Nate Nagel wrote:
> jpolaski@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
>
>> I'd like to know if there is any particular brand of after-market
>> gauges that are a good value. I don't want the most expensive, but I
>> also don't mind paying for a decent quality package. I definitely want
>> to avoid cheap instruments.
>>
>> I'd like water temp, transmission temp, voltmeter.
>>
>> It will be for a 1990 Jeep Cherokee (w/automatic trans., 4.0L in-line
>> 6 engine, ~70,000 miles) that's been overheating lately. I've replaced
>> the (obviously bad) water pump thinking that would fix it. But it
>> didn't. Next I'll be replacing the thermostat and coolant recovery
>> bottle & cap. I figure that if those changes don't fix it I'll switch
>> it from a closed/pressurized system to a regular open system by
>> putting in a new radiator, etc...
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any help,
>>
>>
>> Jeff P.
>
>
> I just went through a similar exercise with the Ugly Truck, as I wanted
> to add a trans. temp gauge and an oil pressure gauge. I had an oil
> pressure gauge from my '62 Stude that I installed, it was Sunpro brand.
> I also bought a vacuum gauge to fill out the 3-gauge panel, also
> Sunpro. The only trans temp gauge I could find in a matching style was
> a VDO "series 1" unit (I was going for chrome bezels, black faces, white
> numbers/pointers - reason being I figured if I ever sold the truck I'd
> pull the gauges and keep them for another interesting car project.) The
> Sunpro gauges are adequate in that they seem to be reasonably accurate
> and responsive, but the backlighting is simply abysmal. The VDO gauge
> however has attractive and functional backlighting. I did buy the
> AutoMeter "bulb condoms" to get the backlighting green. I posted at
> more length about this in this thread:
>
>
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.autos.tech/browse_frm/thread/14cc0027e057fd85/df00eabc701267ba?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=nagel+gauge#df00eabc701267ba
>
>
> unfortunately, I have not seen a reading yet on the trans. temp gauge as
> I installed the sender in a test ****t, and apparently that is far enough
> away from a fluid passage that sees actual fluid movement that it
> doesn't work well there, so I will either have to pull the trans pan and
> install a bung or else get a (expen$ive) aluminum pan that I can drill
> and tap. So I can't really comment on the *performance* of the VDO
> gauge, but it sure does look good at night.
>
> AutoMeter makes some attractive gauges as well, but most of them seem to
> be in a more modern idiom than VDO's "series 1." They do have their
> "Traditional Chrome" line but those have orangey-red pointers rather
> than white (which would actually be a good match for my '55 Stude... but
> I digress.)
>
> Personally based on my experiences I would avoid Sunpro because of the
> backlighting issues; VDO or AutoMeter ought to be safe buys, not sure
> about Stewart-Warner as they appear to have either changed hands or
> reorganized recently.
>
> Unless you're going to be doing some serious off-roading or other
> high-vibration use I doubt you need liquid-filled or anything fancy like
> that.
>
> If you feel like taking a chance, I know that Summit Racing has recently
> introduced their own "private label" line of gauges, but I have never
> tried any of them so I don't know who they're private labeled from. I
> imagine other similar retailers might have similar products (Jeg's,
> Speedway Motors, etc.)
>
> I hope this post helped more than it muddied the waters :) About the
> only hard recommendation I could make would be to avoid Sunpro because
> of the abysmal backlighting that appears to not be easily fixable.
>
> nate
>
>
Forgot to add - if anyone is reading this and is tempted to follow in my
footsteps re: improving the backlighting on Sunpro gauges, please also
read this thread:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.autos.tech/browse_frm/thread/d704ea22fe723758/281977fb386c4e1f?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=vacuum+nate#281977fb386c4e1f
nate
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