What would be the most useful "4th" gauge to install?

[Regular Guy]

I'm going to re-do the factory gauge panel with Auto Meters--after the oil psi, water temp, and volts, what do you think would be the wisest choice for a 4th gauge?

Vacuum gauge to better monitor the engine?

I had a transmission cook on me once, but only once, so a temp gauge for that would be useful.

I can't make up my mind on this one...

[MusicMan70]

I vote Vacuum!

[Crabass]

If you're running an automatic trans the temp gauge would be a real eye opener, especially towing on warm days, running high stall converter, etc. The vacuum gauge is useful for troubleshooting sometimes, but most useful under the hood. Also for improving economy, but an even better gauge for that (and another eye-opener) would be a wide band air/fuel ratio meter. Are you putting in a tach? What about a fuel gauge?

[rpmerf]

I saw one with nothing where the factory tach goes, a tach where the fuel gauge normally is, then a small fuel gauge at the bottom. Looked much nicer and it seemed more useful using that 5" gauge slot for a tach than a fuel gauge

[hayhauler71]

X 2 on trans temp gauge [if it is a auto trans]

[passthebuck]

I vote for the trans temp gauge.

Drove the Beartooth Pass one year & looked down at my trans temp gauge & almost crapped my pants. Pulled off at a rest area & let it cool down for a bit - had a cooler on there too. Saved my 700r4 that day I figure.

[Steve Hafner]

. . . .

Here's another variation:

. . . .

['68OrangeSunshine]

Vacuum.

[special-K]

I have a transmission temperature gauge in my K2500. I also have a larger free-standing vacuum gauge mounted to the bottom edge of the dash that you can actually read while driving. It is color keyed with idle,economy,cruising,and power zones as well as numbers.

My '67 C1500 will have an tach/air gauge because it'll be a manual with air bags in the rear so I can haul with a 6" drop w/o a c-notch. I have a large dial vacuum gauge in a chrome pod from a 60-66 Pontiac.

I really like having a vacuum gauge to monitor fuel mileage,as well as tuning. It's amazing how with a slight lift of the foot you can maintain the same speed yet increase the air to fuel ratio for better mileage. Car makers should have been doing this for all these years they've pretended to care about fuel efficiency. It does the same thing as what these digital electronic economy monitors do in vehicles in recent years.

I like that cluster Steve showed. I always thought I'd add a clock,but these days stereos always have one or the cell phone is always handy. And,another gauge is more important. A large vacuum gauge would be great top center.

[rollinhard]

A boost gauge to monitor the twin turbo setup u could install. JK. I vote small fuel gauge, then do a big tach were the fuel one was
Posted via Mobile Device

[mrein3]

I vote transmission temp.

I put a quartz clock in the extra hole. Then I got a stereo that fits the uncut dash that has a clock so that quartz clock is of no use to me.

I have a transmission temp gauge mounted knee-knocker style. Some day when I have a bunch of time I'm going to put the trans temp in the 4th hole and get rid of that clock. I use tans temp all the time and never need the clock.

I will say however that those 80s clocks out of subs and pick-ups keep very good time.

[OJ1988]

Originally Posted by Regular Guy

I'm going to re-do the factory gauge panel with Auto Meters--after the oil psi, water temp, and volts, what do you think would be the wisest choice for a 4th gauge?

...

Fuel level

[Regular Guy]

Originally Posted by Crabass

If you're running an automatic trans the temp gauge would be a real eye opener, especially towing on warm days, running high stall converter, etc. The vacuum gauge is useful for troubleshooting sometimes, but most useful under the hood. Also for improving economy, but an even better gauge for that (and another eye-opener) would be a wide band air/fuel ratio meter. Are you putting in a tach? What about a fuel gauge?

Crab, the speedometer and fuel will stay stock, and a 3 3/8" tach will go in the unused center tach hole.

I'm not familiar with air/fuel ratio meter--how do they hook up? What's the difference between narrow and wide band? I just did a quick look through a Classic Industries catalog and the narrow is under $100, the wide is in the $300 range for various gauge models...big difference!

[Regular Guy]

A lot of good ideas here--thanks, people!

[chopnchaneled]

Vacuum here to

[bmfm64]

If you are running an airbag setup you can put an air gauge in to monitor tank pressure.
Posted via Mobile Device

[OJ1988]

Vacum.

[Crabass]

RG--
The narrow band just senses/indicates whether or not you are at stoichiometric mixture. Wide band gives you the actual ratio value through a fairly wide range from lean to rich. You haven't really tuned until you've done so with wide band. Very common to hook up to a wide band a/f ratio setup and learn that what was thought to be very well tuned is actually pretty rich, and/or finding that different throttle conditions vary greatly from rich to lean. There should be some difference, the trick is to get the right amount of difference for the right condition. In other words, partial throttle cruise should be leaner than WOT, and the best values for each of those conditions should be within a very narrow range.

Here is a really good article on tuning by a/f ratio, a little dated but still informative:

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/te...age/index.html

Wide band is more expensive, and especially so if you have several vehicles you want to monitor. Narrow band is better than nothing.

Originally Posted by Regular Guy

Crab, the speedometer and fuel will stay stock, and a 3 3/8" tach will go in the unused center tach hole.

I'm not familiar with air/fuel ratio meter--how do they hook up? What's the difference between narrow and wide band? I just did a quick look through a Classic Industries catalog and the narrow is under $100, the wide is in the $300 range for various gauge models...big difference!

[bigdogboxers]

I would say fuel gauge... Just my 2 cents
Posted via Mobile Device

[69sixpackbee]

Afr

[leddzepp]

vacuum gauge

[tubbedII]

My vote would be for vacuum so you can try to monitor your fuel consumption.

Steve Hafner...what gauges are those? That's the cleanest stock look-a-like cluster I have seen!

[68gmsee]

If it were me, I'd go for something else besides a vacuum gauge. A vacuum would be of no use to me. I've used them before and very quickly decided feathering the throttle to avoid fuel consumption was not a lot of fun on these gas guzzling trucks. I do a tune it up at least once or twice a year and vacuum reading is part of that. If you drive one long enough, you know when to check for problems, anyway.

[67Slider]

Originally Posted by Steve Hafner

. . . .

Here's another variation:

. . . .

Man. I am digging that cluster. What did it run you and how can I get one?

[Steve Hafner]

Originally Posted by 67Slider

Man. I am digging that cluster. What did it run you and how can I get one?

It's not mine . . . it was said to have come from: www.newvintageusa.com