Actually Doug, I'm quite comfortable with electrical sending units, we just just don't have a reliable one available for fuel pressure. The pulsations caused by the VP44 and the lift pump seem to kill them quickly. In an application where pressure is smooth, such as oil pressure, or in your mentioned thermocouple application, where there aren't any pulsations, they seem to work well.<br><br>IssPro is working on one that they are subjecting to a 30,000 pulse/minute load. I have high hopes for that one, and will be one of the first to try it when its available.<br><br>Rod

 

I like the straight braided line to the mechanicle guage idea, I do agree on the isolation valve at the filter(good idea), I'll have to add one to my setup <br><br>actually the isolator from hewit would be okay too, but it needs some designg changes, both sides of the isolator should be threaded hook ups so you can run braided line off both sides of the isolator ........<br><br>I greatly dislike the small plastic line and ferrel fittings, ferrel fittings always leak, maybe not right away but they will leak ....<br><br>I can never get em to work right, apparantly others have had problems with em too, huh rod <br><br>

 

[quote author=Push Rod link=board=7;threadid=7117;start=15#71030 date=1037976136]<br>Actually Doug, I'm quite comfortable with electrical sending units, we just just don't have a reliable one available for fuel pressure. The pulsations caused by the VP44 and the lift pump seem to kill them quickly. In an application where pressure is smooth, such as oil pressure, or in your mentioned thermocouple application, where there aren't any pulsations, they seem to work well.<br><br>IssPro is working on one that they are subjecting to a 30,000 pulse/minute load. I have high hopes for that one, and will be one of the first to try it when its available.<br><br>Rod<br>[/quote]<br><br>Thats a good distinction, Rod, one that I had not thought of. The question would be is this a problem that truly cannot be solved with a length of hose, and are you saying that the SPAs, Westachs, or others (does Dakota make a FP gauge?) in fact die prematurely even when installed this way? If so, then indeed the practicality of an electronic FP gauge would be in question.<br><br><br><br>

 

[quote author=Doug link=board=7;threadid=7117;start=15#71114 date=1037986180]<br>(does Dakota make a FP gauge?) <br>[/quote]<br><br>Yes they have one.

 

[quote author=KatDiesel link=board=7;threadid=7117;start=15#71116 date=1037986479]<br>[quote author=Doug link=board=7;threadid=7117;start=15#71114 date=1037986180]<br>(does Dakota make a FP gauge?) <br>[/quote]<br><br>Yes they have one.<br>[/quote]<br><br>Yes, but they're electrical. From my investigating the different types of gauges, I've found the kind that use isolators are typically twice the price of electrical; $200 up.

 

I like my dakota digital. Nice gauge. ;D<br><br>Tony

 

[quote author=Doug link=board=7;threadid=7117;start=15#71114 date=1037986180]<br>Thats a good distinction, Rod, one that I had not thought of. The question would be is this a problem that truly cannot be solved with a length of hose, and are you saying that the SPAs, Westachs, or others (does Dakota make a FP gauge?) in fact die prematurely even when installed this way? If so, then indeed the practicality of an electronic FP gauge would be in question.<br>[/quote]<br><br>I always have to be careful when discussing reliability issues of sending units (and other products), because I often don't hear of successes, just problems that people have had. A few months back, I played with the Autometer electrics, but found that even with a hose and snubber in place, I was able to terminate the sender in about 1 month. I've never heard of an SPA sender going bad, however I have talked to an inordinate number of people who have had SPA gauge failure, so that makes me a little leary of the SPA option. I don't have any experience with the Westach options. <br><br>On the Dakota side, I've heard some very favorable talk and I've heard some negative (seems about a 50/50 split). So that gets my guard up immediately. I do plan on bringing in a Dakota digital for my 03 and trying it out on that truck, as well as on Scotty's 01. I don't think the 03's will be as likely to hurt senders, as the common rail shouldn't be as pulsey as the VP44. I just don't care for the digital gauge :-)<br><br>Rod

 

just a theoretical aside, here, as regards the Westach VP44 connection. That hose can be arbitrarily long -- perhaps several feet. the advantage of doing this is that you get great damping, and (because there is no actual fuel flow in that line) there is no accuracy penalty. <br><br>a couple of feet should do the trick.<br><br>For those electrically inclined, its the same principle as putting a filter or stiffening capacitor across a 12v line.