I installed the Autometer mechanical Ultralite vac/boost #4301 and electric Fuel Pressure #4363 gauges today. I have an aluminum colored overlay on my gauges, and these were the closest match out of the Autometer line.

As always, I enjoyed the install and had fun doing the mod myself, but I can't say it went without a few... learning points.

First of all, I decided not to mount the pressure sensor directly onto the fuel rail. Autometer recommends on high performance/race applications to remote mount the sensor because vibration could decrease the service life. I know of at least 6 sensors that have vibrated to an early death that were directly mounted to the rail with cars with superchargers. Something about harmonic vibrations. One guy had three go bad, and once he remote mounted it, never had trouble again.

At 80 bucks for a new sensor, I just decided to go ahead and remote mount it using the Autometer kit #3227, which gives you 3' of braided fuel hose and a few connectors, the only one which I used was the 1/8"NPT female to 4AN male to fit the sensor to the hose. I also got the Autometer #3275 which is a 1/16"NPT male to 4AN to replace the schrader valve. I looked for a 1/16"NPT female to 4AN, but couldn't find one. I wish I did, because by taking out the schrader valve, which was pretty tight to start with and replacing it with the new fitting, I'm pretty sure I came within a RCH of stripping out the fuel rail adapter. It's holding tight, not a drop, but I'm sure it's close to stripping. It never really snugged up and got a few metal shavings. I'll go ahead and order another one anyway, don't want to take a chance of leaking fuel on a hot header. Just in case, I'm riding around with a fire extinguisher. I'm sure it's fine, and it's been dry as a bone, but I'm not taking any chances.

So, the project got started by taking off the fuel rail adapter to mill it out, because the new fitting, like #3280 Ford Fuel rail 1/16" NPT to 1/8"NPT adapter, does not have enough room to screw it on. Four bolts to take it off, and the dremel made short work of milling out enough aluminum so the fitting would... fit.

So, got that all together, put on the hose and new fitting, almost stripped out the fuel rail adapter, and ran the sensor to inside the wheel well right beside the rubber boot behind the clutch. Kind of convenient, since the rubber nipple, once you cut it off, is just big enough to fit the electrical connector for the sensor through. And I figure, if the sensor or hose fittings ever start leaking ,the fuel will just run down the wheel well on the ground, and not on top of a hot header.

I also ran the boost 1/8" nylon hose, and an extra wire that I'm going to use later to hook up a Raptor shift light (once I figure out where I want to mount it). Easy to run the wires through, and I used a small piece of 1/4" wire loom to act as a plug around the wires and filled the cut out hole nicely.

Speaking of 1/4" wire loom, Pepboys, Autozone, Advance, and Home Depot did not have it in stock, but I can get a lifetime supply (for me) of 100' of ebay for 5 bucks.

Now, the boost line. The T connector that came with the kit did not fit, too small for the vacuum hoses on the Kenne Bell kit. Pepboys had a bigger one, no problem.

Now on the other end, when installing the boost gauge in the Autometer pod, the nylon hose kinked very badly, so I cut off the kinked part and tried again, but the brass ferrul that seals the hose between the two fittings and connects the hose to the back of the gauge was so contorted, it couldn't be reused. Pepboys also had 1/8" brass ferruls. (Detect a trend?)

So, now for power, I used an add a circuit (yep, Pepboys) and Don_W's picture of the fuse box and a little test light to figure this out, which took a while. To make a long story short, you should read the directions that come with the Add A Circuit. There is a place for two fuses on it, if you use the wrong one, your gauges won't work. You have to use the outer fuse slot.

Also, these things are one way, so if it doesn't work, flip it around. To note, on the switched slots A and C of Don's pic, power comes in from the rear of the circuit, and on the constant power slot B, power comes in from the front to back. Also, in slot C, I couldn't get the fuse cover back on with the add a fuse in the way, and even in slot A it was a tight fit. So basically, about 20 minutes of trial and error, I finally found the slot A with the wire going out the front worked fine, now of course I couldn't get the cover back on because of the add a fuse, so a dremel and a little attitude adjustment fixed that.

Now for the gauge lights. I had seen where the green condoms on the regular bulbs came out a very light green, so I ordered the highly expensive Autometer #3285 LED replacement green bulbs. However, the LED's are bigger than the regular bulbs, and rubbed on the internals of the boost gauge which would have had it stuck at 5psi. So I couldn't use the Autometer bulbs on an Autometer gauge, not to mention these little suckers cost 14 bucks a piece! And yes, Autometer says they fit ALL their gauges. So, I found some shorter ones on ebay (Pepboys only had amber) for less than 25% of what I paid for the Autometer ones that do not fit.

I really want the LED's, because they have a greener light to match the Mycolor and the radio/climate control lights. The green condom just looks like light green, almost a white. Plus, the LED's have much less current draw, which I prefer since I'm tasking the dimmer circuitry to run a few more items than it was designed to.

But, they are all hooked up and working great, here are some pics:


Fuel rail connector before:


Fuel rail after:


Inside the wheel well after cutting off the tip of the nipple on the rubber boot and running the wires and line through and securing the sensor with zip ties:


Nice spot for a ground:


Headlight switch popped out, looking for black/white wire on dimmer switch to hook up to the lights:


Circuit breaker box, passenger side. I used "A" with an add a circuit.



All done!

 

looks great

 

Look's good

 

You're wiring is very similar to mine. I'm waiting on the fuel pressure adaptor block to arrive yet though. Is your piece the KB unit? I had to order the Motoblue unit and I think it will be too tall to fit under my shaker kit. Your adaptor looks like it may work.........

By the way, great write up and pix! Somehow I forgot to say that earlier...... good job!

 

Another gauge install that looks awesome.

(Keep a close eye on the fuel rail connections for leaks--there's enough turbulance under the hood that leaking fuel could still get blown onto the headers)

 

Thanks everyone of the kind words!

Tom, yes, mine is the KB piece, which just rotates the stock FRPM a little for clearance with the bypass valve, and provide a spot to hook up the fuel pressure, it looks a little shorter than the Motoblue, piece, plus the angle might provide a little more clearance. What kind of blower are you going to go with ?


Thanks again! Yes, I check it before and after every drive. Still dry as a bone, but nothing to play around with and I'll keep an eye and a nose on it.

 

I'm leaning towards a centri blower, but its my CDC shaker that I'm worried about having enough clearance for.

 

Pics back by request:
Before dremel

After Dremeling the groove

Nipple area

Wide view of nipple area, driver's fender well

After all the wires and hose run and zip tie secured

Ground point for guages

Back side of light switch before

After

Install complete!

I taped up the white vinul hose in black electric tape so it doesn't show as much

 

 

looks perfect