Auto meter trio gauge install.

[Gregs57]

 HI All. I am in the process of installing an Auto Meter trio gauge set in my Niagara 300. I looking for suggestions about sender location for water temp probe and oil pressure feed line. Both are positive gauges, non electric. Thanks in advance. Sorry forgot to mention 272 Y block

[59meteor]

I also have a 3 unit AutoMeter mechanical gauge cluster in my 59 2 door sedan. I have volts, oil pressure and water temperature. I have a 428 FE engine in my 59, but the senders still need to go to the same ports. If you want to retain your factory oil pressure "idiot light" in the dash, you will need to use a "tee" fitting, so you can run both the factory sender, as well as the AutoMeter connection. On my 428, I did this at the factory port on the top of the oil filter adapter, been many years, since I had a Y Block, but I seem to recall the sender port is on the lower drivers side of the engine block, so when you remove the factory sender, that is where your tee fitting will go. Rather than use the supplied plastic tubing that comes with the gauges, I strongly recommend using 1/8" copper tubing, which AutoMeter sells, and comes with some brass fittings. On my 59, I also wanted my factory water temp gauge to work, so I had to find 2 coolant ports, so I could have both gauges functioning. On my FE, I used the factory sender location in the intake manifold, for the AutoMeter sender, and I found a later FE thermostat housing, which has a threaded port, for an emission related vacuum switch to control ignition timing, so I put the factory sender for the dash gauge there. That is not really ideal, as it should be before the thermostat, but it does seem to work quite well. I am not aware of a similar thermostat housing for a Y Block, the factory temp sender , as I recall, threads into a brass plug pressed into the back of the cylinder head, behind the intake manifold. I don`t recall if the opposite side head has anything, or if it is a solid plug. If you could either drill and tap that plug for the AutoMeter sender, or maybe remove the plug, and find & install an extra factory sender plug, for the other side, then you can have both gauges working. Or easier, would be if you could make up a connector that can be spliced into heater hose by the fitting at the intake manifold. If you have a voltmeter, you can just connect it to the battery positive terminal, if you have an ammeter, it is a bit more involved.

[Gregs57]

Morning. Thanks for the reply. You are correct that the one sender is on the drivers side head at the rear for water. It looks like 1/8 pipe and is too small for sender probe The right side head has the plug. There is a threaded plug on the drivers side of the water pump but I'm not sure that's a good spot ie: moving water? Opinions? Thought about the heater hose idea. Would you bypass the heater core and just make a loop? It's all part of the fun of making the car our own. Thanks again.

[Gregs57]

Hi again. Went on You Tube and it looks like water pump location may work. Also will switch to 1/8 copper line instead of plastic. Thanks again