A-pillar gauge pod for 2-3 gauges? (2-1/16") -- Gauges for Supercharger install (1 Viewer)

[LINUS]

Hey all -

Anybody found an 80 series specific gauge pod for the A pillar that holds a minimum of 2 gauges?

I'm adding a supercharger & would really like to keep my gauges on the A pillar - I looked over @ egauges.com & all there was described for the 80 was single gauge pods.


If there's not an 80 series specific one, what have you guys had success with that holds at least 2 gauges & fit reasonably well (pics would be nice!)? If it comes to it, I don't mind using a heat gun & molding the shape a little.

Has anybody fit 3) 2-1/16" gauges on the A pillar & retained the grab handle, or am I asking too much?

I plan to have a pyrometer & a charge air temp both pre- and post- intercooler, if I can fit 3 on the pillar.

Also, planning to do Raventai's coolant temp gauge mod to my cluster, and add a Scangauge that I think will reside on the top of the steering column.

Do any of you supercharger guys think I should be looking at other guages?
I'm open to all ideas & I'm no expert on superchargers, so all input is appreciated.

Pics of what all you have installed for instrumentation would be cool, if you have 'em.

 

[S.CarolinaFZJ80]

Here's the thread on how to mod an Acura dual gauge pod to fit in an 80 and retain the grab handle.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/121529-dual-gauge-pod-install.html

An EGT gauge and wideband air/fuel ratio gauge can be helpfull too, especially if you are going intercooler and smaller pulley.

70sguy did a nice gauge install in the dash vents too.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/321565-vent-gauges.html

Not to mention a trans temp gauge since it will be working alot harder under all the added torque.

 

[djsixbillion]

Not really a direct answer to your question, but I have one of these in a single gauge pod and am pretty happy with it:

PLX Devices Inc. - Multi Gauges, Single Gauges, Sensor Modules, Wideband Air Fuel Ratio, Data Logging, Fuel Saving / Scan Tools

You can run I think up to 32 sensors to it, and display 4 of them at a time. I'm currently running AFR, EGT and boost sensors, and plan to add a post-IC air temp once I get the plumbing for my intercooler figured out as well.

 

[inkpot]

Howdy! When I bought my rig, it had a EGT gauge in a single pod on the A pillar. I am also running a Scan Gauge II. If your getting an EGT, look for one in a higher range than mine. It tops out at 1500, and I frequently cruise at 1200, which is beginning to get into the danger zone, according to the gauge face. I think it is a diesel scale, not a gasser. How ya doin your intercooler, anyway? I am thinking pretty hard about this too. John

 

[LINUS]

Thx for all the input so far - I am really looking at those PLX guages, since the amount of things I'd like to monitor does exceed the realistic area available for 2-1/16" gauges that only pull 1 point per gauge face -

So with the added input so far, here's my list of points worth monitoring & how I plan to have it displayed:

Scangauge install - I believe I can pull all points the ECU sees, will know more when it's in my hands & I've read the literature it comes with. IDK how many points you can leave onscreen, will probably leave coolant temp up if there's only 1 point displayed at a time.

Cluster coolant temp will get Raventai mod to increase sensitivity

Pyrometer w/ ~1200* as midpoint read.
-Will be a full 2-1/16" guage on pillar, since it's the 1st place to see detonation/lean condition that will show up as rising EG temps

AFR (air-fuel ratio) - again, inportant enough to have as a 2-1/16" on pillar

Slated to be added (if not in Scangauge) by way of PLX unit:
Transmission ATF temp
Charge air pre-intercooler
Charge air post-intercooler
Boost PSI


What do you guys with positive manifold pressure think of my proposed setup?

Anything I'm missing?

 

[stinky]

Believe it or not, over here in oz, no one was manufacturing a pillar pod for the 80 either. But as of 2 weeks ago we now have access to these.
80 SERIES TOYOTA LANDCRUISER TRIPLE PILLAR POD new (eBay item 280649077970 end time 03-Apr-11 19:26:52 AEST) : Cars, Bikes, Boats
Not that it will help you out though.
Cheers, Mike.

 

[Enigma]

Believe it or not, over here in oz, no one was manufacturing a pillar pod for the 80 either. But as of 2 weeks ago we now have access to these.
80 SERIES TOYOTA LANDCRUISER TRIPLE PILLAR POD new (eBay item 280649077970 end time 03-Apr-11 19:26:52 AEST) : Cars, Bikes, Boats
Not that it will help you out though.
Cheers, Mike.

Thank you Stinky! You are my new best friend! I've been looking off and on for a rhd set up like for awhile now!

 

[arndog123]

The Scangauge displays 4 different readings at one time.

 

[Rusty]

Thank you Stinky! You are my new best friend! I've been looking off and on for a rhd set up like for awhile now!

Now if we could only get one for the LHD market...

 

[mudplugger]

well guys you have asked i will deliver i had an email from one of your forum members and it made me curious and well here i am i am the guy in Aus doing RHD i will now make LHD to suit the 80, email me if you are interested adrianandsusan@bigpond.com i will compile a list and go from there.
Cheers
Adrian
4x4 Concepts
Also i will do a good price for forum members if the moderators let this through (sorta spam)

 

[mudplugger]

triple, double, and single but the single will be up high near the grab handle so you can still slot a GPS in the corner but triple first

 

[Rusty]

well guys you have asked i will deliver i had an email from one of your forum members and it made me curious and well here i am i am the guy in Aus doing RHD i will now make LHD to suit the 80, email me if you are interested adrianandsusan@bigpond.com i will compile a list and go from there.
Cheers
Adrian
4x4 Concepts
Also i will do a good price for forum members if the moderators let this through (sorta spam)

Adrian,

That's great, I and others have been looking for an 80's specific pod for quite a while. Most have gone with an Acura Integra pod that works but doesn't really look to have the proper display angle off the 80's a-pillar.

Stoked that someone can finally come up with a proper pillar pod for our rigs.



You might want to post up a separate thread, I'm sure that there are plenty more 'Mudders that will not read this thread specifically, but will want a pod.

 

[mudplugger]

Thank you Stinky! You are my new best friend! I've been looking off and on for a rhd set up like for awhile now!

send me an email i can do you a deal haha adrianandsusan@bigpond.com

 

[mickeyt]

Linus, Aussie Lockers said the LHD is being tested now or ready now?

 

[LINUS]

Linus, Aussie Lockers said the LHD is being tested now or ready now?

Heya-
Haven't been on here in a couple weeks, but so far Adrian told me a little over a week back that he had sent a 3 gauge model for LHD (2 copies actually, I'm fitting both & returning him the one so he can produce these knowing they fit well & gauges are "aimed correctly", assuming the ones he sends need a little finesse work to make a perfect fit) -

IDK if Adrian is associated with Aussie Lockers (he's in Australia, 100% of what I know there) - so I can't speak to that.

Anyhow, once I get them I'll snap a couple pics, both mocked in place & not - I hear it retains the grab handle even with 3 gauges, for those who are interested.

I'll post when I have pics -- you might send Adrian an email at the address he provided -- he's been as crazy busy as I have, so getting him on PM's here may not happen in a timely manner, but I get email replys quickly - I think the other guy who got a prototype from Adrian just fell off the edge of the planet, at least as it's been told to me, so if I understood Adrian correct, he won't be in production until he gets back the one he sends me (that I don't even have yet) - so that's the current status of the whole deal.

If you see this Adrian, feel free to correct anything I have said that isn't accurate from your end of all this.

 

[S.CarolinaFZJ80]

I'm in for a 3 gauge pod.

Will these be color matched for oak and grey or will we have to paint them ourselves?

 

[TeeDiggs]

Linus,
Thanks for the update. I had been following that from afar for a while now, just keeping it in the back of my head. Looks to be a great product when it's worked out, and when it's here, it's here.

 

[SUMOTOY]

...
Pics of what all you have installed for instrumentation would be cool, if you have 'em.

I went the other direction on my SC work truck -- keep it simple. I'm personally not a huge fan of A pillar gauges for many reasons, and normally on boosted engines, the only heads-up one I suggest is boost. Even then, when doing installs, I always put a dimmer cut-out for the back-light feature. IME, there are two types of gauges, reference and diagnostic. A boost gauge could be considered reference (it is good for cruise control O/D drop-point anticipation on the SC trucks), but EGT and Oil temp/pressure are diagnostic gauges IMO. Diagnostic gauges don't need to be line-of sight.

That said, here is my boost gauge install (1.5in 15psi fuel gauge)

For IC in/out, I used this gauge installed in the switch-blank next to the rear heater, which currently measures air at the Airbox and air in the intake manifold (center position is differential). But I normally install them in turbo cars to measure pre and post IC. (The gauge below the ash tray I since removed, is a aviation Hg gauge I used when I was doing some accurate boost vs ignition testing)

After years of doing gauge installs, I'm of the feeling that A-pillar gauges are really distracting. For track car builds, I don't recommend a-pillar because multi-depth-of-field gauges cause a lot of eye refocus and fatigue. I still install a lot of them on street Audi turbos, but I always get thanked for the dimmer delete switch. With 90 thousand miles Supercharged on my 80, I have felt no real desire to 'add' any other gauges, reference or diagnostic.

YMMV, IMO, IME, HTH and my .02

Scott J
94 FZJ80 Supercharged - Boost and air temp only

 

[LINUS]

I'm in for a 3 gauge pod.

Will these be color matched for oak and grey or will we have to paint them ourselves?

Good Q - I hadn't addressed this w/ Adrian, I was just happy the prototypes were ABS plastic & not fiberglass, so I'm keeping my expectations low - I expect we'll all be painting though.


SUMOTOY - good call on the backlight cutout function - I actually did that exact thing on a old VW I had with pillar mount gauges, because less is more at night, and if I really am curious it was a rocker switch away. Plus it cut down on the "advertisement" factor in low light conditions, for whatever reason we each choose.

I did a mock-up to decide if the pillar mount gauges would be a PITA for field of view (they were in the VW - flatter windscreen & I really didn't like it afterwards) - all I did was take a ~10" chunk of 2.5" PVC pipe bevel cut at the dash & holes drilled in it & zip-tied to the grab-bar - I personally didn't find it too obtrusive driving around like that for a few days (windscreen curvature???), otherwise I'd have done as you did & looked for alternate locations - but you bring up a good point & I'd suggest others experiment / do something like I did - you might hate the gauges hanging off the pillar, it's a personal call.
-But you make a good point & one worth others thinking of before going gung-ho on this.

 

[OhmStyles]

Bump

Were these pillar pods ever produced for us lefties??