hemi swap & Dash gauges

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tooslow

tooslow

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What about functioning Dash gauges
I have read the swap threads but i have not read much on what type of gauges
builders are using. Speedometer, Tach. To me nothing looks worse than a new digital dash in an old muscle Car. YUCK!!! :tongue2:Is it possible to use round Autometer style gauges that will fit a stock style dash and interface say a FAST or Mega squirt Harness?
If you used a Speedometor with an external mount inductive pick-up. Were would you mount the pick-up on a new Style transmission?
 
For your tachometer or speedometer it is fairly easy if using aftermarket control units. Most have outputs for these. Your oil, temp and other gauges have traditionally required to add another sensor. Lingenfelter has just released a CAN to analog module just for this problem. It is ready to go for the GM cars but I have been working on getting the CAN messages from the Chrysler line setup in it. The FAST messages would be very easy to do as well. I hope to have more and more files. I just got it last week. It already has several Autometer and vdo gauges set up in it but it can be set up for more.
It also has relay functions and window switch functions if you want. So you can control engine fans or even run a nitrous system off of it. Very cool product.
 
Someone should design thin LED display panel that operates off Chry' late model OEM senders and mount on the back of the sun visor. Fold the visor up and its gone.
A 'T' for 2 senders would be required at each location.
Then the pizz poor range indicators/gauges in our classic instrument panels could operate just as they always did.
What I lack in smarts I make up for with imagination. LOL
 
Gauges with the swap are quite easy.

Speedo- tranny based
Tach- all aftermarket computers have a tach out wire
Water- gauge based. 2 sensor taps available on Hemi. One for computer one for gauge
Oil pressure- gauge based. Computer doesn't need to know.

I used an electronic speedo with my tko600.
 
I'm using all stock gauges:
Speedo - via cable from 5 sp tranny
Tach - from FAST controller
Oil pressure. I installed the stock sender on the Hemi
Water temp - I installed the stock sender on the hemi.
 
As most have said, engine gauges are pretty easy to deal with as you can largely use your existing sensors on the new engine without issue. What computer system you run may have a little effect on that though. The factory computer would need to see the stock sensors to run I'd imagine, but if you go aftermarket you may not need as many. The tach and speedo are a little trickier depending on what dash cluster you have. Peak dashes makes awesome gauge panels for mounting round gauges, but they carry a decent price tag to go with them. You can make about any tach work, so no issue there. The thorn in my side so far has been the speedo.

I have the non-rally dash, so I have the bar style speedo. They don't really make aftermarket electronic versions of these, and with my T56 swap I've lost my speedo for the time being. The easy route would have been to buy a Cable X (Dakota Digital also makes one now, though I don't know what they call it off the top of my head) to convert an electronic signal back to a mechanical drive. However, I didn't feel like paying $300 for something I thought I could make myself, so it's my latest project. I got a modern cluster out of a 3000GT from a friend at work for the price of a lunch, so I've gutted the electronics out of it and have been working on adapting them to the old gauges. I've got stuff put together, but am working out electrical bugs now.
 
What'd you guys do for the temp? I used the stock location for the temp gauge, but when it comes to the electric fans, I don't know where to put that sensor. I've been told I can tap and drill the existing hole on the water pump housing, there's air in there with being at the top. I've seen some tap and drill the opposite side of the stock temp location.
 
What's your computer setup (or lack thereof if you're going carb)? I think just about any computer should be able to control fans, so you wouldn't need a second sensor if you're going that route. I put my temp gauge sender in the block drain plug hole on the side. I've got three sensors in my car at the moment. The Megasquirt gets priority, so I have its sensor in the stock hemi location. The factory temp guage gets one side of the block drain plugs (small sensor, so easy fit). I also have a mechanical gauge I got in a triple gauge pack under the dash. I have it installed in the other side of the block opposite the dash cluster gauge in the drain plug on that side. That was one a complete bear though since the tip of the sensor was so big, so I wouldn't recommend anyone else doing that.

Admittedly, the gauges read a little slower than the computer since they're down low in the block and see the cool water right out of the radiator, but they're a good enough indicator for me where stuff is running.
 
Just read today on Allpar that the 15 Challenger designer used 67-69 cuda gauges for inspiration.

"Behind the wheel, gauges reminiscent of the 1967-69 Barracuda greet the driver (designer Dan Zimmerman happily confirmed the inspiration). The well-designed instrument panel works nicely, and the retro theme carries over to the gauge graphics on the 7-inch gauge cluster and 8-inch touch screen."
Above from Allpar




Just sayin....
 
My oil pressure switch and old Dixco oil gauge only needed a small brass adapter so I could run both together. The adapter screwed straight in to the existing oil sensor port.

Not sure how disconnecting the existing PCM plug would effect the error codes though.....

Likwise my temp gauge simply needed a brass adapter to match the thread in the block - so my old school LA sensor picks up the signal - but again Im not running a PCM....
 
i use speedhut tach, gps, voltmeter, fuel gauge. mechanical autometer water temp and oil pressure. All in the stock dash. Cutted the plastic out and made a bezel out of wood. looks like factory.... :)
 
I love my Speedhuts. GPS speedo is the bomb! No transmission interface needed...
 
Anybody have a rally dash with amp gauge? would like to have a way to make it work with new alt.
 
I just ran a charge wire from the alt directly to the battery in parallel with the factory wiring. Typically means the amp gauge doesn't exactly read right, but protects it from the high output. The gauge turns more into a "how much power is the interior using" gauge as opposed to the whole car.
 
Speedhuts should be able to pick up a 5v signal from the factory output, i think its the only one that doesnt need a interface. My speedhut tach works fine off my XFI system, i know its a 5v signal, think its off the cam sensor...
 
Tincup said:
I have the GPS unit for my Autometer speedo, works like a charm (except in tunnels).
Click to expand...

I believe mines the same way, but it reacquires the signal pretty quick. I just like that now i don't have to search for adapters when i go to a different transmission and i didn't have to run another wire under the body.
 
Boony405hp said:
I'm running speedhut gauges with a factory flashed computer, will I have any issues with tach signal?
Click to expand...

I'm running speedhut gauges with the factory computer and just tapped into the signal for one of the coils for my tach. It works great.
 
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