help with oil pressure and water temp gauge install

[98x5.0l]

With the 98 explorer v8 does anyone know how to hook these up? I searched and didnt find any how to info. Thanks

 

[pbnj22]

Do you have any of them now? Do you have the gauges and wire yet? Or do you need to buy everything?

 

[98x5.0l]

I have to buy the gauges and wire yet.

 

[Maniak]

If you don't care about your factory oil pressure gauge then you can just put the new oil pressure sending unit (I'm assuming electric gauges here) where the current sending unit it. Its on the drivers side of the vehicle, on the side of the block, towards the front.

If you want to run both the factory (which is just an analog idiot light.. shows good when its > 5psi) then you will have to make a t type manifold so you can hook both sending units up at the same time.

Now for the coolant temp gauge.. There is lots of debate about where to put this. Personally I like putting it in the flow of coolant that is always flowing, even if the thermostat is not yet open. On the last 5.0 I installed a coolant gauge on we put it in the heater hose as it comes out of the head. Your '98 should have a heater control bypass vavle which means the coolant flows from the intake to the water pump all the time BUT make sure you do have a heater control valve there. If you don't you can always add one.. You need the coolant flowing through that hose.. They sell a sending unit adapter that you put into that hose OR you can make your own. I've used both and both work fine.

As for gauges.. you have tons of choices. I don't like running fluid into the cab so I tend to use electric gauges. You could use isolation tubes and mechanical gauges but that gets expensive too..

Grab a Jegs and Summit catalog and look through the gauges to find one you like the look of. I tend to try to stay with 270 degree sweep gauges and the 90 degree sweep gauges seem to always look cheap.

ok, enough rambling...

~Mark

 

[98x5.0l]

Thank you mark I am planning on putting a pod on the pillar with both gauges and disconnecting the stock ones, but i was worried about the computer not seeing either one functioning might mess something up.

Steve

If you don't care about your factory oil pressure gauge then you can just put the new oil pressure sending unit (I'm assuming electric gauges here) where the current sending unit it. Its on the drivers side of the vehicle, on the side of the block, towards the front.

If you want to run both the factory (which is just an analog idiot light.. shows good when its > 5psi) then you will have to make a t type manifold so you can hook both sending units up at the same time.

Now for the coolant temp gauge.. There is lots of debate about where to put this. Personally I like putting it in the flow of coolant that is always flowing, even if the thermostat is not yet open. On the last 5.0 I installed a coolant gauge on we put it in the heater hose as it comes out of the head. Your '98 should have a heater control bypass vavle which means the coolant flows from the intake to the water pump all the time BUT make sure you do have a heater control valve there. If you don't you can always add one.. You need the coolant flowing through that hose.. They sell a sending unit adapter that you put into that hose OR you can make your own. I've used both and both work fine.

As for gauges.. you have tons of choices. I don't like running fluid into the cab so I tend to use electric gauges. You could use isolation tubes and mechanical gauges but that gets expensive too..

Grab a Jegs and Summit catalog and look through the gauges to find one you like the look of. I tend to try to stay with 270 degree sweep gauges and the 90 degree sweep gauges seem to always look cheap.

ok, enough rambling...

~Mark

 

[Maniak]

Thank you mark I am planning on putting a pod on the pillar with both gauges and disconnecting the stock ones, but i was worried about the computer not seeing either one functioning might mess something up.

Steve

The ECM isn't looking at the oil pressure switch/sending unit output so you don't have to worry about that..

For coolant, if you add your own in the heater hose your factory coolant temp gauge still works. On top of that there are actually 2 coolant sensors on your truck now. A single wire (for the gauge) and a multi wire which is the one your ECM watches. Your not going to mess with the multi wire one so you'll be fine even if you replace the gauge sending unit instead of adding a new sending unit.

~Mark

 

[98x5.0l]

Awesome thanks alot I apreciate it very much. Every little bit helps.

Steve

The ECM isn't looking at the oil pressure switch/sending unit output so you don't have to worry about that..

For coolant, if you add your own in the heater hose your factory coolant temp gauge still works. On top of that there are actually 2 coolant sensors on your truck now. A single wire (for the gauge) and a multi wire which is the one your ECM watches. Your not going to mess with the multi wire one so you'll be fine even if you replace the gauge sending unit instead of adding a new sending unit.

~Mark