Fun with Gauges--all new display on the Catfish
#1
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Fun with Gauges--all new display on the Catfish
One of the issues with dealing with 25 year old cars is that everything on them is 25 years old. My NA gauge cluster with the incredible RevLimiter gauge faces looked great, but slowly stopped working, one bit at a time. The fuel gauge was the worst. So I bought all new gauges online and Jake and I fabbed up some fixes. Long story short:
--purchased some nice, affordable programmable gauges from eBay
--made a gauge face template from aluminum, and then covered it in carbon print sticker
--installed and wired everything up to a mil-spec connector so that the entire dash can be removed with just a couple of connectors needing to be de-coupled
--purchased a GM fuel sender ($21, free shipping) and grafted it onto the stock Miata in-tank system and wired it up
--3D printed out some gauge holders for the extra gauges I wanted to display, and cut the dash to suit
--dialed everything in with dip switches and a little algebra (speedometer calibration)
Here's the finished product:
The new rheostat uses the same Ohm rating as standard GM gauges, and the fuel gauge could emulate the needed Ohm rating by setting the dip switches.
The float arm was cut so that the float landed in the same place as the OEM float when empty.
The mechanical installation was clean and simple. It's also a simple two-wire hook-up
Fully raised, the Ohm rating of the rheostat is within 3 Ohms of what's needed to show a full tank
--purchased some nice, affordable programmable gauges from eBay
--made a gauge face template from aluminum, and then covered it in carbon print sticker
--installed and wired everything up to a mil-spec connector so that the entire dash can be removed with just a couple of connectors needing to be de-coupled
--purchased a GM fuel sender ($21, free shipping) and grafted it onto the stock Miata in-tank system and wired it up
--3D printed out some gauge holders for the extra gauges I wanted to display, and cut the dash to suit
--dialed everything in with dip switches and a little algebra (speedometer calibration)
Here's the finished product:
The new rheostat uses the same Ohm rating as standard GM gauges, and the fuel gauge could emulate the needed Ohm rating by setting the dip switches.
The float arm was cut so that the float landed in the same place as the OEM float when empty.
The mechanical installation was clean and simple. It's also a simple two-wire hook-up
Fully raised, the Ohm rating of the rheostat is within 3 Ohms of what's needed to show a full tank
#3
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fuel-level-...cAAOSwS51Zi2Xh
Now if you've got a race car and your fuel gauge doesn't work so well, simply get a 0 - 90 Ohm fuel gauge and wire it up to this inexpensive unit.
#4
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Here's the gauge link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/252015580634?ViewItem=&item=252015580634
Please note that I also bought and installed a Hall Effect sensor for use with the speedometer, and installed the sensor magnet on the driveshaft. A simple "L" bracket mounted to the PPF held the sensor next to the shaft. The Hall effect sensor will not read the magnet if it's mounted on the wrong side.....that one stumped us for a while.
Here's a link to the Hall effect sensor:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2X-Hall-Effect-Sensor-Proximity-Switch-NPN-w-magnet-LED-Arduino-Ships-from-USA/151885095836?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid =p2057872.m2749.l2649
https://www.ebay.com/itm/252015580634?ViewItem=&item=252015580634
Please note that I also bought and installed a Hall Effect sensor for use with the speedometer, and installed the sensor magnet on the driveshaft. A simple "L" bracket mounted to the PPF held the sensor next to the shaft. The Hall effect sensor will not read the magnet if it's mounted on the wrong side.....that one stumped us for a while.
Here's a link to the Hall effect sensor:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2X-Hall-Effect-Sensor-Proximity-Switch-NPN-w-magnet-LED-Arduino-Ships-from-USA/151885095836?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid =p2057872.m2749.l2649
#5
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Nice gauge solution Cord! I like the full sweep on the small gauges. Most ebay kits are not.
But why did you not just buy the GPS sensor for $38 instead of making the hall sensor setup? Need accurate tire speed for proper burnouts?
But why did you not just buy the GPS sensor for $38 instead of making the hall sensor setup? Need accurate tire speed for proper burnouts?
Last edited by TurboTim; 06-08-2018 at 08:41 AM.
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