Autometer boost gauge installed

Here's the Autometer Sport Comp mechanical 52mm boost gauge. It doesn't match our gauge too well at night, but considering the price ($55) & quality, I can't complain... The gauge pod is also from Autometer ($15 or so). You could tilt up & down, slide the gauge foward & backward from the pod to adjust for position, then screw it tight when you're done. Again, not the best looking pod, but it works pretty well. I used 3M double-sided tape to stick the pod on the top left corner of the steering column, which puts the boost gauge away from other gauges.

 

Night time:

http://comtop.com/private/Legacy/Legacy-gauge2.jpghttp://comtop.com/private/Legacy-gauge.jpg

Day time:

http://comtop.com/private/Legacy/Legacy-gauge-day.jpghttp://comtop.com/private/Legacy-gauge-moved.jpg

 

From driver's side window:

http://comtop.com/private/Legacy/Legacy-gauge-day2.jpghttp://comtop.com/private/Legacy-gauge-day2.jpg

 

Sorry for the blurry pictures, and my lousy hand work. I do plan to re-attach the gauge better in a later date...

 

Gauge moved to the right (with soon-to-replaced blue wire-loom). I'm also considering moving it even more to the right (see glowing ghost image)... Note how little (or how much) they block other gauges.

http://comtop.com/private/Legacy/Legacy-gauge-moved.jpg

Cool, Henkle!

 

Get yourself down to a DYI home-improvement store or something - they should have some dark grey/black "industrial strength" double-sided foam tape - trim the tape so that it does not protrude out the front end of the gauge cup mount, and it'll look like you hard-mounted the gauge to the steering column cover.

 

While you're there, pick up some black split wire-loom:

 

http://www.wiringproducts.com/media/slit_loom_black_big.gif

 

Go for the smallest OD, since you're only looking to hide that boost/vac line, and you're gonna look totally professional.

 

 

Great mount job already, bro! Now all you've gotta do is touch it up a bit when you have time and that mod'll look "stock!"

Thanks again TSi+WRX for more great advices! I'll be going to the stores to look for those this weekend. Hope those industrial strength double-sided tape work better! The 3M tape had already failed on me once, after parking in the sun yesterday...

Henkle,

 

NP on the advice - trust me, it was hard-won, LOL. I'm an amateur myself, so you get my drift.

 

Try some rubbing alcohol on the surfaces where the adhesive will eventually, er...adhere, to. Just apply a small amount (think wetnap amounts) and then let dry. After it's dried, which will take only a few seconds, then apply the adhesive - that'll get it to stick a bit better. Try only applying the adhesive when it's between 55 to 75 degrees on the surface where you're working. Surfaces too hot or cold can cause the initial bond to not form so well, and be weaker than ideal.

 

The "industrial" stuff is usually black or dark-grey in color. Dunno why that makes them industrial - must be the manly color!

 

RadioShack, if all else fails, will also carry the wire loom, often also called wire conduit.

 

Best of luck!

I have the same gauge.. but not installed yet.. i was gonna stick it in the cubby.. but the more I see these mounted to the column, the more I like it.

 

Nice job.

MaStaMooN, I didn't want it in the cubby for 2 reasons: 1) it takes away my storage space, 2) I didn't want to drill holes...; and plus, it's a much easier install on the steering column!

 

You do sound like a pro, TSi+WRX:lol: I'm glad that I learned from you without having to experience what you had to... A million thanks!

I like the steering column look. I also like that you have it a bit more to the left of your gauges.. Do you have any probems seeing any of the illum signals on the bezel now though?

I have an Autometer gauge too -- the Platinum series (silver face & outer ring) that matches the silver trim in the car. With the red bulb condom, it looks ok at night too.

You do sound like a pro, TSi+WRX:lol: I'm glad that I learned from you without having to experience what you had to... A million thanks!

 

:lol: on comment #1 indeed. I've had som many stick-on-failures that it's, well, actually pretty darned .

 

No need to thank me at all - just glad to help a fellow DYI shadetree.

I have an Autometer gauge too -- the Platinum series (silver face & outer ring) that matches the silver trim in the car. With the red bulb condom, it looks ok at night too.

 

Any pics for us????

 

Flavio Zanetti

Boston, MA

TSi+WRX, you are too humble:) I noticed that you're helping others too... I'll follow your footsteps... but just that I have very limited DIY experience... I've already put the blue (UGLY!) wire-loom which I had laying around, before I get pro-looking black ones from the store this weekend.

 

slip304, I have no problem reading the gauge at night. The only source of lighting on this gauge is from the inside ring of the bezel, as you know; it works okay, but it's easier to read when turning up the instrument lighting at level "illum 4" or more. Oh, and the reflection on my 2nd picture is just the angle where I put my camera at. An easy fix is to tilt the gauge downward a little bit more, which I did.

 

BTW, I think I'm asking too much from the 3M double-sided tape (failed 2 times) by sticking the pod at the top left corner of the steering column where it's at 45 degree angle (see pic#3). LA's 90+ degree outside temperature (even hotter inside the car) is not helping either. So I moved the gauge more to the right, where all of the double-sided tape is now sticking on the top (rather than partly the side) of the column surface. Hope I don't see the tape fail anymore:D. But now the gauge is blocking a little bit of the gauge (the tach below 500 rpm. I'll add another pic on that later today) Now I'm considering moving it even more to the right, just left of the parking light switch, so it won't block anything, except the "Legacy" wording on our gauge. But I haven't decided yet...

Henkle -

 

No no, I'm not being humble - I know very little, and I'm trying to help others with only what little I know....so it winds up that I much more take advantage of these Forums, by getting all that good input and feedback from others, than I've been taken advantage of.

 

RE: the tape

 

I'm wondering what would happen if you used an individual/separate strip of tape to first fill the concavity that's in the middle of the bottom of the gauge mount? Then, you can use your "normal" two strips, add them on top of that "filler" strip in the middle, and then attach to the column cover?

 

Not sure if that'd help or not.

 

Fellow brother LGTer and airsoft-hobbyist almondcookie recently asked for some help in this thread:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16417

 

- where AWDxBOOST very kindly put up detailed explaination of how to remove the steering column cover.

 

I'm not sure, Henkle, if you are in a position (i.e. if the car's leased vs. purchased) to actually drill through the plastic column cover, but if so, that particular thread should help you in taking the cover off, and fab'ing a "permanent" mount solution. Just be sure to use some washers or some kind of "buffer" on the inside of the plastic column cover! Wouldn't want that pretty piece to crack/split from having to sustain the weight of the gauge + cup combo.

 

Again, best of luck!

Thanks again for another piece of great advice TSi+WRX! Car is purchased (intended to drive for 8+ years like my other ones). I thought about the option of screw-mounting the pod with the top of steering column, but I'm still trying to avoid drilling... Oh, that thread was very detailed... We'll see how the "industrial strength" tape works for me later. "Worst" case, I'll drill and mount it at my original position (top left corner). The only thing is, my wife is getting jealous of my relationship with the car... she said "little gauge, big problems...":lol: Well, I did spend some extra time lately at the garage trying to "perfect" my installs...

forgot to mention... picture's already up (pls go to page 1), the last one's the latest!

Looks good I have the same one, for the most part. But here is my first post over here, looking forward to joining you soon. Here is the "chrome" trim and red lighting on the autometer boost. BTW pics are in a 1994 RX-7

 

Bill

Henkle,

 

Super-cool "double-exposure! "

 

... she said "little gauge, big problems..."

 

Hey, my wife's much more candid about her assessments of me --> "Just try not to blow the car up, honey."

 

... heheee.... I laugh so hard that my stomach aches... It sounds like your wife is more "understanding"... haha... If my "limit" was not to blow up the car, then I've lots of other ideas... BTW, my request of getting the UP/DP from Crucial was denied my wife last night... she thought that I was going to "live" in the car... "Stay away from that forum".... she said... Hey bro, it looks like you're getting the mods that I wanted to do:cool: , just a step earlier... Please let me know how things go after your mods!

 

Welcome, tobecontinued, it looks like the boost gauge matches your other ones better than mine. You got turbo on your RX-7? That thing must flies... Do you already have a Legacy, or are you going to getting one?

Henkle - will do, brotha, regarding updates on mods.

 

Keep your chin up, she'll crack sometime.

I certainly hope so! Thanks for the encouragement; I'll just keep asking her... And thanks for sharing. I'd love to find out the results of your mods, especially I was going to mod in the same sequence that you're doing (most people get AP first).

 

Oh, I went to the hardware store late yesterday, got my black 3/8" wire loom (smallest diameter on the shelf). Put it on, and you're right, it looks like a pro!

Oh, I didn't find "industrial strength" double-sided tape. Instead, I found some "museum putty" used to stick decorations on the shelf to prevent it from falling, in case that earthquakes hit. This (didn't feel that sticky) could fill the concavity at the bottom of my gauge pod, so that I could then put the double-sided tape to mount the pod on. But because it came with light gray (almost white) & yellow, I didn't buy it (perhaps paint it black?)... With further browing, I found some "industrial strength" glue that I think would work. But then if it permanently "bonds" to my plastic steering column, I'd rather drill and hard-mount it like you suggested.

 

Anyway, just some options that we have for mounting anything... BTW, these were found in the paints department at Home Depot. And if anyone has used these; please share your opinions...

It's a twin turbo, but they are small hitachi HT-12 (stock) but it does fly. I am planing on getting into a Legacy GT by summers end.

For mounting the pod I used something called "Hercules Putty" which has held fine for 2 years, also using it to secure the turbo timer. Here's some pic's for good measure! Hope to join everyone soon.

 

Welcome, tobecontinued, it looks like the boost gauge matches your other ones better than mine. You got turbo on your RX-7? That thing must flies... Do you already have a Legacy, or are you going to getting one?

Thanks for sharing; I'll be looking for those "Hercules Putty"!

 

I noticed that your turbo gauge is blocking the unimportant bottom half of the tach. Did it make the tach any harder to read in any way? I'm thinking of moving the gauge more toward the center like you have.

 

Oooh... Nice looking car!!! Is that original paint on the RX-7? If so, you must pampered your car; I would! Small turbos, but I think they mate the rotary engine better than the bigger ones overall...

 

Congrats on the move to Legacy GT; you won't be disapointed!

When you are sitting in the seat in only blocks 0-500rpms and from 8500-9000 So i can see the tack from 500rpms all the way to above my redline. And yes that is original paint.

tobecontinued - That is one BEAUTIFUL car. I've always had a weakness for those RX-7s, their body shape is just so organic and wonderfully fluid, without being derivative of any car of that era. Absolutely beautiful design, IMveryHO. I hope you won't have to give her up in order to get your LGT!

 

Henkle (and tobecontinued) - I've never tried the putty stuff, but heck, it sounds good, and I'll definitely, thanks to your tip, tobecontinued, try finding some to play with. Henkle, PM me your mailing address, and I'll get some of my double-sided stuff out to you in the mail. I'll have to find a way of insuring that the "down" side doesn't stick to the envelope, but heck, that shouldn't be too bad.

 

Glad that the conduit/loom looks good! BTW, for "troublesome" installations where the loom hose keeps slipping down/away from the wire/hose that it covers within, I like to carefully wrap a few winds of double-sided foam tape around the inner wire/hose. This allows me to "build up" its outer diameter so that it matches the inner diameter of the loom/conduit hose, and the stickiness works to then keep the loom secured in position.

 

BTW, Henkle, regarding your hose diameter/length question originally posed here:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=248470&postcount=32

 

There's a recent thread:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?p=254503#post254503

 

JohnM is much more technically savvy than I can ever be (honest!), and his advice here per the smaller diameter hose seems to make good sense.

woohoo FD .. and you're still running on the stock twins. nice car.

 

My gauge is in the exact same place but not molded into the steering column. I have an autometer sport comp series gauge with cup mount that i borrowed from my prelude. Because of that ... 1/2"+ more height, it blocks 0-2500 and 7500-9k. It doesn't bother me. I know when my car is idling right just by the sound. I shift around 3 so when the needle shows up or a little higher is when i normally shift. On the upper end, the tach buzzer tells me when to stop. =).

 

"Hitachi makes TVs .. not turbos" - my friend said that when i told him. haha.

I thought about that same gauge (AutoMeter sport comp) but in the cubby.