Is it possible to hook up an aftermarket oil pressure guage, and a temp guage, while still keeping the working use of your original dash guages? Just thinking that id rather read numbers rather than lines... Would I just tie them in with the original guages sending units?
Brian, It is possible to have both gauges work, but it depends on the sytem they monitor. For instance, with oil pressure, you can use a T fitting from any auto parts store, and retain both your stock and aftermarket sending units. With water temp, it is not possible to use a T fitting, as the end of the sender has to be submerged to read an accurate temperature. Usually you cannot hook up factory and aftermarket to the same sending unit, as their resistances are diffrerent, thus throwing one of the gauges off, but it is worth a try. With the water temp gauge, you usually have to find a place in the water to circuit to drill and tap another hole if you want to gauges. But because you bought a Buick with a Nailhead, Buick engineered you a ready made solution. :laugh: Because the Nailhead heads all had holes in them for a temp gauge, but the hole on the driver's side got a plug in it, it is possible to remove this plug and insert your factory or aftermarket sender there, and put the other sender in the original hole. Of course, that depends on you getting the plug out. You merely put a 3/8 breaker bar in the hole, and then get frustrated, spray it with PB blaster, try an impact wrench, and keep trying forever to get the plug out :laugh: With that method, should you get the plug out, you will have both temp gauges, and I've read other people only saw a 2 degree difference between the back and front of the engine.
Like Joe said, but my experience is kinda like with the funky 3/4" nuts on the exhaust manifold studs(then I use brass nuts for replacement)=to use the oxy/acetylene torch and get the area cherry red before getting the tools on it-then you have a much better chance of getting good result without a boogered up mess-good luck
