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I finally got started on installing my guages and have been at it for a
while now.. something like 3-4 hours. i finally got the voltage intalled
correctly! now i'm just caught up on the vacuum/oil pressure lines.
sunpro supplied me with plastic hoses that run from the vacuum line
to the vac gauge, and the oil sending unit to the oil gauge. but the plastic
wires are a little... loose? i can't figure out what to do with them..

pictures to help:


The hose plugs into these metal pieces, which both screw into the
gauge and whatever the gauge is used for. but if i give it even the
slightest tug:


i can't figure out how to secure the hose in the damn hole.. is this
normal? will it stay even though its really loose?



the instructions pretty much say just push it in there, which is what
i do. but how is this supposed to hold up to (what i was told) 100lbs
of oil pressure?

i also just realized that the instructions say to stick the tubing
through the ferrule, but the tubing doesn't fit in it. i could have
sworn that earlier the ferrule fit over the tubing, but now it doesn't?

am i going insane?

iThane wrote:am i going insane?

Possibly

Post a picture of the ferrule and tube together. You should be able to press it into the ferrule; It will be snug.

mom says i have to stop playing with my car and clean my room

i'll post pictures in a minute


Edit:


the ferrule is cone-shaped and so the tube only goes about half
way through. i swear on my life this morning it fit right over the tube
because i remember mindlessly sliding it up and down while brain
storming. so how come it doesn't fit anymore!?

rage quit.

i would get another picture of the ferrule from a different angle, but
i kind of dropped it behind the steering wheel............... that will
have to be another day.

Did you tighten the hex nut with the ferrule installed before you had the tube all the way in? If you did then you compressed the ferule and the tube won't go through it now. The tube needs to be through the ferule before you tighten the nut so that the ferrule compresses and grips the tube.

You usually can get new 1/8 ferrules at an auto parts store or maybe a home depot. They will probably look more barrel shaped than the ones you have, but they should work the same.

04R/T wrote:Did you tighten the hex nut with the ferrule installed before you had the tube all the way in? If you did then you compressed the ferule and the tube won't go through it now. The tube needs to be through the ferule before you tighten the nut so that the ferrule compresses and grips the tube.

You usually can get new 1/8 ferrules at an auto parts store or maybe a home depot. They will probably look more barrel shaped than the ones you have, but they should work the same.

The ferrules are pretty much a one-time use thing. If you tighten it without everything being where it should, you are usually SOL.

well thats odd that they already have the ferrule clamped into the back
of the vacuum gauge though.. they had the hex nut tightened into the
back before i even opened the box.. i'll have to find some more ferrules
and give it another try.

well, srtjesse came out to help me wrap this little project up, and after
numberous trips downtown to ace, we finally got the gauges some
what installed... everything works except the oil pressure gauge,
which i now plan to replace for an electrical one. the thought of oil
running into the cabin of the car for a mechanical guage really isn't
worth it to me.. so we replaced the ferrules which was obviously where i
screwed up. now everything is nice and secure (minus the pillars thanks to
me breaking both top brackets of each a pillar )

If you replace the plastic tubing with copper, the chances of oiling your interior are reduced, but if the gauge itself fails, then yes you will have a mess. Been there. Not fun. Oil still appears from under the dash 5 years later. (Not the neon)

Also the risk of the plastic tubing cracking, and burning your car to the ground is eliminated. The one thing with the copper tube, is you have to put a loop between the engine and firewall for it to flex.

I had the plastic tubing for an oil pressure gauge running to the
interior for a Ford Pinto... of all cars.

The Pinto already had a reputation for fires due to the gas tank
issue and rear-end collisions... I was simply providing more fuel
for the fire.

You are better off with an electrical oil pressure gauge and not
risking another car fire.

demons is right, i bought the copper tubing kit when i bought my sun-pro OP guage (for another car), gave me a few extra ferrules. The biggest downside to the sunpro gages is that they use that special ferrule, i hvae called their "tech support" to see about buying a box of these ferrules, and they refuse to sell them seperatly of the kits total BS if you ask me. btw I have been rocking my op gage ( w/ copper tubing kit, in dash) for well over a year and it sees 60psi on cold starts everday no problem

-Mike

I just dont want to risk anything.. And I just went to ace for the ferrules but had
to buy like an entire bolt just to get the ferrule from it. They were like $1.29 a
piece.. And these will most likely be temporary starter gauges since they're
really cheap looking and the gauge lighting sucks... They do the job though and
thats all I expect from them.