I am looking to buy a fuel pressure gauge and don't know what range to buy. How much pressure should I be running with a procharger on 11# of boost on A 3.8L V6?

 

I just get the 0-100 range. But I imagine you could get away with a 0-60. For your boost levels, I'd probably shot for mid 40s, but that all depends on your tune.

 

meh.. the gauge is useless if you ask me.

 

I don't think it's useless. Without the gauge, how can I know how high my fuel pressure is? That's important when tuning, especially with forced induction. I also have a kirban adjustable fuel pressure regulator. Without a gauge, how would I install it? I'd just pop it on and I'd never have a clue what it was actualyl set for out of the box.

I'm not saying to get one and mount it on a pod or anything. But I do think it's a valuable tool. I hook mine up to my schrader valve and use it when I need to check pressure while tuning. It's just like my wideband. I don't have a gauge in the car or anything, but I can hook up my laptop and monitor it when I need to tune.

 

by the time you realize something is wrong with your fuel pressure with your gauge, it's already too late. hence, why i think it's useless.

 

I can understand that. There are people that use it as a warning to see when something is wrong. That's not what I was talking about though. I was talking about using it for tuning and making adjustments. Using my Kirban AFPR as an example again... If I were to just take it out of the box and install it, how would I know what it was set at from the factory? I'd be going in the re blind. I need some sort of reference point so that I know what the fuel pressure is. I also need to be able to see what it is changing to as I adjust the screw.

Instanning and adjusting a FPR without knowing the fuel pressure is like adjusting the timing by turning the distributor without actually using a timing light or something similar.

My gauge hooks up to the schrader valve and it stays in the engine bay. I can read it on the dyno to make sure the regulator is working properly and I can use it when at idle to make adjustments. Would I run it to teh car or mount it so that I could see it while driving? No, I don't see the point. Like you said, by the time something registers it's probably too late anyway. But when it comes to tuning, I look at it as a necessary tool... Wideband, fuel pressure gauge, and dataloggin capabilities... three things I think you really need for good tuning.

 

i don't do my own tuning, so i have no need for it. i'd rather pay the pros to get all that done. i was saying it's useless because i highly doubt the OP was going to use it for tuning. i only really have 1 gauge in my car that i read, and that's the boost gauge. i want to move that to my center console where the ash tray is and get rid of the pillar. that way it's hidden out of sight.

 

LoL, you know, i spend more time looking at my boost / vacuum gauge than anything else. That thing can be used to identify so many problems and conditions! Hell, I found a vacuum leak I never would ahve even known about if it wasn't for the gauge (this was about a week or two ago.) It wasn't feeling any worse, but I noticed my vacuum was down a few inches.

 

i've never had a problem discovered by my boost gauge, but it's just fun to watch. i just want to keep it out of plain view of the competition. that's the only thing that stands out about my car when it's parked. people see gauges and know i have at least something in there. it's still a surprise when the car starts spitting out raw fuel and rumbles the ground.