Bipes and Boost Gauge Mounting... where???
#1
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I've placed mine for now in the pic below. I think it's totally stealth. I can see it perfectly while driving but nobody else can!
I want to know where other people have placed theirs that aren't standard positions. No A-pillar or eyeball vent pics needed. If you've got yours somewhere different, I want to see it.
I've got my Bipes in behind the radio for now. I need to come up with a permanent mount... somewhere I've got easy access to the switches. The most obvious place is the glove box. But I think I want to be able to see it. I thought about the empty slot above the radio... just cut through the back of that tray... it pops right out so I can get to the switches when needed Where do you have your Bipes? Pics if you've got them.
I want to know where other people have placed theirs that aren't standard positions. No A-pillar or eyeball vent pics needed. If you've got yours somewhere different, I want to see it.
I've got my Bipes in behind the radio for now. I need to come up with a permanent mount... somewhere I've got easy access to the switches. The most obvious place is the glove box. But I think I want to be able to see it. I thought about the empty slot above the radio... just cut through the back of that tray... it pops right out so I can get to the switches when needed Where do you have your Bipes? Pics if you've got them.
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Last edited by samnavy; 08-01-2007 at 09:39 PM.
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I can see it just fine, really. It's no more out of the way than a vent mount. It's not line-of-sight like an A-pillar, but that wouldn't be my style.
DAMN, almost forgot my question. Where do I tap off a dash dimmer light so I can wire it?
DAMN, one more... my Gauge reads about -1 vacuum with engine off. Should it read 0?
DAMN, almost forgot my question. Where do I tap off a dash dimmer light so I can wire it?
DAMN, one more... my Gauge reads about -1 vacuum with engine off. Should it read 0?
#4
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Glove box is a good place for the bipes. It's really a set and forget type of deal, you shouldn't need to mess with it after you have it dialed in.
I got my power for gauges right off the back of the dimmer switch. You'll need to get a multimeter and figure out which wire to use. With a meter hooked up turn on the lights and move the dimmer from one extreme to the other, it'll be obvious when you do it.
I'd keep the boost gauge closer to your line of sight, especially when you initially install the kit and are getting things set up. After that, you don't really even need on imho.
I've got boost in the a-pillar. Fuel pressure in the eyeball vent to the left of the steering where. A/F (fed by WBO2) and oil temp in a panel above the stereo. Not overly stealthy, but effective.
My boost gauge reads about zero, maybe a little high with the car off. And it reads about 2-3 psi at around 10psi, a little low on vac at idle. In my experience a mechanical boost gauge isn't overly accurate. I'm on my second.
I got my power for gauges right off the back of the dimmer switch. You'll need to get a multimeter and figure out which wire to use. With a meter hooked up turn on the lights and move the dimmer from one extreme to the other, it'll be obvious when you do it.
I'd keep the boost gauge closer to your line of sight, especially when you initially install the kit and are getting things set up. After that, you don't really even need on imho.
I've got boost in the a-pillar. Fuel pressure in the eyeball vent to the left of the steering where. A/F (fed by WBO2) and oil temp in a panel above the stereo. Not overly stealthy, but effective.
My boost gauge reads about zero, maybe a little high with the car off. And it reads about 2-3 psi at around 10psi, a little low on vac at idle. In my experience a mechanical boost gauge isn't overly accurate. I'm on my second.
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For the first 6 years I used a triple gauge pod from VDO. http://www.egauges.com/vdo_acce.asp?...Custom_Console
Had it mounted right atop the dash for easy viewing. Much better visibility than in the vents or on the pillar. Figure the last thing I wanted to do would be looking at my feet and not at the road when boosting. At the time they were $12 thru NOPI.
For the last 6 years using the one from Lester Seal. For a while it was distributed by FM (Picture).
Notice my Bipes is velcroed right to the flat spot over the steering column. It lets me view when and what RPM each degree of timing is pulled, the boost applied and fuel pressure.
For gauge backlighting suggest a decision to have them on all the time while engine is running, or configure to come on with the headlights. The dimmer is not a little typical potentiometer. It is an electronics circuit and replacement is about a $225 dealership replacement item. Your call on that one.
Boost gauge should be zero with engine off. Two possible options. Either the gauge is bad, or more likely there is a leak or kink in the vacuum line.
Had it mounted right atop the dash for easy viewing. Much better visibility than in the vents or on the pillar. Figure the last thing I wanted to do would be looking at my feet and not at the road when boosting. At the time they were $12 thru NOPI.
For the last 6 years using the one from Lester Seal. For a while it was distributed by FM (Picture).
Notice my Bipes is velcroed right to the flat spot over the steering column. It lets me view when and what RPM each degree of timing is pulled, the boost applied and fuel pressure.
For gauge backlighting suggest a decision to have them on all the time while engine is running, or configure to come on with the headlights. The dimmer is not a little typical potentiometer. It is an electronics circuit and replacement is about a $225 dealership replacement item. Your call on that one.
Boost gauge should be zero with engine off. Two possible options. Either the gauge is bad, or more likely there is a leak or kink in the vacuum line.
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Well, after a thorough drive and test, I can't leave it where it is. In the garage and at night, it's OK. But during the day I get a bad glare off the gauge glass and can't see anything except the reflection of my hand on the wheel... so, it looks like it's going on the steering column. Less stealth, but now I won't need to light it up, so "partial stealth."
Bought the 1-step colder Autolites just now and they're going in. Also bought a couple feet of 5/16 fuel line and the Begi AFPR is the afternoon project.
Bought the 1-step colder Autolites just now and they're going in. Also bought a couple feet of 5/16 fuel line and the Begi AFPR is the afternoon project.
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For me, was clearly the easiest to view while driving and not lose sight of the road. I used one for a few months. What I disliked was at night it reflected the gauge light on the windshield directly in my line of forward sight. Was looking at some VDO shroud rings that could be used as a partial shroud or reversed to change the angle of the gauge face in the pod. In process, ran across the VDO pods which also solved the additional problem of mounting multiple gauges.
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It advertises.... "ATTENTION ALL RICED OUT CAVALIERS! PLEASE REV AT ME AS LOUD AS YOU CAN!!!"
Nobody expects a Miata. The A-pillar is just too F&F for me. It's not akin to neon effects lights or biplane wing spoiler... but maybe more along the lines of shaved door handles and color matched brake calipers. Stealth Baby... STEALTH!
ALSO, how the hell do I take my gauge apart so I can re-align the needle to read 0 at idle?
Nobody expects a Miata. The A-pillar is just too F&F for me. It's not akin to neon effects lights or biplane wing spoiler... but maybe more along the lines of shaved door handles and color matched brake calipers. Stealth Baby... STEALTH!
ALSO, how the hell do I take my gauge apart so I can re-align the needle to read 0 at idle?
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OK, rerouted the Bipes into the glovebox after deciding that it probably is a set-and-forget type of thing during/after tuning. There's enough cable that I can always pull it out of the crack in the glovebox door and use velcro to attach it next to the shifter where the passenger left leg would be (at a track day or for random experimenting).
Also you can see the new (temporary home for the boost gauge. I'd like to get a piece of black metal and make a permanent mount. Right now I just cut up a piece of black plastic from a 2gallon oil jug.
I don't see any way at all to calibrate the thing. It came out of the box at about 1-1.5 psi off on the low side. I understand now that that's no big deal. With engine off it sits right at -1psi vacuum, and around -20 at idle. Even at full throttle it only gets back to -1. This whole inaccuracy thing is a slight bummer. But I guess as long as I know how "off" it is, I can adjust.
But I think for my time fabbing up a mount and making it look good, I'd be better off w/the track dog setup. I'd actually never seen it before I just looked. I guess I could stick a clock and a fun meter in the other two slots... I'm such a dork.
http://www.trackdogracing.com/website/gauges/panels.htm
I left the hose to the gauge routed the same, from the manifold back around the wiper-fluid reservoir to the firewall and then following the brake-vaccum line over to an unused grommet next to the heater inlet/outlets. I'll figure something better out when I engineer the rest of the vaccum lines.
Also you can see the new (temporary home for the boost gauge. I'd like to get a piece of black metal and make a permanent mount. Right now I just cut up a piece of black plastic from a 2gallon oil jug.
I don't see any way at all to calibrate the thing. It came out of the box at about 1-1.5 psi off on the low side. I understand now that that's no big deal. With engine off it sits right at -1psi vacuum, and around -20 at idle. Even at full throttle it only gets back to -1. This whole inaccuracy thing is a slight bummer. But I guess as long as I know how "off" it is, I can adjust.
But I think for my time fabbing up a mount and making it look good, I'd be better off w/the track dog setup. I'd actually never seen it before I just looked. I guess I could stick a clock and a fun meter in the other two slots... I'm such a dork.
http://www.trackdogracing.com/website/gauges/panels.htm
I left the hose to the gauge routed the same, from the manifold back around the wiper-fluid reservoir to the firewall and then following the brake-vaccum line over to an unused grommet next to the heater inlet/outlets. I'll figure something better out when I engineer the rest of the vaccum lines.
Last edited by samnavy; 08-01-2007 at 09:39 PM.
#12
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looks good to me. If i didn't have a double din cd/tape player I'd put my AFR and boost gauges there.
Youre also going to want to velcro the bipes down, it'll flop around once you shut the glove box.
Youre also going to want to velcro the bipes down, it'll flop around once you shut the glove box.
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Roger velcro the Bipes in the glove box... and it seems like a lot of people sell a DIN sized gauge mount:
http://www.egauges.com/vdo_acce.asp?...up=Generic_DIN
I'm still looking, but that might be the ticket.
http://www.egauges.com/vdo_acce.asp?...up=Generic_DIN
I'm still looking, but that might be the ticket.
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I like that. I'm undecided on the A-pillar myself...but I really like the above the radio deal...mine would be below...so I'd wouldn't be AS visible...and I want my boost gauge visable...what other guages would be needed...or just could be useful for a street car...A/F if I had a wideband :\
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http://ddmworks.com/store/interior/d...o_surround.htm
Im going to get this for my 94 , I love the simple design and it can be painted to match!
Im going to get this for my 94 , I love the simple design and it can be painted to match!
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Those units w/the radio mount included are cool, but for $80!!!
I just ordered this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Carbo...spagenameZWD1V
I guess I'll be the guinea pig for this one. I have no intention of getting any other gauges yet, so I really do think I'll get a clock and a couple toggle switches for the other holes Of course the the switches won't be hooked up to anything, but nobody will know. HOLY ****, DID I JUST "RICE OUT"? And after all my talk about "stealth"... I am ashamed...
I just ordered this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Carbo...spagenameZWD1V
I guess I'll be the guinea pig for this one. I have no intention of getting any other gauges yet, so I really do think I'll get a clock and a couple toggle switches for the other holes Of course the the switches won't be hooked up to anything, but nobody will know. HOLY ****, DID I JUST "RICE OUT"? And after all my talk about "stealth"... I am ashamed...
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