Best place to mount a gauge?

[Messiah]

Hey guys,

Just got myself a new boost gauge and i'm trying to work out the best place to mount it. I've done a few searches and found what appears the be the best vac line to tap (the one that runs from the back of the plenum then runs left to the back left hand side to a little black box, which i am told is the stock boost sensor). My only conundrum now is trying to work out where to put the gauge.

I've spent alot of time sitting in the drivers seat and placing the gauge holder in different places, but i cant seem to find a place that combines easy access to wiring and a short route through the fire wall with a useful legal line of sight mount.

I'm been pondering trying to mount it at the base of the drivers side a pillar, its below wheel level and still sits within my view when i look straight forward, but when i look at the available holes through the firewall it makes it look like i'll need to pull the whole dash.

I've also found the DIY posted on here, which is good but is now sans picks so i'm pretty much guessing that i'm looking at the right thing.

Can anyone give me a few pointers or anything to think on / consider?

Cheers

M

[Guest INASNT]

Get an apillar gauge holder and put it on there. Then its in your line of sight and is easy to install.

[Messiah]

Get an apillar gauge holder and put it on there.

Its an Apexi EL mech gauge so it comes with a mount. My prob isnt mounting it really, its more a case of getting the tubing and wiring the the gauge. I'm not sure how to get to the hose once i've pushed it through the firewall, which hole to push it through (although i think i've spotted a good one) and how to get it from there to the a pillar.

Maybe i just need to have a good long play, but i'm hoping to avoid pulling apart more than i have to.

[Guest INASNT]

I got exactly the same thing, but get yourself a greedy single apillar gauge holder.

Pass the rubber tube through the firewall just under where the abs sits and a whole bunch of other wires are going through. Then get a piece of wire and pass it through to the drivers side and to the holder.

[Steve]

do be careful if you are mounting it on the A pillar. Alot of people mount their guages there, but I find that when you are punting hard at night, the guage sort of gives you a slight blind spot if it is mounted wrong - makes life a bit difficult for tight right hand corners.

Not sure about sydney, but in SA it is also illegal to mount guages on the A pillar. I have been told this is because it 'may' increase the chance of head injury in a collision (right, like you are going to be more concerned about the pillar guage than your head hitting the a pillar or windscreen a poofteenth of a second later????).

the best place I have seen is inside the instrument cluster. You can use double sided tape to secure it infront of the stock boost guage, and run the wires behind the steering column - under the instrument cluster, so no holes needed anywhere.

The other thing to consider is that when you are boosting, it is unlikely that you will be watching the boost guage anyway - at least I dont, things happen too quickly at full boost to be paying too much attention to anything but the road:)

[Abo Bob]

The other thing to consider is that when you are boosting, it is unlikely that you will be watching the boost guage anyway - at least I dont, things happen too quickly at full boost to be paying too much attention to anything but the road:)

Maybe for you Steve There is time in 3rd gear though... definitely not in first.

[Messiah]

finding the correct vac line made me realise that i dont know where/ what most of the engine parts are... does anyone know of a good place or pic that will help me learn about a 33gtst engine bay and component locations??

[predator]

its about time somebody got a pic and did that isn't it Labelled like everything for new guys so they know what everything is. Took me a while to learn it, and I still don't know what lots of the bits are.

[Bass Junky]

Where the Cops cant see it!

[Jimbo2000]

lol at pred's sig you're free!!!

i will take a pic of my entire engine bay tomorrow and post it so that the engine whizzes on here can label everything.

[Edge]

heads up display

[Elithrar]

Personally, I think it looks great mounted above the central air conditioner vents -- if the mount is like the GReddy ones, it'll require a little bending to give you LOS to the gauge.

I think A-Pillar mounted gauges are illegal in all states (it's a safety-related ADR), so it's probably best not to put them there.

[Jimbo2000]

not if its lower than the S-wheel

well thats my theory and have never been pulled up on it.

[Peter Behrens]

I put my boost guage into the parcel shelf thingie under my cd/radio with my turbo time so i can close the door on it so no bastard can see that i got on and try and flog it

[Edge]

Do you mean into a 1/2 din pocket

or the

ashtray?

- door on it?

[Guest INASNT]

Personally, I think it looks great mounted above the central air conditioner vents -- if the mount is like the GReddy ones, it'll require a little bending to give you LOS to the gauge.  

 

I think A-Pillar mounted gauges are illegal in all states (it's a safety-related ADR), so it's probably best not to put them there.

It aint illegal if its not in your line of sight. If u have air bags u r gonna hit the airbag before u get anywhere near the a pillar anyway

[Driver]

a pillar is pretty easy if your a theif to smash n grab your boost guage.

[Guest INASNT]

Not with dark tinted windows and if u dont park in stupid places, and u have a good alarm

[RBVS]

i know for a fact in wa its not illegal to have pillar mounts, mine went over the pits

no probs, they also gave me a permit so i wouldnt be haseld. It does have to be set back behind s-wheel distance(reason of hitting head). I also think they mite have a prob with crome cups, but black is fine if mounted in correct position.

[Edge]

What was it over the pits for in the first place? Were these compliance engineers? In other words; where can I go to get a cert if I put a gauge on?