Dual Gauge Pod, Boost & A/F Install
Some people were asking for it, I hope this can help (I wrote it from memory so don’t hold me liable if some nut sizes are off or whatever):
I have finished installing a dual gauge pillar with a Boost gauge and Air/fuel ratio gauge (everything Autometer). I got all the information I needed from Crockett's previously posted "How to" on another site, but I figured we needed one here so I will elaborate. Get some paper in your printer, this is a long one.
Take plugs out of handle and remove nuts. I used a nut driver and a 8mm socket.
With the handle off the entire pillar comes off. It takes some prying, but it just pops off.
I removed two pieces of the lower dash next. First there was the part above the steering wheel column (right below the speedometer). This just pops off without any screws. The lower dash comes off in 8 screws (7 mm and 8 mm). The tricky ones are behind the hood and brake release levers. The other two ‘sneaky’ ones are underneath the fuse box. They are holding the metal part of the dash to another metal part of the frame.
The kick panel by the door came off easily (no screws). In fact, I removed the plastic floor plate as well to get the panel off easier (again, no screws).
With the pillar off, I was able to figure out exactly where I wanted the pod. (make sure it does not interfere with your dashboard). I used a piece of soap to draw on the pillar to get the right position.
I then used a Dremel tool to carve out part of the pod so that I could keep the handle. I guess I got carried away with the cutting because I cut too much off. Now I had a gap to fill.
Next, I clamped the pod on the pillar and drilled holes through both and used the little anchors supplied with the pod to hold it on.
Using a two part epoxy putty (marine putty actually) I filled the gap and smoothed out the gap. The textures don’t match perfectly, but it looks a lot better than a hole. I made sure the handle still fit on easily around the putty.
With that dry, I used flat black spay paint to paint the pillar and the pod (but not the handle – I did not want the paint to come off under use).
I put two holes in the column to pull the wires through (one hole for each gauge) I think it was easier than fishing them through one hole in the bottom. I went ahead and pushed the gauges into place with the wires fished through the holes. Do not kink your vacuum tube (or wires for that matter).
I took a straightened wire hanger with a bent tip, and fished it through the dash up to where the pillar was going from a hole to the left of the emergency brake. It took a few pokes, but it went through. Don’t force it.
Using some electric tape, I rapped the wires (and hose) around the hook on the hanger. Making sure not to leave any raised edges or corners to get caught, and that they weren’t going to come off with a good tug. The wires came through easily, and I detached the hanger.
I added wire to the A/F gauge wires (accept black which were long enough).
I snapped the pillar back into place and replaced the handle. I made sure the gauges were at the angle I wanted.
At this time I went ahead and disconnected the battery and removed it. I knew I had to get to the module behind it (almost into the fender), and I figured it would be easier with it out of my way.
I spliced the two black wires together and attached them to a green screw down near the floor where the kick plate was. Taking care to remove any excess slack in the wires, and stripping enough wire to get all the way around the screw.
Here is where I got confused . . .I ran the white wire for the light on the boost gauge under the dash over to my cigarette lighter (the only brown wire I could find on the right side of the dash – I think it has a stripe in it as well). This caused my boost light to come on – continuously – never shutting off unless the battery was disconnected (I realized after I completed everything). I remedied this by removing the headlight and dimmer switch assembly (something I had done when I completed the fog lamp mod) and spliced the white wire into the same junction where I made the jump for the fog lamp mod. All I had to do was use my trusty hanger to hook the white wire and pull it out of the hole that the switch fits in. Now it works with the rest of the interior lights. BTW this is a SOLID BROWN wire.
The other wire for the A/F meter connected easily to a RED wire with a BLACK stripe underneath the steering wheel. I made sure to protect this wire with some extra electric tape around it as well as running through places it would not get caught or pulled out (while adjusting the steering wheel or something). Zip ties or electric tape should do the job fine.
The PURPLE wire and the tube have to go into the engine compartment. Now is a good time to splice some extra wire onto the PURPLE. I added about 6 feet, and it was just enough. There is a rubber grommet forward of the steering wheel (looking from under the hood). As Crockett said “What a nice hole Ford has left for us!” It is found up behind the gas petal from the inside, behind some rubber sound deadening material. I removed the grommet and poked some wire through it so I could find it easier.
I ran the tube and the wire deep inside the dash. I wanted to make sure the brake wouldn’t be hitting them, or my steering wheel wouldn’t rub through over time. I used electric tape to protect the tube and wire, attaching them to other wires or fixed parts of the truck.
I cut a small hole in the center of the grommet (using a pocketknife). I fed the wire/hose through the grommet so that I could re-install the grommet properly.
The boost gauge hook up is a little white tube sticking out on the driver’s side of the Supercharger. It is the only one that sticks out and doesn’t go anywhere. It should have a little black rubber cap on it.
I removed the cap and poked a small hole into it. I poked the gauge hose through the cap, and slid it out of the way. I then jammed the gauge hose into the SC hose fitting (it is tight but it does fit). The rubber cap then fit right back into its original position. I don’t know well this will work (as opposed to using store bought adapters), but I have not had any problems yet.
Your boost gauge install is now complete.
The A/F gauge wire has to go to the passenger side of the engine compartment. Once again the precision wire hanger tool was used, this time with some string attached to one end. I carefully pushed the hanger through the wire tray on top of the engine compartment (I did not want to run the wire across my engine. I just pushed it to each little hole, pulled the string to where I was at and went through the next section. Make sure you don’t loose the end of your string, otherwise you will have to start over.
I then tied the string to the purple wire and pulled it through the tray, and stripped the end of the wire.
It took me a minute to dig through all the wires going to the PCM, but I finally found the other RED wire with a BLACK stripe. I stripped off some of the insulation and spliced the PURPLE wire into it.
After replacing the battery, and reconnecting it, I was ready for testing.
6 lbs of boost and green lights on the A/F gauge at WOT. 25” of vacuum and oscillating A/F (red – yellow) under most conditions.
I hope to post pictures, if I ever figure out how to do them on this site.
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