B5 Boost Gauge Install
 

Hi folks,

I just got my Auto Meter Boost Gauge in the mail today and I'm at a little bit of a lose. The gauge didn't come with a T-fitting or an 1/8" connector from the 'T' to the nylon tubing. So, I guess my question is about sizes.

What size T-fitting do I need?
What size/length vacuum line should I get? I'm looking to run vacuum line in the engine compartment and then connect it to the nylon tubing in the passanger compartment...this will keep the nylon tubing from melting because of engine heat.
Also, clamp sizes for the T-fitting to vacuum line would be great!

Any help?
-T

P.S. here are some pics of what it looks like..nothing hooked up yet:

[IMG]local://upfiles/2205/33FA7EDBFBF848F7B77A3808C24668E3.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/2205/B4DE3FF124F8488FA83DB9ACF78BE20F.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/2205/06C446A0158545BB88D4D3BB1103922B.jpg[/IMG]

RE: B5 Boost Gauge Install
 

I hooked that same boost gauge up in my 2000 S-10.
I used a 1/8 brass female "T" connector. The fitting that came with the boost gauge hooked up to the middle of the T fitting, and I also bought the appropriate size brass hose barbs that the the vacuum hose pressed onto. Size of the hose barbs you get will depend on which vacuum hose you splice into. Probably 3/16" fittings would work. Best place for this kind of stuff is a well-stocked True-Value or some other hardware store with a good plumbing section.
If I were you, I'd just run the small nylon tubing out into the engine compartment. It will take as much heat as a rubber vacuum hose. You will obviously want to steer clear of the exhaust side of the engine regardless of how you run it though. If you insist on running a seperate vacuum hose, I don't think size will be critical. If you do it that way, you can probably get a brass or nylon hose barb T to splice into the vacuum line and run it inside. From there, you'd use the appropriate size hose barb with a 1/8" female thread that the fitting supplied with the gauge will thread into. Be sure to use teflon tape on all threaded connections to seal it.

Hope this helps-

RE: B5 Boost Gauge Install
 

dont use that plastic hose thast is supplied with the gauge. go to home depot and buy 1'4 tubing and all the neccasary fittings.

how come you gauge shows 3 psi?

what kind of gauge holder did you use? i need one for EGT and Nitrous press.

RE: B5 Boost Gauge Install
 

Thanks for the help guys!
Dave, I'm not sure why the gauge reads 3psi..there is nothing hooked up to it..I'm guessing it will auto correct itself when I hook it up.

The pod is made by Overspun over at Audizine..it can hold any 2 and 1/16" gauge in your vent. Its basically just a perfectly sized peice of black plexiglass. It just sits snug in the vent..you can use a little drop of glue to make it more permenant. $25 shipped.

-T

RE: B5 Boost Gauge Install
 

I've got bad news, Transverse. Most likely your gauge will not auto-correct itslef once it's hooked up. My first gauge I got for my S-10 had about a 3 psi ghost reading like that, and it never corrected itself. Had to send it back for exchange.

BTW Dave, what's wrong with the small diameter tubing supplied with the gauge? I never had any trouble with it, and it was easy to route through the firewall. You do want to be careful not to kink it though. It's easy to do during installation. It will not fully recover from a kink. Other than that, it was great stuff to work with.

RE: B5 Boost Gauge Install
 

NOOO!!! Don't say such things!!! :(:(:(:(:(:(:(

Took them 2 weeks to get me the darn gauge in the first place...if it really is busted I won't get the replacement till like xmas![:@][:@][:@]

-T

RE: B5 Boost Gauge Install
 

Yeah, I was pretty pissed when I got my gauge off ebay and saw the 3 psi reading on it. I called him right away, and he told me to hook it up first to see if it would correct itself. I really didn't think it would, and of course it didn't. [:@]

Good luck on the replacement. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news though. [sm=imsorry.gif]

RE: B5 Boost Gauge Install
 

I would send it back yet, id play with it for a while and see if you can reset it. Blades, why did you go through the firewall to run the line, its alot harder then. I read somewhere about going up through ecu box and it worked really well. I have the b5 tho, the b6 I think has rubber gromet(sp).

RE: B5 Boost Gauge Install
 

Yeah, mine's a B5 also (1997). There is a small rubber gromet type of plug in the firewall, on the left side of the brake booster. Just had to poke a hole thru it. I ran a couple wires for my remote starter and my boost gauge line thru it. This plug was easily accessable from both the inside and under the hood.

RE: B5 Boost Gauge Install
 

i think you can adjust them no? mine you can i believe...

mine reads like 1in hg with the motor off... maybe a little less than 1... so i dont have the motivation to adjust it...