What gauges should I be running now that I have an engine and management to justify them? AFR, better water temp gauge...???

Is an analog AFR gauge a good idea?

Check my sig for the specs of the engine

 

Since you track the car Id definitely get a better water temp gauge, an oil temp gauge and maybe an oil pressure gauge.
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Wideband AFR, Water Temp, Oil Temp. Volt meter is also useful on the miata, since the belt that runs the alternator also runs the water pump. If your voltage goes down to under 12 volts, you know you have a problem.

By the way, I have PLX gauges in my car and they're awesome.

 

+1

 

2x on that. the coolant temp gauge wont move a degree until you're burping blood out the tail pipe. If the coolant is not circulating your cylinders can be red hot but the sensor still wont change unless the coolant going to it is the right temp.

your oil temp should help you there but still if you got the room its good add and if you're running big boost obviously boost gauge.

i have a digital a/f gauge just like Stephanie recommended and i'm glad i went that route. Its nice to take a quick glimpse at the huge numbers and see an exact number.

 

Maybe an oil preasure gauge?!?

 

well there is a stock oil pressure guage, and you can replace the stock dummy-light sender with a real one to make it fully functioning, it just doesnt have any numbers on it.

 

ummmm... Did you not see the part that his car is a 91? 90-94 have real oil pressure gauges with numbers. I know, it's crazy.

 

you got a link to the sender? are you saying just pull out the stock sender from the oil filter area and put it the other one or would you have to run another kind of... everything?

 

Finish Line / Rosenthal Mazda Parts & Accessories :: Miata / MX-5 :: Engine :: Electrical :: Oil Pressure Switch 90-94


Pretty sure that's what he's saying, yeah. I've never tried it, myself. Would have thought you'd also need to install the gauge itself, but what do I know...

It'd be a little more work (Ok, a lot more work) but installing an aftermarket gauge would be a lot cheaper and likely give you a more accurate reading.

 

Mine's a 94 with no numbers and a dummy (switch) sender.
I know, it's crazy.

For everyday driving, I like the needle AFR gauge (our minds process needles faster then numbers). I prefer the number readout for tuning, but I usually have that on the computer screen.

 

On a race motor, an accurate oil pressure gauge is about as important as a tach. I can not imagine not having one. I mean, a 'real one'.

 

Kind of strange nobody said a pyrometer, if combined with a wideband (not narrowband) much better.

+1 on the mechanical oil pressure gauge, it says so much about the health of the engine when at idle and when WOT.

 

I will not drive my car on the track without water temp, oil temp, stock 1991 oil pressure, and wideband gauge. The boost gauge is more of a "wtf is going on" resource than a useful gauge.

I recomend you get an omori 52mm oil pressure and water temp gauge and stick them in the cluster. The Omori "subaru" gauges have a yellow needle but come closest to matching the stock cluster and they look phenomenal. I may part with my orange Greddy "temp" gauve and BEGi boost gauge if you're interested.

 

I'm a dealer for PLX gauges and I've seriously contemplated mounting some of their fully OLED gauges in the dash:
PLX Devices Inc. - Multi Gauges, Single Gauges, Sensor Modules, Wideband Air Fuel Ratio, Data Logging, Fuel Saving / Scan Tools
Figured it would be neat to have two of the big ones in place of the tach and speedo, and then three of the smaller ones where the oil pressure, fuel, and coolant temp are. Could have everything displayed on them...
But that's a lot of money which I don't have

 

These PLX gauges aren't that much actually if you're using the multi-display capability.

I think I'm going to get a SINGLE DM-100, oil pressure, water temp, oil temp, and maybe the boost sender. That's $550 bucks total but a) if I bought all the gauges separately it would cost a decent amount as well, b) I can have warnings (super good!!!!), and c) my cockpit won't be a gauge clusterfuck. I don't like tenbillion gauges.