TheSamba.com :: View topic - Gauges

Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:42 am

For the benefit all those who are getting ready to install gauges, I think it would be great to see actual examples.... I have tried searching but do not get that many pics. :(

SO....can we get some pics :D

I am in the process of purchasing CHT, Oil Temp, and Vacuum gauges and seeing actual owner's installations would be great. I would think it would be a benefit to others as well 8)

Thanks,
Joe

Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:44 am

yes please

Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:27 pm

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that whip618 has the best install of anyone I know of in the baywindow to give you some ideas.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=172661&highlight=installing+gauge

Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:01 pm

Don't have pic's yet, but I'm in the process of installing a oil pressure and volt gauge. I got the gauges and a 2-gauge "pod" which I'm going to mount over the ash tray here:

http://www.egauges.com/default.asp

For the sender I have the relocation kit from here:

http://www.42draftdesigns.com/product/42004.htm

It looks different than what they show here, it is actually like a 90 degree elbow, I actually think it's better.

Anyhow, I'll get pic's posted when I get it all buttoned up but might be a couple of weeks!

Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:31 pm

I guess since you mention CHT it's an air-cooled you want to add gauges to. But anyway, here's what I did with my wbx:

I have oil pressure and oil temp. Two 52mm (2 1/16") gauges can be fit in the center of the plastic heater cover:

For the oil temp sender, I removed the dynamic oil pressure sender and the reducer bushing from the rear of the engine. It's pretty easy if you take off the water pump pulley. The thread is M16x1.5. VDO makes all sizes of senders, and egauges.com carries all the different ones. It's measuring oil temp at the ideal place, right before it reaches the bearings:

I relocated the OEM low pressure sender from the engine underside by adapting the 1/8"FPT spigot to a 1/4" compression fitting. About 18" of 1/4" copper tube curves up the front of the 3-4 cylinder bank. The blue hoses are for the remote oil cooler and follow the same routing. The copper tubing has some old fuel line as a jacket so they could be bundled together. I chucked the useless underside tin years ago:

Both OEM oil pressure senders and the VDO gauge sender are ganged up in a little manifold made of 1/8"FPT brass pipe tees, with a 1/4"compression fitting adapter to connect to the copper tubing. An aluminum angle bracket (barely visible) uses one of the T-stat cover bolts, and secures the sender manifold with a steel wiretie. The pressure readings are accurate due to Pascal's law and the fact that there is no flow thru the copper line:

Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:54 am

Here's a setup I like which Dogpilot did:

Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:36 am

I love the look of that setup, too, but, as if any add-on solution could be perfect, there's two things I don't like:

1. The parallax viewing problem is pretty extreme, since they're so far to the driver's right. My location is only slighty better.

2. It weakens the cross-beam, which I believe is an important component for crash safety.

Otherwise, it's a beautiful way to do it.

Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:59 am

tencentlife wrote: I love the look of that setup, too, but, as if any add-on solution could be perfect, there's two things I don't like:

1. The parallax viewing problem is pretty extreme, since they're so far to the driver's right. My location is only slighty better.

2. It weakens the cross-beam, which I believe is an important component for crash safety.

Otherwise, it's a beautiful way to do it.
VDO makes cups that allow the instrument to be tilted sideways.

I have seen another setup where the instruments are higher up on an after market console. I have to find that picture. Or anybody else?

There are tons of gauge posts here too. You just have to SEARCH for them. I did. Lots to read about!

Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:39 am

2 guage set up - oil pressure and oil temp
all stock vdo stuff

Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:46 am

Wed Sep 13, 2006 1:30 pm

I did exactly the same installation as tencent did. It's pretty clean and easy. 2 gauges JUST fit there though. And, as he said, the parallax issue is definitely there. Gotta lean over a fair bit to get a good, direct view. I'm still really happy with my installation.

BTW, I installed Volts and Oil Pressure.

Side note: I've seldom heard of anyone worrying about their OP if they haven't got a gauge to obsess over on a long road trip. :evil:

Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:08 pm

Sure, no need to worry. If you don't hear that hammering sound then everything's still fine.

CRANK UP THE TUNES!!

Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:41 pm

Mad-Max wrote:

Looks like the cockpit of our single cab bread loaf with the monster Type IV.

It pulls wheelies even with my lard ass in the passenger seat!

Woo hooo....

Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:38 am

Similar location to 10centlife, but only Oil Pressure(note stereo in progress):

I have an extra cover, so can remove if necessary with no dash holes.

Rich

Tue Sep 19, 2006 11:15 am

Another way to moung the oil pressure sender.
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Tue Sep 19, 2006 11:17 am

Another console. Not the picture I had in mind. I hope to find that one too.

Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:42 pm

how do you insert photos? I have my set it the gallery, can I copy it?[/img]

Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:56 pm

Bill W wrote: how do you insert photos? I have my set it the gallery, can I copy it?[/img]

Just hit the Img tab it inserts an img tag and you put in a picture URL. The system will automatically insert an img end tag. No big deal.

You must supply the URL for the image, though. Just as shown on a line above the image in the gallery. They all have the same basic form of http://www.location.domain/pic.jpg or somehting like that.

Is this what you wanted to show:

Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:40 pm

Yup, old rabbit set turned upside down(remember I'm CIS, I 4 so my connections are easy)

Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:08 pm

Here's my gauge pod in my '89...
Coolant Temperature / Clock / Oil Pressure