Mechanical or Electric boost gauge?
11-30-2006, 05:45 AM
#21
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 12,575
RE: Mechanical or Electric boost gauge?
ORIGINAL: ShadowDrake
That guy has to be the first person in the world with a mechanical A/F gauge [&:] What's it do, blow exhaust by your nose so you can smell it and know if you're going rich?
For gauges, electrical gauges are easier to wire up, safer, but more expensive. Mechanical gauges are simpler, can be more difficult to install, and cost less. Boost pressure is just about the only mechanical gauge you can get away with that is mounted inside the car... even then you need to deal with the hassle of running a vacuum line inside from the engine bay up through your a-pillar to the boost gauge. As you can imagine, having a mechanical oil pressure gauge or something would be bad in an accident, the line pops off the back of the gauge in a crash and you've got very hot engine oil spraying into the cabin... not so safe.
Simply put: for measuring the hazardous stuff (temperatures, oil/fuel pressure... anything that can kill you or harm you... a little compressed air won't do anything [&:]) go with an electrical.
That guy has to be the first person in the world with a mechanical A/F gauge [&:] What's it do, blow exhaust by your nose so you can smell it and know if you're going rich?
For gauges, electrical gauges are easier to wire up, safer, but more expensive. Mechanical gauges are simpler, can be more difficult to install, and cost less. Boost pressure is just about the only mechanical gauge you can get away with that is mounted inside the car... even then you need to deal with the hassle of running a vacuum line inside from the engine bay up through your a-pillar to the boost gauge. As you can imagine, having a mechanical oil pressure gauge or something would be bad in an accident, the line pops off the back of the gauge in a crash and you've got very hot engine oil spraying into the cabin... not so safe.
Simply put: for measuring the hazardous stuff (temperatures, oil/fuel pressure... anything that can kill you or harm you... a little compressed air won't do anything [&:]) go with an electrical.
I cringe every time someone talks about the mechanical fuel pressure/oil pressure gauge they just bought/installed in their car on a pillar pod. Nothing says pure fun like getting sprayed with hot oil/flammble fuel (X2 the fun for both) during a rollover/wreck. Not to mention the possbilitly of a line breaking someplace outside of the cab and you not knowing whats going on.
No reason not to run a mechanical boost gauge though. The worst thing that can happen is getting a small amount of air blown on you.
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