Here is how I plugged mine... Note that one that picture, I only had the Vaccum Gain System done, so that's the T fitting you see... But it's the only picture I have with the intercooler removed...


The numbers are a bit hard to see with the picture resized...

1- it is the stock vacuum hose I unplug from the fuel pressure regulator (2). You plug it to the T fitting and take the extra how you bought and reconnect the fuel pressure regulator and the T fitting...

2- it's the fuel pressure regulator

3 - (near the intake filter) If you look closely, you'll see a rubber cap with wires through it... This is where I got the vacuum line through the firewall.

For the vacuum line, it's really simple. You will need to remove the intercooler, which is pretty easy to do. With the intercooler removed, you will see a little cylinder on the fuel rail, right in the middle of the engine. This is the fuel pressure regulator... Just put your fingers under it, and you'll feel a hose connected to it, under it... Just unplug it, and put it at the end of you "T" fitting. With the extra vacuum hose you buy, just replug the fuel pressure regulator to the "T" fitting and the other end is for the boost gauge's vaccum hose that connects to the gauge inside the car.

To get the hose through the firewall, use a long (10-12") screwdriver and do a hole through a rubber seal, you cannot miss it from under the dashboard, with a flashlight. All the electric wires go through it... Don't worry, there's no chance of water getting in from that hole... just don't use a large screwdriver...




Here is where I installed the longer screw and Autometer muonting cup behind the Tach.


Also, I noticed that you bought a 2"1/16... I got a 2"5/8... maybe the base of the mounting cups are different too...

btw, there should be a sticky how-to for a boost gauge install... I guess many people would like to add one to their MCS but think it's too hard to do... I'm really not an expert, and I got it done without a problem... but I had to do many searches on this forum before finally getting all the infos I needed... It's also not too expensive and somehow fun to look at while motoring!

 

I'm thinking we have the same size cup. I guess i'll drill the holes out, no big deal, thanks for all the help. I'll do a writeup for someone to consider for a sticky when im done.

 

Yeah please do, I see this in my near future.

 

Well, I got it in and it works to the best of my knowledge. My only problem now is mounting it. I guess I'll take a metal file to the bracket because it's not cooperating at all. It would be easier if I didn't have to have the steering wheel all the way up.

 

So the brakcet does fit behing the Tach, but it rubs when you adjus the sterring wheel all the way up?

My steering wheel still can be adjusted without any problem...

 

ahem, a pillar....

 

Yeah, thats the story. For now I guess I can just have the sterring wheel at about mid-tilt and it should go together fine. If you could, could you take some shots of the gauge in the mount from a few different angles to maybe see where I'm messing up?


P.S. A-pillar would be fine, but i'm not drilling any holes

 

The part circled is one problem. On that end of the bracket, on the flat piece (the area that gets screwed down) The end that is touching the cup is arched, so the gauge isn't sitting straight, it's angled slightly out. I figured I could solve that with a metal file if I have to. But my other problem is, it looks like if I tighten the strap around the cup where you did that far back on the cup, it wouldnt' be holding the gauge too well. Does any of that make sense?

 

a pillar covers are 20 dollars at the dealer, just drill, it wont hurt anything.

(tale it off before you attempt to drill, lol )

 

nope

 

Theres and alternative - autometer makes and extended bracket (under 10 bucks) which is identical to the above but a longer. The pic is poor and I don't have a better one but perhaps you can see that it is like the one in the cup kit. You might note that I was able to switch it around because i cut the sides. May not make any sense ...

I was ble to screw attach using the stock hole(s) in the tach pod. You will also note that I was able to get the cup band in the middle of the cut allowing for more adjustment.

 

Found some of my other pics -







Hopefully this clarifies more.

 

should I be using a 90 degree bend adapter for the vaccum line on the back of the gauge?

 

My mechanic installed a kit from MiniMania. He said it was a tad tricky (it's got an "integrated binnacle" look)--pair of tiny gauges bracketing the tach (and, I believe, elevating the tach just a bit so the steering wheel obscures it slightly) so that now I can see the boost pressure and the battery amp (I would have preferred oil temperature though).

How does one read the boost gauge? It has numbers in sequence going both ways from 0 at the top, but does not denote positive and negative. The needle in mine is always moving in the counterclockwise direction which looks like negative to me but isn't marked in that way. The instructions tell how to install the gauge kit but not how to use it.

Sorry to ask such a basic question. My mom would tell me on a day such as this I should just be grateful to have the gauges.

 

counterclock wise - should be vaccum and clockwise should be boost. You will be surprise how much of the time under normal driving that you are in vaccum. Find some open road - nail it and boost should build to 10.5 lbs if stock, 14.5 lbs if running a 15% pulley.

 

Thanks, bart, for the explanation. It's logical. Too bad that while in vacuum mode it doesn't suck fuel back into the gas tank. Guess I haven't witnessed the clockwise mode because I haven't used full throttle since getting the gauge. If I ever find an open highway in the Bay Area I will try it. Happy motoring.

 

I live to make my guage twirl around . I get more guage action than most because I'm running a 15lbs boost guage (smallest scale possible) - you should see that sucker spin around.

 

I just returned from a liquor run (to buy, not DUI). I had not noticed this before, but even under partial throttle going uphill (onramp) the boost moves from negative to positive immediately after an upshift for less than a second. It must have been doing this all the time but I wasn't looking--perhaps a good reason to have it installed on the A pillar. I'm going to watch for it again if I have to make another liquor run today.

 

I personally don't like the a pilar - air bag thing. I believe it belongs here -

 

As Bahamabart said, the gauge belong beside the tach!

 

DarkCooperS - I think I've found my problem. I guess we do have different brackets. I've already had to bore out the holes for the screws that hold the clamp around the gauge. I think the whole issue can be seen in that the lip of your gauge is touching the tach. Mine will not, so I am going to mess with the bracket some, grind some spots down, and see if that helps. I think it will allow me full tilt then. Then this weekend I'm going to go in and solder my connections to the lighting wire.

 

also, did you see my question above? Do you have a 90 degree bend adapter on the back of the gauge for the vaccum line?

 

Looks great! Yours matches much better the interior. I started with that guage but broke two of them during install (long story), got pissed off at autometer (they gave me bad info - causing me to break the guages) so I decided I needed another brand hence I am running a VDO. Very good guage, accurate - just not a complimentary to the interior.

 

Agile Moments:

I only used parts that were included with the Autometer kit. It didn't have to an adator to connect it to the rear of the gauge, as the mounting cup had a hole behind it to run hose and wires through it... I would also modify the bracket itself instead of drilling new holes behind the MINI tach!

Let u sknow when you'll get it installed and make sure to post some pics!


BahamaBart :
your gauge looks sweet too!

 

I got it in and working. The day after, I was at a high boost situation for a few seconds, and the needle flipped back to zero and quit reading. I came back the next day and took the intercooler off again. The boost hose had come disconnected. I reattached everything and made sure it was secure, since then everything has been fine. I will make a new thread titled Boost Gauge: How-to. Hopefully it will be sticky worthy, so once I get that posted tomorrow, if anyone else has anything to contribute to the thread, go right ahead.