I picked up a 2" oil pressure and 2" vac/boost gauge by Sunpro. They are the "Style Line." Anyways, the lines that come in the package that they expect you to run from inside the cabin, to the engine bay, are basically like 5 feet of plastic straw. all tightly wound in a loop the width of a can of pop. When I tried to straighten it out, to run into the engine bay, it would crease, and rip, or just collapse on itself, and wouldn't open back up.

Now the gauges come with some brass fittings, so I wonder if I can just pick up some rubber hose and small band clamps, and run it that way?

Do you suppose it matters what size the hose is? The plastic straws were pretty tiny, I don't imagine they would have worked very well anyway. So, anyone whose installed mechanical gauges, what did you use to run oil and air to the gauges in? Thanks.

 

They sell a copper line kit for the oil gauge and you can use rubber hose for the boost gauge. I never had a problem running the plastic line.

 

I sell it at the hardware store. 10 cents a foot

 

It shouldnt really matter what size the tubing is, bigger isnt better. I use flexible plastic line for my boost gauge because that plastic tiny hose always breaks on me.

 

I havn't had any problems running the plastic hose. Maybe cuz I have never done it in the winter.

Also, the hard line with a small volume would be better for the boost gauge. I am not a fan of mechanical oil pressure guages though. Fluids entering the cabin is no fun IMO.

 

Do they even make hose clamps that small? Like, the size of a dime?

 

The worm-drive ones come pretty small. If you can't find em that small they make just regualr clamps that small.

 

Check out Autozone. Came across a package of nylon tubing for gauges and such the other day. Not sure how much it was though... Just a thought

 

Nylon tubing, I think it's the same hard, plastic straw tubing that came with the gauges. I didn't like too much. Yeah, I think I'll go to the hardware store and find some small hoseclamps and just run it in rubber hose. Thanks guys.

 

Just use any old rubber tubing for the oil pressure gauge. Give a couple good rippers and it should hold up fine.