Understanding gauges in my new Mustang

[MadMatt5oh]

Ok guys, I recently bought my first stang. I have some questions regarding my gauges. Here goes....

1. My temperature gauge in my orginal cluster doesnt work. How do I restore it?

2. I do have a set of aftermarket VDO gauges circa 1988 or so (was the shyt back in those days).

The first gauge is a vacuum gauge. It reads a steady 20 psi on idle. But what is this really for?

The secound is an oil pressure gauge which shows the pressure to be about 15 - 20 psi above the stock one in the original cluster.

The 3rd is a Transmission temperature gauge. Is it possible that my orginal equipment has been rerouted to the T5's temperature instead of my engine's coolant temperature?

What should I do with these gauges? Leave them? How do I fix the coolant temp gauge?

 

[HISSIN50]

for the temp, check the sender wire. the sender is on the top front on the lower intake. find the dizzy, and look to the driver side of it. you will see a sender with one wire connecting to it. IIRC, you can remove the wire and ground it. this should make the gauge read fully hot. someone should say yeah or nay to this, as i cant remember if it shows fully hot or fully cold when grounded (i think it is fully hot). this would tell you if the gauge itself works. go from there with a new sender, wire, gauge, etc. the stock gauge sucks, so just use an aftermarket, IMO (i am one though that hates dead gauges). i run both, and the stocker never goes above half, while the aftermarket shows im getting too hot.

the oil pressure gauges suck and typically read low. so you are right on par. a new stock sender may or may not help. i rely on the aftermarket gauge.

if your 88 is still speed density, i like the vac gauge. i run one in mine too. since vacuum is so critical to their running right, i like to monitor the vac. useless otherwise. LOL.

dont know about the trans thing. just look for a sender on it. most people dont run one, but some have (IIRC, Michael Yount does).
good luck.

 

[MadMatt5oh]

OK, cool, Thanks Hissin' youre alright bro. I think I have enough to nibble on for a while because is so fawcking cold I wont bother to look! -10 below all week!

So, thanks for the location of the coolant temp sensor. I take it the T5 has a custom sending unit? I'll pm Michael Yount. I've seen him around here for a while.

Yeppers, My 88's basically stock so it still has the original SD equipment. God I love my car

 

[HISSIN50]

OK, cool, Thanks Hissin' youre alright bro. I think I have enough to nibble on for a while because is so fawcking cold I wont bother to look! -10 below all week!

So, thanks for the location of the coolant temp sensor. I take it the T5 has a custom sending unit? I'll pm Michael Yount. I've seen him around here for a while.

Yeppers, My 88's basically stock so it still has the original SD equipment. God I love my car

i hear you about the cold. lived in alaska for too long, myself.

if there is something for monitoring temp on the T5, it most certainly is custom. i would think it would be very easy to spot. the gear portion of the box is small and there aint much around (especially with one wire). you would see it tapped in there (or replacing the drain plug?). imagine it will be awhile till you lay under and look. LOL.

good luck.