everyone's opinion on mechanical vs electrical gauges. Open to anything really about gauges

Also how reliable are the stock gauges?

I know everyone seems to agree that the boost gauge sucks so that is definitely on the list first...others I have been thinking about, its for a stock ty weekend car mostly.

Im thinking about sticking with the basics:
water temp: electrical one is cheaper $42 vs 64 mechanical any preference/advantage?
My water temp crapped out...should I just get the sensor replaced, is the stock reliable?

oil pressure: better safe than sorry? $60 electrical vs 42 mechanical. The gauge in stock cluster still works, personally inclined towards the mechanical tho.

Others:
trans temp: I have been hearing a lot of stuff about the underachieving 700R4, for worry bugs like me so I can keep an eye on it?

fuel pressure: useless for a stock ty maybe? good for tuners?

 

[SY756]

Re: Gauges electrical/mechanical

Boost gauge for sure... if you are going with a 3 gauge pod, I would suggest boost, tranny, and a water temp,or oil pressure gauge. A FP gauge is nice but a wide band would be better. As far as the electrical vs mechanical that would be pretty much up to you and the price. Me, I like the mechanical style. But that's just my opinion.

 

[jjorgensen52]

Re: Gauges electrical/mechanical

I prefer electrical gauges to avoid having engine fluid in the cab (except boost, that one mechanical for sure). The stock gauges suck. I think the only one on my truck that is actually accurate is the tach.

I have wideband, oil temp and trans temp on my truck currently. I run a Nordskog digital gauge

 

[phoonTy]

Re: Gauges electrical/mechanical

I prefer electrical gauges to avoid having engine fluid in the cab (except boost, that one mechanical for sure). The stock gauges suck. I think the only one on my truck that is actually accurate is the tach.

I have wideband, oil temp and trans temp on my truck currently. I run a Nordskog digital gauge

Exactly how do mechanical guages get engine fluid in the cab? The copper tubing goes from the guage to a temperature sensor.... how does the fluid get past the sensor? :dunno:

I have mechanical on my truck, just haven't finished hooking them up yet. Boost (hooked up), Trans temp (will finish when I get my aux filter hooked up) and H20 temp (will replace stock guage). :tup:

 

[SEL777]

Re: Gauges electrical/mechanical

I like the electric as mentioned above no dangerous fulids in the interior. They are more expensive but, well worth it IMP. I have a boost and trans temp in my two pod. I found my factory boost gauge to be very accurate compared to the new AM. I do not like the the visibility loss from the pod though.

 

[Don W.]

Re: Gauges electrical/mechanical

Mechanical oil pressure brings oil to the gauge.

Personally I prefer mech gauges. Much more reliable IMHO. However in the Sy I have elect water and fuel pressure, mech boost. Prolly easier to install as a pillar setup. (Bought mine from a member so that's the way they came.)

Back when I had big trucks every gauge was mechanical and never had any problems. So that's a false concern. Again, my opinion.

 

[sy2675]

Re: Gauges electrical/mechanical

Exactly how do mechanical guages get engine fluid in the cab? The copper tubing goes from the guage to a temperature sensor.... how does the fluid get past the sensor? :dunno:

I have mechanical on my truck, just haven't finished hooking them up yet. Boost (hooked up), Trans temp (will finish when I get my aux filter hooked up) and H20 temp (will replace stock guage). :tup:

Sensor is the gauge on a mech gauge, if you have a sensor then wires to a gauge, then thats an electical gauge. so if you were to have a line to the gauge inside the truck on a mech unit and it were to fail or spring a leak then that = fluid in cab.

 

[socalblue]

Re: Gauges electrical/mechanical

Maybe just coincidence but the water temp gauge in the stock cluster in both my ty and s10 act very weird well the ty temp is out for sure since it doesnt move one bit, not sure if im gettin the correct reading...sometimes it doesn't move then all of a sudden it'll start moving i dunno....

 

[Tophatjimmy]

Re: Gauges electrical/mechanical

the temp gauge in my Sy didn't work either, hooked up Datamaster it showed my truck never got above 143-145*

Replaced the temp sensor in the intake manifold, the temp sensor in the drivers head and replaced my stuck open thermostat and voila! Temp gauge works great now....

Cost about $40 and an hour or so of time.

BTW as far as aftermarket gauges, I have a set of Hewitt gauges from Lotek waiting to go in my pillar. Mech boost, electric trans temp.

 

[jjorgensen52]

Re: Gauges electrical/mechanical

the temp gauge in my Sy didn't work either, hooked up Datamaster it showed my truck never got above 143-145*

Replaced the temp sensor in the intake manifold, the temp sensor in the drivers head and replaced my stuck open thermostat and voila! Temp gauge works great now....

Cost about $40 and an hour or so of time.

BTW as far as aftermarket gauges, I have a set of Hewitt gauges from Lotek waiting to go in my pillar. Mech boost, electric trans temp.

I changed my sender and had no dice on the gauge... it reads about 80* too low, for whatever reason. I don't really worry about water temps anymore since I'm monitoring the oil temps, and they are pretty consistently about 5* hotter than water temps.

Personally, I think your biggest concerns are going to be trans temp and oil temps. The stock gauge works well enough to tell you if you have pressure, you're more concerned with how hot the oil is (ie, what temps are the bearings seeing, etc). Fuel pressure is useful for diagnostics, as is wideband, but you can do without them IMO. I do run wideband, as I am pretty close to the limits on my lower end (stock crank, ) and I am very concerned with that.

It's really individual tastes about which gauges to run. I think that mechanical gauges are without a doubt more accurate, but I don't like the idea of having fuel / oil / coolant inside my truck (as mechanical gauges draw fluid they're measuring right to the gauge). For that reason, I keep electric. For boost, I run a mechanical and I vastly prefer it to the electric