I have a 1.8L B18C resleeved and bored to 85mm, hondata ecu, wiseco pistons, eagle rods, titanium retainers, jackson racing supercharger boost is around 9-12(want to change to turbo setup), and all the other stuffed needed. I have autometer gauges. There are better gauges out there. My question is what kind of gauges are the best? I know they are around $100 - $200 a piece or more. Please no dumb-*** answers, need good advice!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks,
A V8 KILLER


Modified by byebyeV8 at 10:33 PM 10/31/2005

 

v8 killer...HA...stock fox's maybe


but back to your question...
for the low price, GOOD gauges... Stewart Warner are the way to go

for overpriced stuff..it's a toss up between greddy, omori, hks, apex i', blah, blah, blah

i've run greddy stuff in my WRX (60mm boost and egt) my boost gauge took a poop on me randomly...and i'll not go back. stewart warner is goign to be just as accurate, but cost a fuckton less....


oh, and autometers suck ***, period.

 

only one person, stock fox's thats funny. the car is a little better then that. the problem is the supercharger. I say screw jackson superchargers, go turbo

 

my thoughts, exactly

i just wanted to be a dick for a second, haha


but like i said....check out the stewart warners..they're cheap and good.

the only reason autometer is in so many cars...is purley based on the fact theyve been around so long, and most race cars that use them either get hte full sweep or the liquid filled gauges...and those cost just as much as the "jdm" gauges anyways

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rhd &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
oh, and autometers suck ***, period.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Why do you say that? Because they are cheaper than some of the others?

Explain to me how the Nexus gauges suck ***. I'd like to hear.

 

i think it's just the generalization of the average autometer gauges (phantom, cobalt, etc.) when i had autometer, the boost reading was like 2-3 psi off. so this time around i just went with DEFI

 

Go with the Defi D-gauges. They're electronic and the same price, and they self check themselves for bad wiring and dead sensors.

 

If you are using more than one gauge, get the Deif display so your install will be much cleaner. I have one Display for SIX sensors. But if you are the "disco lights in the interior type" by all means go ahead and add 2~8 gauges to your interior.

 

nothing wrong with vdo/stuart warner gauges. ive been using them for about 5 years now

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you are using more than one gauge, get the Deif display so your install will be much cleaner. I have one Display for SIX sensors. But if you are the "disco lights in the interior type" by all means go ahead and add 2~8 gauges to your interior.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That display with the control unit and 6 sensor will cost around 1k... I rather have a few gauges in my car.

 

Defi D hands down, so clean and very accurate

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EJ1 wilcox &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why do you say that? Because they are cheaper than some of the others?

Explain to me how the Nexus gauges suck ***. I'd like to hear. </TD></TR></TABLE>

i wasn't talking about nexus, i was tlaking about the general Autometer's that everyone has, and that was REALLY easy to infer from me saying to exclude the full sweep and liquid filled

 

Oh, okay.

Yeah, AutoMeter has a full line from cheap budget gauges, to very accurate gauges that rival any others out there.

I thought you were saying that ALL AutoMeter gauges suck. I agree with you that their lower lines aren't as accurate. But, they work well for most people who have them.

 

now this is what i am talking about info. i have five gauges at this time. boost/vac, oil temp, air/fuel, oil pressure, eng temp. would like to get rid of some gauges, but with the charger it produces so much heat, and yes I know a turbo produces heat. get a lot more out of a turbo. HP TRQ. supercharger is fun for racing.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you are using more than one gauge, get the Deif display so your install will be much cleaner. I have one Display for SIX sensors. But if you are the "disco lights in the interior type" by all means go ahead and add 2~8 gauges to your interior.</TD></TR></TABLE>


DISCO LIGHTS!!

 

all you need https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1403885

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by byebyeV8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">now this is what i am talking about info. i have five gauges at this time. boost/vac, oil temp, air/fuel, oil pressure, eng temp. would like to get rid of some gauges, but with the charger it produces so much heat, and yes I know a turbo produces heat. get a lot more out of a turbo. HP TRQ. supercharger is fun for racing.</TD></TR></TABLE>

ditch the a/f and the oil temp.

and by engine temp...are you talking egt or water temp?

most important gauges:
#1 boost...obvioulsy
#2 water temp...this should be in EVERY car, the factory unit sucks *** and is NO WHERE NEAR reliable/accurate
#3 oil pressure...not really needed, but handy if you have room
#4 fuel pressure....same as oil pressure

that's really all you need. EGT gauge would be nice, but most ppl have no idea what it's for/how to read it....and its' usually more expensive....

 

rhd ..... bwahahahahaha

SO what you are saying is - Don't waste your money on any gauges except for Boost? Hell if you need a cheap but dependable mech gauge I have some old school Lamco gauges........somewhere in my parts pile.

If you are tuning your own car a wide band AF meter is a MUST but I did tune my old setup with a Greddy semi-wideband and a Defi EGT. Yes, I know how to read an EGT .

If you have an adjustable FPR a fuel pressure gauge is also a must.

Why do I like the Defi stuff? It has been very accurate for me and I like the feedback it provides. I can do a run and get a mini-datalog playback if everything that is monitored.

If the Stack stuff wasn't so damn expensive I probably would have gotten that instead of the Defi suite that I currently have.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">rhd ..... bwahahahahaha

SO what you are saying is - Don't waste your money on any gauges except for Boost? Hell if you need a cheap but dependable mech gauge I have some old school Lamco gauges........somewhere in my parts pile.

If you are tuning your own car a wide band AF meter is a MUST but I did tune my old setup with a Greddy semi-wideband and a Defi EGT. Yes, I know how to read an EGT .

If you have an adjustable FPR a fuel pressure gauge is also a must.

Why do I like the Defi stuff? It has been very accurate for me and I like the feedback it provides. I can do a run and get a mini-datalog playback if everything that is monitored.

If the Stack stuff wasn't so damn expensive I probably would have gotten that instead of the Defi suite that I currently have. </TD></TR></TABLE>

most ppl DON'T tune their own cars

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rhd &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ditch the a/f and the oil temp.

and by engine temp...are you talking egt or water temp?

most important gauges:
#1 boost...obvioulsy
#2 water temp...this should be in EVERY car, the factory unit sucks *** and is NO WHERE NEAR reliable/accurate
#3 oil pressure...not really needed, but handy if you have room
#4 fuel pressure....same as oil pressure

that's really all you need. EGT gauge would be nice, but most ppl have no idea what it's for/how to read it....and its' usually more expensive.... </TD></TR></TABLE>

Why would someone remove an oil temp gauge when they already have it? Do you just go around to threads making **** up or something? And oil pressure is not really needed? What a joke. Oil temperature and pressure are CRITICAL for an engine to survive, and you recommend thet people don't need them. Oil pressure too low or temp to high = bye bye bearings. Great advice you give.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nfn15037 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why would someone remove an oil temp gauge when they already have it? Do you just go around to threads making **** up or something? And oil pressure is not really needed? What a joke. Oil temperature and pressure are CRITICAL for an engine to survive, and you recommend thet people don't need them. Oil pressure too low or temp to high = bye bye bearings. Great advice you give. </TD></TR></TABLE>

haha, k

oil temp is pretty much only useful on the dyno

oil pressure is cool, but you don't HAVE to have it. I didn't say it wasn't a good idea to have it, just said you don't HAVE to HAVE it. If you did, ALL oe cars would have it instead of an idiot light.

 

Oil temp is only useful on a dyno? LOL, OK! I see higher oil temps on a long highway drive than on the dyno all night long making 4th gear pulls. Don't you think it would be helpful for, oh, like a track day or a very hot afternoon at the dragstrip? Maybe on a long 5th gear pull at a deserted airfield? I can think of pleny of places other than a dyno where I would like to have oil temperature data.

You are right, you don't HAVE to have oil pressure. But the only thing the idiot light tells you at 9000 RPMs is that you have just ruined the crank, bearings, cams and scarred the **** out of the cam journals. Great. Oil pressure gauge will normally show some sort of fluctuation before catastrophic loss of oil pressure.

I'm not trying to pick on you, seriosuly. It just irks the **** out of me when people are constantly posting misinformation.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nfn15037 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Oil temp is only useful on a dyno? LOL, OK! I see higher oil temps on a long highway drive than on the dyno all night long making 4th gear pulls. Don't you think it would be helpful for, oh, like a track day or a very hot afternoon at the dragstrip? Maybe on a long 5th gear pull at a deserted airfield? I can think of pleny of places other than a dyno where I would like to have oil temperature data.

You are right, you don't HAVE to have oil pressure. But the only thing the idiot light tells you at 9000 RPMs is that you have just ruined the crank, bearings, cams and scarred the **** out of the cam journals. Great. Oil pressure gauge will normally show some sort of fluctuation before catastrophic loss of oil pressure.

I'm not trying to pick on you, seriosuly. It just irks the **** out of me when people are constantly posting misinformation.</TD></TR></TABLE>


what is an oil temp guage telling you, that you're oils warm. congrats...wtf you gonna do about it? nothing. i say it's good on a dyno, just for comparisons sake and tuning. oil temp changes can affect a tune midly...

and the idiot light tells you that you have 6psi or less oil pressure...yes... but that usually pops on when you least expect it. Most ppl don't watch their gauges constantly..therefore most guages are a waste. If you aren't constantly monitering your oil pressure and other gauges...then you usually don't see them drop down before it's too late in the case of an oil pump failure.

i don't post misinformation...i post realistic information that most ppl overlook. a lot of ppl are so worried about having name brand this and that bullshit, that they end up ******* up the rest of their stuff or by running out of money. I build my hondas and other cars to do a certain thing, and do it properly...and i don't go around wasting or throwing away money into things that are NECESSARY or extrememly helpful in the process.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nfn15037 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Oil pressure gauge will normally show some sort of fluctuation before catastrophic loss of oil pressure.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I can vouch for the importance of oil pressure gauges.

Mine saved my *** big time one day when I had a good sized oil leak. I recognized that my oil pressure dropped and turned the car off. By the time I turned the car off I had very little oil left in the engine. Luckily I didn't damage anything.

That was $80 well spent if you ask me. Saved me from having to rebuild my bottom end and who knows what else.

Oil is the lifeblood of an engine, the pressure and tempurature are good things to keep an eye on, especially when racing.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rhd &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
most important gauges:
#1 boost...obvioulsy
#2 water temp...this should be in EVERY car, the factory unit sucks *** and is NO WHERE NEAR reliable/accurate
#3 oil pressure...not really needed, but handy if you have room
#4 fuel pressure....same as oil pressure

that's really all you need. EGT gauge would be nice, but most ppl have no idea what it's for/how to read it....and its' usually more expensive.... </TD></TR></TABLE>

My water temp gauge is on the $$ in my EM1. I have never had a single problem.
Now it does not give you an exact temp but WILL let you know if you are about to over heat or if you car is just running hot. It also gives you a great idea of when your car is fully warmed up. I see no need for any other water temp gauge at all.

If your boosted hands down the MOST important gauges are boost and oil pressure!!! Fuel pressure is really only needed if you are running pressure that's allot higher then stock or just wanna keep an eye on your fuel pumps performance. Oil pressure is much more important! With a turbo setup there are many issues that can come up resulting in a loss of oil pressure. (most commonly a broken oil fitting on the back of the block or a clogged pickup) You drive an 1/8 of a mile with no oil pressure and see how your engine likes it Say bye bye motor!