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Dakota Digital install question


BobW

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Question for those who have installed the Dakota Digital gauge package.
I'm reading (& re-reading) the install for Dakota Digital dash and have a question re the fuel gauge.
DD says to run a ground wire as well as a signal wire from the sender & mount bolts. The sender is grounded to the body.
Have any of you run a new direct ground or wire pair to the DD panel? 
Or did the gauge work using the current dash wire and a chassis/body ground?
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I ran a separate wire from the cluster to the sending unit just to make sure everything was hunkydorry. Before my switch over my fuel gauge was never right. Ran out of gas twice because when I got down to 1/4th tank it choked to death for lack of fuel and one of the times was in Ohio at the Easter Meet. LOL. 

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Yesterday's start of installation went fairly well.

Began by removing the 3 mechanical under dash accessory gauges to install the DD sending units and cables.                                                                        Speedo and oil pressure senders installed easily. Temp sender not so much! The Jegs 4 bbl manifold has the sender directly under the hose, and the height of the sender doesn't clear the hose. Tried installing the sender in the side of the block but again, the height of the sender was within 1/4" of the header!

Solution: Found a 45* swivel thermostat housing on Summit, I'll get a pic when it's installed. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-371100

Today's plan is the get the old gauge panel out and get the wiring run to where I plan to mount the box on top of the glove compartment.

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Senders installed and wiring run through the dash. Biggest problem today was getting the speedo cable disconnected. Yes I pushed the spring clip to release it and then pushed the cable in and tried to pull it out. It just wouldn'tcome free! Finally grabbed it with a pair of pliers and levered it free!

Gauge panel is now out and ready for the change to the DD gauges. Still have to route the new sender wires inside the dash and clean up some other loose wires in the dash.

 

SensorH2O.jpg

SensorOil.jpg

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On 2/20/2024 at 12:49 PM, kpcsgasp said:

Where did you mount the computer? I found that on top of the glove box is a good locationnewwheel.thumb.jpg.7a93e211d68d570c33fd53636eb2185d.jpg

Yep, that was the most convenient spot. I ran a 10-24 machine screw up through the glove box top to hold it in place, though I don't think the wires will let it move much!

I did end up needing a new gauge carrier, the old one had one crack that I noticed when I did led bulbs. It was so brittle the screw holes crumbled as I removed them! Fortunately NPD in Ocala has them in stock, 3 hour round trip and I was home with the new part.

Spent a lot of time reading the manual, verifying and re-verifying the wiring, along with cleaning up some previously installed wiring form an older radio. Only had to make one call to Daytona Digital to figure out how to get the readings I wanted to show in the tach LCD display. Everything else programmed and works as it should!

I'll get a pic of the new thermostat housing that shows the clearance of the temp sensor at tomorrow's car show. 

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I mounted my D/D unit on the face of the HVAC box with velcro strips. It's out of the line of sight and from getting kicked, but easily accessible if ever needed to access it. Also shown is the D/D BIM unit to access the Holley EFI module, (shown in the upper right side, with custom mounts).

Not shown were a couple extra modules for other things put there as well.

When I put the D/D unit in my Camaro, I used the same strategy, and also on the D/D unit in the 62 Impala I did last year. I'm supposed to install one in a '55 Chevy this year, and maybe another member's Monte too. I'll probably mount them in the same fashion.

 

20200419_121804.1.jpg

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On 2/23/2024 at 12:46 PM, BobW said:

Yep, that was the most convenient spot. I ran a 10-24 machine screw up through the glove box top to hold it in place, though I don't think the wires will let it move much!

I did end up needing a new gauge carrier, the old one had one crack that I noticed when I did led bulbs. It was so brittle the screw holes crumbled as I removed them! Fortunately NPD in Ocala has them in stock, 3 hour round trip and I was home with the new part.

Spent a lot of time reading the manual, verifying and re-verifying the wiring, along with cleaning up some previously installed wiring form an older radio. Only had to make one call to Daytona Digital to figure out how to get the readings I wanted to show in the tach LCD display. Everything else programmed and works as it should!

I'll get a pic of the new thermostat housing that shows the clearance of the temp sensor at tomorrow's car show. 

Held mine down with strong double sided tape. I also have the compass/outside temp module (my steering wheel is hiding the display in the photo). you're right after tying up the wires there isn't much room for it to move if the tape gave out. 

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1 minute ago, kpcsgasp said:

Held mine down with strong double sided tape. I also have the compass/outside temp module (my steering wheel is hiding the display in the photo). you're right after tying up the wires there isn't much room for it to move if the tape gave out. 

actually mine is on top of the glove box not on the door. I'd have to remove the dash top to access it.

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