More Gauges

[green 95 firebird]

hey,
i was looking at the autometer gauges and i noticed they come in mechanical and electrical. what is the difference between the two and which do you recommend for my car? i was thinking about oil temp. and something else, which one do you guys think is better, mechanical or electrical?


thx

--pete

[John_D.]

A mechanical gauge will actually bring the fluid, vacuum, oil, whatever, into the car in a little line and measure it right at the gauge. An electrical gauge will be a sending unit under the hood doing the measuring, with only a wire going to the gauge.

Fuel pressure is illegal and dangerous to have mechanical in the car, that's why you sometimes see them mounted in the hood or the cowl.

Electrical are usually higher, but I prefer running a wire into the car instead routing fluids into the interior of the car. For instance, oil pressure requires running clear tubing into the car, carrying engine oil under pressure. If it leaks, you possibly lose enough oil to cause engine problems, plus have hot oil spraying around inside the car...

A mechanical vacuum or boost gauge would be ok, it's just a vacuum line running into the inside of the car.

[nova]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by John_D.:
Fuel pressure is illegal and dangerous to have mechanical in the car, that's why you sometimes see them mounted in the hood or the cowl.

<hr></blockquote>
I think you can have mechanical fuel pressure if you use an isolator at the firewall. Its one of those things that has a piston, the fuel comes to it from the engine side and then it has hydraulic oil on the passenger compartment side.

The isolators are pretty expensive though so its usually cheaper just to use and electrical guage.