I spent some time searching around for a DIY thread on installing a boost gauge. I didn't find anything that pointed everything out so I just took some pictures along the way when I installed mine for my up coming STS turbo kit install. Installing boost gauges is really ways but I thought it might help just to see or read about it. I had never done it before and I thought it would be helpful to read through something before I did it. If anyone wants AFR sensor/gauge or cubby gauge pod diy, let me know.


Overview:
I installed an Autometer Pro-Comp series boost gauge which has a vacuum/boost line that runs from the intake manifold/plenum to the gauge it self. I found this to be the easiest and the least potentially harmful way to measure boost/vacuum. The gauge has a single connection from the intake plenum and connections for the light. I really didn't need anything fancy as my turbo install is going to be pretty conservative in terms of power(sub 400hp range). More expensive gauges such as the Defi gauges are much more intense in terms of install but this DIY should apply to the standard boost gauges out there.



Tools Needed:
-metric sockets
-ratchet
-extension of anything length
-lighter
-something to cut the zip ties and tubing

Materials Needed:
-1/4 inch vacuum tubing. I found it at AutoZone.
-1/4 inch vacuum union or tee. I used a tee because I know I'll need it for my turbo install.
-zip ties
-electrical wire for lights(18 gauge is fine or speaker wire)
-male and female quick connects
-wire stripper if you need it. Pliers and teeth work well for stripping small gauge wire.
-Gauge(assume it includes the connection to the gauge for the vacuum line and the vacuum line itself.)

Steps:

1. Remove the strut bar. Just take the nuts of bolts off and set them aside.

2. Remove the engine cover plastics. There are 2 nuts and 2 bolts. Pretty straight forward

3. Remove the nipple on the plenum.

4. Take the vacuum tubing from AutoZone and fit it over the nipple on the plenum. Do not cut the hose off until you run it.\


Here is where the nipple is. There is my AutoZone tubing run around to the battery compartment.

5. Run the vacuum tubing around and into the battery compartment. I cut a small hole in one of the rubber grommets.

6. Secure the tubing with zip ties. I secured the tubing to pre-existing wires and lines in the engine bay.

7. Remove the plastics around the battery to expose the grommet where the massive wiring harness runs through the fire wall. There are some plastic rivets that hold the plastic down. Use a blade screw driver to pry the pin up.

8. Cut a hole in the grommet. Do not cut the wires, they go to the ECU.

9. Run the tubing supplied by the gauge manufacture. I ran mine to my dash where I was installing the gauge.

10. Put the tee or union on the AutoZone vacuum line that comes off the plenum. I had to heat up the line to get the tee to go all the way on. I found a lighter the best way to accomplish this.

11. If you used a tee and you aren't hooking anything else up(right now), use the nipple from the plenum to plug the other side of the tee.

12. Secure the tubing in the battery compartment.

13. If you are installing other gauges. Go ahead and run the wires or whatever before moving on. At this point I ran my AFR wire from the place my sensor was going to go to the place where my gauge was going to be installed.

14. Once the boost gauge is secured or the place for the gauge has been secured. Cut the supplied vacuum tubing to length and attach the supplied fitting to the line.

That’s it for the sensing part of the installation.

The next part is for the electrical part which for me was hooking up the lights. My gauge was installed in the cubby hole above the radio so I tapped into the power and ground wires on the radio. I used wire taps and quick connects to tap and run wires up to the cubby hole from the radio.

1. Tap the switched 12+ source on the back of the radio. I don't remember the wiring code so you will have to look it up for your year.

2. Tap the ground wire of the radio.

3. Attach wires to these taps and attach quick connects to the ends of the wire. This will allow you to disconnect the wires to the gauges real fast if you need to.


Here is my wiring harness with one missing quick connect on the power wire. The white tubing there in the cubby is the vacuum line connected to the plenum. The wire with the plug is from my AFR sensor.

4. Wire up the gauge with quick connects. I have three gauges in my cubby so I have all three included in one harness.

At this point, the wiring for the gauge light should be done and the sensing line should be run and secured. So just connect the gauge to the wiring and connect the sensing line. Then start the car and check for leaks. They are easy to hear. If you don't trust your hearing use some water around the connections. I did not use clamps or anything to keep the connections tight because they were already really tight as it was. So clamps would have been a total waste.

Done:

 

looks sick got day shots ? wat ar ethe 3 guages that come stock with a 350 ? im still doing research before i purchase a z. hopefully its not a mistake

 

Very nice. Looks great in the cubby.
^ The three gauges all the way at the top are
info(gas,temp,mileage,etc)
Oil Pressure
Voltmeter

 

the first gauge is adjustable and tells you things like RPM light adjustment, MPH, MPG, DTE, Trip timer and other things. the next gauge over is for oil pressure and the third one is a Battery volt meter.

 

Veeery niiiice! Any day shots?

 

I am installing a set of DEFI gauges on a triple pillar a-pod. I was also thinking to replace the stock gauges at the top of the center console with DEFI's. Do you think a voltimeter is necessary?? Also do you think it would be better to replace ALL three gauges ?? I ask because I thought maybe I could keep the multi-function gauge and just replace the other two. What sayest thou???

 

Trying to remember back when I dis-assembled the clusters to paint the console, and I am about 99% sure that the 3 stock gauges are connected and cannot be separated. A voltmeter is a good tool to have when doing electrical. Even just a really simple fuse in a pointer type to determine if a line is hot or not helps.
Good Luck. Nice write up Bill.

 

nice job!

 

You have almost the same exact gauge I'm going to get, only differnce is the mecahical auto meter ultra lite II I'm going to use reads -30 to +20 (model 4907).


Did your gauge come with the proper threaded nipple that screws into the plenum, that you connect the 1/4" auto zone tube to or did you have to pick one up, if so what size nipple?

How did you connect the auto zone tube to the supplied (white??) tube? I'm assuming the 1/4" auto zone tubing is larger or smaller diameter than the supplied tubing?

 

Errrrrrrrrrrr found out the hard way that the hose you (at least I) need to connect to the nozzle on the plenum is not actually 1/4" but 5/32'"

Nothing another trip to auto parts store can't fix. Wish I would have pulled that plastic cap off first to verify the correct size before buying 10 feet of the wrong (1/4") hose

I dunno if revups have different dia. nozzles than non revups or what or if it was a typo. I've seen pics of polished plenums that had that black cap removed and they were barbed nozzles, that looked larger than mine. My '06 nozzle is not barbed at all but is definatly not 1/4".

Anyway once I get the right hose I get to try to go fishing thru the firewall with a coat hanger. Should be a real hoot

 

Just an update. that nozzle on the plenum is indeed 5/32". I ending up just using 1/8" vacuum tubing. The 1/8" tubing fits perfect over the autometer supplied stiff vac hose with no adapters, just slide it on. But since it is 1/8" and not 5/32"' it takes a bit more effort to slide it over the 5/32" nozzle.

But vac and the temp guage both work perfect. Just need to route the stuff thru the firewall and I'm done.

 

Do you ever have trouble at night reading them? They seem wicked dim. I had AM cobalt series in my sebring and those you could see outside the car if you were standing behind it. Nice and bring, but not so much that it hindered driving.