Gauging Ideas A-Pillar
 

Hello new friends. My first post here. Not new to Miatas, but new to FI. I have a FMII kit sitting in my garage waiting for a free week to install. I have a '91 1.6 that I rebuilt 50K ago. Looking to build a new one. Please don't bag on my likes toward the 1.6.

I had a previous plan to install a M45 SC and was prepping with a dual gage A-pillar gauge pod. One with a vacuum / boost gauge and the other a AFR gauge / display. Looked sweet when I had a MTX running.

Now that I've switched plans to TC rather than SC, the new FM kit has no wideband display. I happened to open up that extra hole in my A-pillar for the AFR wideband.

So, I'm looking for ideas for a second gauge:

1) Get another AFR wideband and use as a monitor (sold my MTX with the SC).
2) Monitor Oil temp
3) Get a new A-pillar plastic piece (not the easiest to swap out) an use the single gauge pod,

I'm looking for ideas, so any constructive feedback is appreciated.

TIA.

This question didn't need a new thread, if you would just read a little you would know that AFR is a must with a turbo. I was like you a year ago, trust me just read first. Good luck and welcome

I don't get it. You say you have a wideband and a boost gauge in the pod already, and you're asking about buying another wideband?

Like baker said though, wideband is 100% mandatory.

I'm pretty sure he's asking about the situation wherein his FMII kit includes a Hydra ECU, which has its own proprietary wideband O2 system but no display gauge.

And he wants a display gauge.

The simple answer:

Sounds like you already have an MTX-L. When you are installing the turbo system, test-fit the downpipe and mark on it the location where a second sensor will fit. Take the pipe to an exhaust shop and have them weld in another sensor bung. Run both widebands. Profit.

Boy that's even more confusing.

But yes, this is the right answer.

Yes, Joe has it correct. The hydra has it's own O2, but no dash display gauge (kind of nice to see what's going on, rather than driving around with a laptop all the time).

I had a MTX up and running that I ended up selling with the SC, but now have an open pod. Looking for ideas what to throw in there. Reads like I'm looking at doing what I did before and get another "monitoring" not controlling wideband and have a second bung welded in, as pointed out, run two sensors. This was my plan with the SC as I learned the stock ECU didn't really like the MTX-L signal. My original SC plan was to run the stock ECU with the stock O2 and run the wideband as a monitor.

My other thoughts were to throw in an oil temp gage, but I think the real time AFR readout is of greater value? Just bugs the hydra doesn't have a real time gage - wish I'd kept the MTX wideband. I know this has probably been killed, anyone have other AFR gauge suggestions / experiences? The Innovate product was ok. I wasn't thrilled about the size of the wire connectors. They were huge and unpractical to route. I had to cut the wire to feed through the A-Arm and solder back together last time around. Would be nice to not go through that exercise again.

TIA, again.

I have the 3-gauge pillar pod off goodwin I think? I haven't used it yet because gauges are secondary to me until I get the car's performance parts installed. However, I did do some research. Depending on your budget I would look into a multi-gauge. Something like AFR/EGT combo. AFR is useful mind you, but EGT will help you determine if your timing is optimized or if you're burning valves. At least that's my stance on it; I plan to have 3 gauges myself;

AFR / EGT combo gauge
Oil / Coolant temp combo
Boost/vac

This should give me all of the information I need to be confident of the cars performance when I can't hook up a laptop. At least that's my plan, gauges are pretty expensive when doing more than one..