05-17-2005, 12:13 AM
Last night I finally finished the gauge pod installation. Needless to say, it took WAY more time than I had estimated. I began the right way, with the product specs, a pencil and a quad pad. I drew a schematic and noted wire colors and terminal numbers. I collected all of the grounds, power, and instrumentation light leads at the gauge pod so that I could reduce the number of wires running to the console where I had previously installed some gauges and had run the necessary sensor and signal wires.
The two 2" gauges (30 in Hg Vacuum/30 psi Boost and a dual EGT/IAT) were installed after doing a little paint job. I'm using Westach gauges from Westberg Manufacturing out in Sonoma, California. You can see them in the pic below. On these gauges, the bezel is black everywhere except the flat surface that faces the instrument panel. Normally no problem. With the gauge pod, problem. The gauge pod does not have a mating flat as large as the white area of the bezel so, when viewed from the front of the car, you see white arcs around the gauge. Wurths Flat Black did a perfect job covering the white.
The small lens to the lower left of the boost gauge is a Knocksense indicator. A signal is picked off the knock sensor #2 pin of the DME brain under the passenger floorboard and routed to a small adjustable filter and LED driver. I would not use it for tuning, but its an inexpensive way to monitor changes in knock behavior. Right now, I get maybe one flash of the LED under max load acceleration. Increases in knock will generate more or sustained flashes and that will be the sign to back off and figure out what broke.
The fourth instrument is a Split Second ARM1 A/F ratio indicator. This is not a tuning instrument either. It is a very small and entreating display of A/F ratio behavior. Here again, my intent is to have a means of monitoring for changes in A/F ratio behavior. Shifts to lean or rich will send me to the shop for a real diagnostic test. The mounting shown in the picture is not final. Since the lower side of the pod isn't horizontal, I chose to have it barely attached to the Velcro instead of firmly attached with a 15 degree list to starboard.
Here are the supplier contacts:
Westberg Manufacturing http://www.westach.com/
Knocksense http://www.viatrack.ca/ Boris Mohar
Split Second http://www.splitsec.com/
Lo-tek, Inc http://www.gaugepods.com/
Boris was great. I managed to blow the LED with 12 volts and he promptly responded to my cry for help (I'm a mechanical type, I don't know LEDs from LCDs). He gave me all the options including DIY instructions. So, after a quick trip to Radio Shack, I had a new bulb soldered to the leads. Split Second was a 5 minute phone call, just long enough to utter the magic 16 numbers from my Master Card and the ARM1 was delivered a week later. The call to Westberg was a little longer so we could talk about my options, but the service was great. The gauges were received a couple of days before the promise date. If you like these gauges, be advised that they are all made to order with a one or two month lag between order and delivery. The gauge pod was a group buy on the Rennlist 951 board.
Back to my story.
I installed everything in the gauge pod at the kitchen table being careful not to use the soldering iron as a wood burning tool on the tabletop. A fella could loose his kitchen privileges that way!
Now I know that I need to run one vacuum/boost line, and wires for: instrument lights (1), Knocksense (2), ARM1 (2), EGT (2), IAT (2), power (1), and ground (1) for a total of 11 jacketed conductors. All bundled up, this make a cable bigger than my little finger. After looking at the gap between the dash and the chassis, I decided to try going down the A-pillar. What a PITA! But I am stubborn and I managed to get one 4 wire cable through a grommeted hole in the A-pillar down to the chassis cut-out below the hatch switch. The vacuum/boost line went between the dash and chassis. The remaining wires were a puzzle until I took the cover panel off the left end of the dash. With the door open you can see a pie segment shaped cover with one screw holding it in place. Take the cover off and pull the door seal out of the way. Now carefully push the three remaining wire bundles into the space between the chassis and dash. I was able to get all of the remaining wire in here AND have space to reinstall the door seal.
I collected all of the wire and vacuum/boost line into a single bundle and slipped and expando jacket over the whole thing. I routed from dash-left to underneath the radio where all of the connections to sensors, signals, power, and ground were made. I had removed the front seat so this was not too demanding on my old, stiff bod. The little Knocksense circuit card lives under the radio now. I left a service loop so that it can be pulled out for sensitivity adjustments if required. The clock & pocket can be reinstalled with room to spare.
Before installing the gauge Pod on the A-pillar I turned the ignition switch and parking lights on. Lights and ARM1 come on! Getting braver, I start the engine. Everything functions except the EGT which is not hooked up. Engine off and I complete the install of the gauge Pod. With all of the wires, vacuum line, and vacuum hose stuffed into the gauge pod, its a bit tricky to get everything in place and affixed to the A-pillar. NOW FOR A TEST DRIVE!
I am definitely distracted by the ARM1 LED dance as I drive away from the house. I went at least two blocks before I noticed that the boost gauge was DOA. A quick roadside check of the lines reveals nothing. Back to the house.
Loosen the screws and re-start the engine. The gauge moves. I take the screws out and pull the gauge pod away from the A-pillar. The gauge is alive! I am stupid! I pinched the vacuum hose that runs from the gauge to the poly vacuum line when I put it all together the first time. So its cleanup time. Tape the wires down, replace some of the hose with pinch-resistant poly, carefully reinstall checking for proper gauge operation at intermediate and final installation steps.
Job done except for replacing the ugly screw and finishing the ARM1 attachment and it all works. Now where is that case of adult beverage?
For those who may have joined late: All of this has been done in anticipation of installing a turbocharged engine later this year. The engine has been torn down and is being cleaned and inspected. If everything is OK, reassembly should start as soon as all of the parts are on-hand. The plan is to deliver the car when the engine is complete, exchange the engines, made the necessary mods to the chassis, tune and go. If everything goes OK I will be doing a DE in September or October.
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The two 2" gauges (30 in Hg Vacuum/30 psi Boost and a dual EGT/IAT) were installed after doing a little paint job. I'm using Westach gauges from Westberg Manufacturing out in Sonoma, California. You can see them in the pic below. On these gauges, the bezel is black everywhere except the flat surface that faces the instrument panel. Normally no problem. With the gauge pod, problem. The gauge pod does not have a mating flat as large as the white area of the bezel so, when viewed from the front of the car, you see white arcs around the gauge. Wurths Flat Black did a perfect job covering the white.
The small lens to the lower left of the boost gauge is a Knocksense indicator. A signal is picked off the knock sensor #2 pin of the DME brain under the passenger floorboard and routed to a small adjustable filter and LED driver. I would not use it for tuning, but its an inexpensive way to monitor changes in knock behavior. Right now, I get maybe one flash of the LED under max load acceleration. Increases in knock will generate more or sustained flashes and that will be the sign to back off and figure out what broke.
The fourth instrument is a Split Second ARM1 A/F ratio indicator. This is not a tuning instrument either. It is a very small and entreating display of A/F ratio behavior. Here again, my intent is to have a means of monitoring for changes in A/F ratio behavior. Shifts to lean or rich will send me to the shop for a real diagnostic test. The mounting shown in the picture is not final. Since the lower side of the pod isn't horizontal, I chose to have it barely attached to the Velcro instead of firmly attached with a 15 degree list to starboard.
Here are the supplier contacts:
Westberg Manufacturing http://www.westach.com/
Knocksense http://www.viatrack.ca/ Boris Mohar
Split Second http://www.splitsec.com/
Lo-tek, Inc http://www.gaugepods.com/
Boris was great. I managed to blow the LED with 12 volts and he promptly responded to my cry for help (I'm a mechanical type, I don't know LEDs from LCDs). He gave me all the options including DIY instructions. So, after a quick trip to Radio Shack, I had a new bulb soldered to the leads. Split Second was a 5 minute phone call, just long enough to utter the magic 16 numbers from my Master Card and the ARM1 was delivered a week later. The call to Westberg was a little longer so we could talk about my options, but the service was great. The gauges were received a couple of days before the promise date. If you like these gauges, be advised that they are all made to order with a one or two month lag between order and delivery. The gauge pod was a group buy on the Rennlist 951 board.
Back to my story.
I installed everything in the gauge pod at the kitchen table being careful not to use the soldering iron as a wood burning tool on the tabletop. A fella could loose his kitchen privileges that way!
Now I know that I need to run one vacuum/boost line, and wires for: instrument lights (1), Knocksense (2), ARM1 (2), EGT (2), IAT (2), power (1), and ground (1) for a total of 11 jacketed conductors. All bundled up, this make a cable bigger than my little finger. After looking at the gap between the dash and the chassis, I decided to try going down the A-pillar. What a PITA! But I am stubborn and I managed to get one 4 wire cable through a grommeted hole in the A-pillar down to the chassis cut-out below the hatch switch. The vacuum/boost line went between the dash and chassis. The remaining wires were a puzzle until I took the cover panel off the left end of the dash. With the door open you can see a pie segment shaped cover with one screw holding it in place. Take the cover off and pull the door seal out of the way. Now carefully push the three remaining wire bundles into the space between the chassis and dash. I was able to get all of the remaining wire in here AND have space to reinstall the door seal.
I collected all of the wire and vacuum/boost line into a single bundle and slipped and expando jacket over the whole thing. I routed from dash-left to underneath the radio where all of the connections to sensors, signals, power, and ground were made. I had removed the front seat so this was not too demanding on my old, stiff bod. The little Knocksense circuit card lives under the radio now. I left a service loop so that it can be pulled out for sensitivity adjustments if required. The clock & pocket can be reinstalled with room to spare.
Before installing the gauge Pod on the A-pillar I turned the ignition switch and parking lights on. Lights and ARM1 come on! Getting braver, I start the engine. Everything functions except the EGT which is not hooked up. Engine off and I complete the install of the gauge Pod. With all of the wires, vacuum line, and vacuum hose stuffed into the gauge pod, its a bit tricky to get everything in place and affixed to the A-pillar. NOW FOR A TEST DRIVE!
I am definitely distracted by the ARM1 LED dance as I drive away from the house. I went at least two blocks before I noticed that the boost gauge was DOA. A quick roadside check of the lines reveals nothing. Back to the house.
Loosen the screws and re-start the engine. The gauge moves. I take the screws out and pull the gauge pod away from the A-pillar. The gauge is alive! I am stupid! I pinched the vacuum hose that runs from the gauge to the poly vacuum line when I put it all together the first time. So its cleanup time. Tape the wires down, replace some of the hose with pinch-resistant poly, carefully reinstall checking for proper gauge operation at intermediate and final installation steps.
Job done except for replacing the ugly screw and finishing the ARM1 attachment and it all works. Now where is that case of adult beverage?
For those who may have joined late: All of this has been done in anticipation of installing a turbocharged engine later this year. The engine has been torn down and is being cleaned and inspected. If everything is OK, reassembly should start as soon as all of the parts are on-hand. The plan is to deliver the car when the engine is complete, exchange the engines, made the necessary mods to the chassis, tune and go. If everything goes OK I will be doing a DE in September or October.
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