Use a power bank to centralize your ground/power. Makes thing look cleaner and you know where to go Everytime!

 

Has anyone ever considered the intqke temperature sensor? It is in the AFM, but with my turbo, the intake pipe (and assuming the air inside it) gets hot. If I were to relocate the sensor to the inlet of the throttle body it would reflect intake air temperatures much closer to actual temps.

 

Well, as some things go, this project of cleaning up the wiring has gotten a lot bigger. I have pulled so many directionless wires that the stock harness had for things like rear window defogger, a/c, and cruise control that my truck doesn't and won't have.








I have decided to finally make a custom dash. While the engine harness is a mess of vermicelli, I figured it was the perfect time to convert the sensors for new gauges. I have ordered new sending units to accompany a full set of Intellitronix gauges.
I have some ideas of how I want to arrange the gauges, but will wait until I have them in hand to finalize any ideas. For the most part I will have speed, temp, oil pressure, fuel gauge, and boost on the dash, with a custom LED bar graph tach that I have plans to wire up. On the pillar I have slots for 3 gauges, so I will have air/fuel, volts, and possibly EGT.

In addition to the gauges that I ordered from Intellitronix, I also ordered a variable speed fan controller. This controller doean't have one of those 'push through the radiator fins' sensors, it has an actual sender. For that sender, I have ordered a 22r thermoatat housing that has the sender bung on it.

 

Niiiice. Planing correctly pays off. Swapping your whole dash was a good call since it'll compliment the pillar pods and the back side will be cleaner too. Did you add a air temp sensors?
'

 

Well, the thermostat housing won't work, the sensor bung hits the TPS. I know I have seen ones where the sensor comes out the top, not the side, but can't seem to find any at the moment.

This is the design for now of the gauge cluster:

 

For the new sending units for the gauges I had to use some adapters. Using a tee fitting for the water, I was able to get the gauge sender amd the fan controller sender installed.


The oil pressure sending unit fit nicely as well.


Now I have all of the wiring for the passenger's side routed. I have the harness under the intake manifold, then travel along the firewall behind the charcoal canister. Keeps it hidden nicely, and will look better after it is wrapped.

 

The tee was a good idea. Should read well. Engine bay looks better, almost makes you want to revisit the green catch can for something metallic or different place. What are you wrapping the wires with?

 

yeah, the green bottle was for windshield washer fluid. I'd like something else, but after years of looking for something, I may just have to fabricate one.

Wires will get protected in major areas with split loom, then wrapped with Tesa cloth harness tape. I haven't used it yet, but it feels really nice. It is a cloth based tape, but isn't fuzzy, and doesn't tear like other 'harness' tapes I've used.

 

Tesa tape is a great idea! I used it once to fix a customers car, nd he ended up wanting me to do the rest of the harness as possible.. cheap too!

 

I've got the engine harness squared away. The tesa tape worked wonderfully, and wrapped very nicely.


Next up is the Ignition system. I'd like to hide the Ignition Control Unit, but do wonder if that needs to be visible to pass a smog check.

 

I finished the wiring last week, but the engine wouldn't start. I wanted to start the engine before I wrapped everything up.

Well, this morning I got er to start right up! So I guess it is time to start wrapping everything up. Now I need to build my gauge cluster.

 

This mprning I was working on getting the Gauges working. So far I have tested the AFR, oil pressure, voltmeter, boost, and water temp gauges and got them working. I got an adapter for the Speedometer to conver the mechanical cable drive to an electric signal, and won't really be able to test that until I'm driving around.



For the fuel gauge, I know that the Toyota fuel sending unit works with the opposite resistance of most gauges, and has a weird range. I know in my research before I was able to find what new senders people are using, but can't seem to find it now that I building the thing.

I designed a template for the gauge cluster substrate and will try to get it laser cut out of acrylic.


Tomorrow when it is light out I will snap some shots of how the engine bay looks now.

 

Sir Justin, when you find what sending unit people use for the fuel tank, would you be so kind as to share it on here?? I have a fuel cell installed on my truck and used the sending unit that came with it and of course my gas gauge works backwards. So now I've got it in my head that "E" means Enough gas and "F" means time to Fill Up.

Thanks, John

 

Also, one other thought. I like your gauge design, but it would be a good idea to sit in the truck and put it in place to make sure you can see the main gauges you want to see in a glance, and not partly covered by the steering wheel.

 

Hey Redman, are you using your stock fuel gauge? If so, the only sender that works is your stock sender, I believe. Fuel level sending units measure resistance from low to high, but our stock gauges read high to low. I'm using an aftermarket gauge, so I just need to find a sender with the right depth for our tanks, and ideally the same bolt pattern (are they all the same?).

As for mocking up the gauges, that is a good idea! That does mean putting some things back together...

 

I like the tach idea!! Interesting way this build is going ! Keep up the good work!

Are you going to paint any interior parts?

 

Thanks man! I have been planning this work for a looong time, and it feels good to be getting it done.

The dash is partially inspired by the turbo digital dashes that came in the 4runners that had bar graphs for everything.

I'd also say that general influences to my entire build are influenced by Bosozuko styling and cyberpunk aesthetics.

The dash is already all painted. It was stock grey, and I blacked it all out a while back. All other interior parts have been either painted or upholstered in black.

When I'm done, there ain't gonna be a single bolt that I haven't thought about... for better or worse (-;

 

How is your truck doin these days?

 

Justin, it's been several years since I installed the fuel cell, but I know I didn't change a thing with it. It came with a GM sending unit installed. I wired it to my original Toyota fuel gauge and it works fine other than the fact that it's backwards (E is full and F is empty). I know the ohm range isn't quite the same, but it's close enough to get a good idea of fullness. When I did this, I had found on the interweb that somebody (or company, don't remember) made a small electrical box to wire in between the cell and gauge to correct the ohm thing, but I thought it was a bit pricey so didn't bother.

 

What is the depth of your tank? Could you put the Toyota sending unit in there? From what I've seen, the stock tank depth of our trucks is 13.13".

Wiring under the hood is nearly done! I just have to wire up the new fan controller. I am also looking into different battety terminals. Other than those two bits, it is definitely less cluttered along the sides.