Gauge Pods

honda50r

honda50r

Well-known member
Jul 10, 2011
1,208
0
East Tennessee
I know everyone here enjoys fancy pods. I need a home for my oil pressure gauge. Prices are comparable from one to three gauges, so I might as well get what I want. I know I want a voltmeter along with oil pressure. I already have Ultra Gauge, any other mechanical gauge suggestions? Sometimes less is more, too. I like the pillar pods, as I know everyone else does here, too. But, maybe two to three individuals would be cool, too. I'm looking to keep everything on e drivers side, nothing on the roof or above the Cdl shifter or radio.

Optimal placement is to the left of the bezel, in that flat spot. I like Glow Shifts stuff
 
antichrist

antichrist

Well-known member
Sep 7, 2004
8,208
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68
Atlanta, GA
Mechanical oil pressure and water temp, and whatever else you feel like.
If you want to save space you can use a Smiths dual oil pressure/water temp gauge. They'll run you up to $160. But I guess that's not a bad price compared to many individual mechanical gauges.
Electric is definitely cheaper and easier but my experience is they get flaky over time.

If you go with individual gauges get analog 180 degree sweep and clock them so normal is at 12 o'clock.
 
ROVERT

ROVERT

Well-known member
Feb 22, 2008
112
0
Here's what I did in my RRC.

DSC01110.JPG


DSC01107.JPG


I used a cheap mechanical gauge set from Advance, used a hole saw of the appropriate size to drill holes in the fuse cover from my parts truck and then installed it in my truck.

It looks pretty clean, if not in an absolutely ideal location. It is still easily viewed and I have become accustomed to keeping an eye on it.
 
R

robertf

Well-known member
Jan 22, 2006
4,801
366
-
I had a 3 gauge pod on the center of the dash, but it looked cheesy so I took it out after a few years. Temperature is my only legit concern, the oil dummy light is good enough for pressure. I'm thinking about getting one of those mini gauges and putting it in a cover over that worthless coin tray.
 
p m

p m

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 19, 2004
15,651
869
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La Jolla, CA
www.3rj.org
IMHO, the voltmeter is probably the most-useless gauge to hack a hole for.
If your alternator goes south, you'll know it.
If you care for the battery voltage after an extended camping or parking, a $10 DMM does the job just as quick as it takes to flip the ignition switch.

As much as I'd love to have analog coolant temperature and oil pressure gauges, I know for a fact that these will be distracting me from driving at nearly the same level as texting. An UltraGauge left of the instrument panel is bad already - I keep pondering various shit I see when I am on the road. Like, have I seen 219F on this stretch of the road two months ago? Why do I keep the throttle 85% open - did I do that before?
The older I get, the more I enjoy the idea of idiot lights.

I like the 95 RRC/D1 installation, though.
 
V

varova87

Well-known member
Mar 21, 2006
3,558
0
Texas
p m said:
An UltraGauge left of the instrument panel is bad already - I keep pondering various shit I see when I am on the road. Like, have I seen 219F on this stretch of the road two months ago? Why do I keep the throttle 85% open - did I do that before?
Click to expand...

You ain't kiddin. My scanauge drives me crazy. ATF temp hit an all-time high last week coming back from Nashville and I started squirming like a middle schooler getting dumped. If my coolant goes above 195 I turn into a blubbering idiot, for no good or apparent reason.
 
honda50r

honda50r

Well-known member
Jul 10, 2011
1,208
0
East Tennessee
ROVERT said:
Here's what I did in my RRC.

DSC01110.JPG


DSC01107.JPG


I used a cheap mechanical gauge set from Advance, used a hole saw of the appropriate size to drill holes in the fuse cover from my parts truck and then installed it in my truck.

It looks pretty clean, if not in an absolutely ideal location. It is still easily viewed and I have become accustomed to keeping an eye on it.
Click to expand...
I like that look! But, when you drop that fuse cover? Are wires everywhere? I guess you could tape them up on the cover though.
 
p m

p m

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 19, 2004
15,651
869
58
La Jolla, CA
www.3rj.org
varova87 said:
You ain't kiddin. My scanauge drives me crazy. ATF temp hit an all-time high last week coming back from Nashville and I started squirming like a middle schooler getting dumped. If my coolant goes above 195 I turn into a blubbering idiot, for no good or apparent reason.
Click to expand...
I remember I set the alarm on the UltraGauge to beep when the temp gets to 212F.
On the way to Colorado, the first beep sounded about 30 miles from home, on the first grade up I-8. Turned it off... This time in the Sierras, it has never been below 206, and climbed to 224F on that 18% grade up the side of White Mountains.
The idiot needle stayed smack in the middle the whole time.
 
adriatic04

adriatic04

Well-known member
Mar 22, 2007
2,506
2
cleveland, oh
p m said:
IMHO, the voltmeter is probably the most-useless gauge to hack a hole for.
If your alternator goes south, you'll know it.
If you care for the battery voltage after an extended camping or parking, a $10 DMM does the job just as quick as it takes to flip the ignition switch.

As much as I'd love to have analog coolant temperature and oil pressure gauges, I know for a fact that these will be distracting me from driving at nearly the same level as texting. An UltraGauge left of the instrument panel is bad already - I keep pondering various shit I see when I am on the road. Like, have I seen 219F on this stretch of the road two months ago? Why do I keep the throttle 85% open - did I do that before?
The older I get, the more I enjoy the idea of idiot lights.

I like the 95 RRC/D1 installation, though.
Click to expand...
Getting in to my disco anymore feels like a preflight plane test, checking fluids and shit, then watching gauges and crap, deciding when to shut the AC off and roll the windows down so I don't strain the system, low throttle when cold,etc.

I rent a lot of cars when traveling, I walk up to the car, drive away and majority of the time I hardly ever even remember to look down to see when I need gas. I blow the AC all the time, pull away on cold starts, etc.

I'm aging just getting in to my disco, yet I still feel the need to install more gauges to monitor my next blow out :ack:
 
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