Help choosing gauges

[NWMontanaMan]

My truck had an intake and 4" exhaust on it when I got it so my next step is gauges. Gonna go with Isspro ev2 boost, pyro, and fuel pressure but I'm not sure on the ranges I should go with. Boost I'm thinking 0-40 psi since my turbo is stock and I have no plans to upgrade. Pyro seems like 0-1600 is standard. Fuel pressure is where I'm unsure. I know I don't want the pressure getting too low, but what is the high end of where a stock fuel system runs? Also, will that change if/when I get a FASS/Airdog installed? Thanks!

[98whitelightnin]

0-30 psi fuel pressure is what the vp trucks run. My buddy just put in a set of the EV2 gauges and says they are top notch.

[NWMontanaMan]

Okay, thanks! That's kinda what I was thinking but I just wanted to make sure.

[Mopar1973Man]

Stock to mild mod...0 to 35 PSI boost gauge0 to 30 PSI fuel pressure gauge0 to 1,600*F Pyrometer gaugeBoost gauge will cover the usable span of a stock turbo. A stock Hx35 turbo is good for 0-35 PSI.Fuel pressure gauge should be mechanical and with a needle valve. 0-30 PSI is fine because normal pressure is 14-20 PSI for these truck and should not drop below 10 PSI ever.Pyrometer gauge 0-1,600*F is typical. Most will say 1,200*F is top limit. You can pass this for a short span but keep it to seconds. ISS Pro, Westach and Autometer are the three common gauges now. I wish that Dipricol still existed...

[NWMontanaMan]

Stock to mild mod... 0 to 35 PSI boost gauge 0 to 30 PSI fuel pressure gauge 0 to 1,600*F Pyrometer gauge Boost gauge will cover the usable span of a stock turbo. A stock Hx35 turbo is good for 0-35 PSI. Fuel pressure gauge should be mechanical and with a needle valve. 0-30 PSI is fine because normal pressure is 14-20 PSI for these truck and should not drop below 10 PSI ever. Pyrometer gauge 0-1,600*F is typical. Most will say 1,200*F is top limit. You can pass this for a short span but keep it to seconds. ISS Pro, Westach and Autometer are the three common gauges now. I wish that Dipricol still existed...

Thanks for the knowledge! May I ask why the fuel pressure needs to be mechanical? It seems that ISSPro only does electric pressure gauges.

[dennhop]

If you can still find an ISSPRO EV gauge, it should be mechanical, but the EV2 line is all electronic. With a good needle valve setup, you shouldn't be too bad. I've been able to keep almost all the bounce out of mine, with a needle valve set tight. Like MoparMan said, I wish DiPricol was still in business...had a set of them in one of my old trucks and loved them. Personally, while you can run a 35 psi gauge, I would recommend at least considering a 60lb boost gauge just in case later on you decide to upgrade turbos and injectors...otherwise you'll be maxed out on the 35 lb gauge and have to buy a new one. I've got the EV2's, and so far I'm pretty happy with the.. the graphics are a bit bigger than they were on my DiPricols, but I'm starting to get used to them.Edit: mechanical gauges tend to be more reliable overall....less to worry about going wrong...if some things not working, you usually can tell if its a restriction in the sending line or if there is actually something wrong with the system.

[Mopar1973Man]

Electrical gauge tend to loose calibration and accuracy with age so after a 1-2 year and hook up a mechanical gauge you notice a 2-5 PSI difference possibly. Some have been better than other and some failed within months of installing. Dennhop is right a needle valve is required with ALL fuel pressure gauges be it mechanical, electrical or digital. Water hammer is still preduced by the injection pump (VE, P7100, VP44, CP3, etc) so you got to protect the gauge regardless from water hammer. So 2 things locate the gauge as far back from the injection pump but forward of the last filter and install and set a needle valve so it dampen the pulses.Thing is mechanical gauge will continue to work even when the rest of the truck doesn't. Where a electric gauge requires good ground for both sender and gauge to work properly then electricity to power the gauge and sender to show the fuel pressure.

[Utah Dually]

Call Vulcan Performance. They hooked me up with all mechanical ISSPRO gauges. Drilling the hole for the Pryo probe was a pain. I took off the turbo, but everything came out ok, it just took longer than I thought it would.

[Texas CTD]

Vulcan and Diesel Auto Power have killer deals on Isspro EV's.

[CSM]

Electrical gauge tend to loose calibration and accuracy with age so after a 1-2 year and hook up a mechanical gauge you notice a 2-5 PSI difference possibly. Some have been better than other and some failed within months of installing. Dennhop is right a needle valve is required with ALL fuel pressure gauges be it mechanical, electrical or digital. Water hammer is still preduced by the injection pump (VE, P7100, VP44, CP3, etc) so you got to protect the gauge regardless from water hammer. So 2 things locate the gauge as far back from the injection pump but forward of the last filter and install and set a needle valve so it dampen the pulses. Thing is mechanical gauge will continue to work even when the rest of the truck doesn't. Where a electric gauge requires good ground for both sender and gauge to work properly then electricity to power the gauge and sender to show the fuel pressure.

Big +1 on the mechanical EV (not EV2) fuel gauge. I had a mouse eat through my wiring the other day and the mechanical gauge was still accurate.

[skipetex]

Following

[Utah Dually]

I just found one draw back to the mechanical fuel gauge. At first I thought my lift pump was acting up because the pressure dropped to 13 lbs and wouldn't go higher no matter what I did to the pump. Called Eric at Vulcan and he told me to check the isolator on the fuel gauge. The diaphragm in the isolator was too extended. I had to take the gauge side fitting off and push it back with a pencil. Now everything is back to normal at 19lbs fuel pressure.

[98whitelightnin]

Sounds like an isolator problem to me, gauge has nothing to do with it. That is the reason most of us use a needle valve and no isolator.

[Utah Dually]

Not really. I think it was my fault for not getting the line completely full of fluid.

[Mopar1973Man]

Sounds like an isolator problem to me, gauge has nothing to do with it. That is the reason most of us use a needle valve and no isolator.

Yea... Most of us don't even have isolators. Now I've heard all the tales of "I don't want to have a fuel leak in the cab" so why do people plumb a oil pressure gauge into the cab with nylon tubing and 60-80 PSI of black engine oil in the cab? Nothing said about that?! But plumb into the cab a small 14-20 PSI fuel line with Air brake line that has a burst rating of 600-800 PSI and its a OMG moment! Never made any sense.