Gauges, wiring and a rage fit

After sitting looking at the spare water temperature gauge sitting in its box in the passenger foot well for long enough I decided to install it tonight. I did however forget just how annoying it is trying to push sensor cables through firewall bulkheads! Especially when they are so close to your exhaust downpipe that you have to strip heat proof tape off to fit them through the bulkhead grommet.

The plan was originally to install the water temp gauge where the boost gauge is and move the boost gauge back to its original position near the A Pillar. All was going well after removing the boost gauge and pulling the boost pipe down from the dash board and leaving it in the footwell.

I fitted the water gauge and then used an old sensor cable and electric tape to pull the new water sensor wire up through the dash and connect it to the gauge. After some poking around under the dash I taped the other end to the boost hose and pulled it through the bulkhead. The end connected to the sensor that was recently fitted to the radiator. 

This may sound easy, but at several points during the install it results in you sitting upside down in the drivers seat with you head in the footwell to either pull a cable down from the dash or poking something through the firewall. After a couple of hours and a lot of sweat later, my parents must have heard enough bad language coming from the garage and finally told me to chill out and go to bed.

So tomorrow if I get the time, the only thing remains is to use some cable ties to secure the sensor cables and boost hose in the engine bay and finish heat proofing cabling near the down pipe. 

The boost gauge is currently lying in the footwell with the hose connected so it will give a reading, however there is no power supply (this is the only mechanical gauge) so there will be no lighting although you can still take a reading in daylight. The other three gauges in the dash are all stepper motor type and give the opening and closing ceremony. 

To be honest, I might just get rid of the boost gauge as the Greddy electronic controller gives the boost pressure on its display anyway and normally under hard acceleration you dont have time to look at the boost pressure so its only purpose now is styling. Perhaps after a good sleep Ill get hit with inspiration!

Movie of the dash gauges opening and closing ceremony