www.dayid.org / ram / glowshift / install.html

Installation of GlowShift's 3-in-1 Diesel Gauges

Into my 2006 Dodge Ram CTD QC/LB

Although these notes are specific to the GlowShift 3-in-1 gauge with EGT/Temp/Boost, it may apply to many other gauge sets. While it is written specifically for a 2006 Dodge Ram CTD, it may apply loosely to other vehicles as well. To give proper credit, CumminsForum.com as well as Diesel Manor helped me to get through this install. GlowShift provides less than one half page of install directions (total, for all three sensors and the gauge) and only one image in all of this. Their response to a customer service inquiry about their lack of installation notes told me to look at Diesel Manor's ISSPRO gauge install.

Needed

  • Drill bit set
  • 1/8th NPT Tap
  • Rubber mallet
  • Zipties
  • Socket set (metric also)
  • GlowShift 3-in-1 gauges (box kit)
  • Boost bolt (Available from Geno's Garage and Diesel Manor. Cheaper at Geno's Garage.)
  • Generic grease (I used hub grease)
  • 2-3 3-5amp fuses
  • 2-3 2-10amp fuse extensions
  • 1 2' length of 16-20 gauge wire (I used some 18 I had left from a trailer wiring set)
  • 3 5-6' lengths of 16-20 gauge wire
  • Electrical tape
  • Wire joiners (I used slip/pinch joiners)
  • Strong magnet

Contents

What's in the Box

  • This is everything in the box:
  • All of this vaccuum line stuff for the boost gauge is garbage: The T, the hose, the hose clamp, and the copper attachment.

EGT Sensor/Probe - Pyrometer

  1. Locate the exhaust manifold on the passengerside of the engine bay. Locate the left center channel and mark the spot to drill. There is a vertical divider inside the manifold, so make sure you are drilling off-center. The location should look here:

    Please note this is a generic photo - on your Cummins 5.9 L6 the center downpipe of the manifold is actually between cylinders 4 and 5, back towards 6 - not centered.
  2. Mark the spot you wish to drill, and pre-drill a pilot hole. Press your drill bit into the grease you have first, so that the shavings stick to the drill bit. Place the strong magnet just below where your hole will be so that it will draw the shavings. Once your pilot is there, go to 5/16 bit and drill again.

    The above image shows my magnet below the hole with my drill under the cooling lines and pretty much sitting on the passengerside frame rail to get a good 90* angle to drill at.

    The above image is a close-up of the drilled area showing the magnet/grease on drill bit.

    There will be a lot of shavings.
  3. Clean the hole you've created. Pass a magnet into the hole to grab any shavings you may have had drop off inside. Also passing a q-tip with grease on it inside may grab some very small fragments.
  4. Take your 1/8 NPT tap

    I marked the necessary depth by butting the EGT adapter bolt next to the tap so I'd know how far I needed to thread.

    Go in and back out after every about 1/16-1/8" of progress to clear the threads - stop and back out completely once you have gotten to the correct depth.
  5. Thread in the EGT adapter. Screw it in with a 12mm wrench. I needed extra leverage to have it fit at the correct depth.

  6. Thread in the EGT probe. On mine there was a slight barb on it from GlowShift, and at first it would only go in this deep:

    I haven't heard complaints from others, but I did have to sand the center of mine down very lightly with an emery board to get it to slide in properly. Thread it in:


    Snug it down with your 12mm wrench.
  7. I ran the cable from it back to the top of my firewall and ran it along with the other wires there. It then meets the other sensors and passes through at the clutch-hole - since my truck is an automatic.

Clutch Hole Prep

  1. Since I drive an automatic, I'm passing the wires into the cabin through the clutch plate. It is at 11o'clock from the steering shaft from the driverside floorboard.
  2. I don't recall the size of the nuts here that are to be removed, but they weren't too tough to get out - just an awkward angle. I had to use a light rubber mallet to pop out the plate once the nuts were off. The following picture is the view from the engine bay of the plate popped loose.
  3. I drilled a 3/8" hole in the plate so that I could fit all the wiring through it.
  4. Ran my wiring through it and re-bolted it on. I will address the miniscule gaps created by this hole later on.

Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor

  1. From the passengerside of your truck, inside the framerail and just past the exhaust pipe is your transmission fluid pan.
  2. From underneath this pan, above the lip of it, there is a bolt diagonal in the center on the passengerside.
  3. Back out this bolt and thread in the temp sensor. I ran the wiring for this across underneath the backside of the transmission pan to the driverside framerail, then up the firewall and into the clutch plate hole.

Boost Sensor

  1. Since GlowShift doesn't provide a very good solution for this in their own package (since they give both a vaccuum and electronic sensor - but the electronic sensor is missing the boost bolt - and thus is worthless) - this is where that Boost Bolt you bought from Geno's Garage or Diesel Manor comes in handy. You remove one of the inside bolts from the driverside of the engine block, the two best locations/bolts show here:

    or
  2. Back one of these bolts out and replace it will the boost bolt. Attach the electronic wiring to the boost bolt and run your wiring to the clutch plate hole.

Gauge

  1. Take the three sets of wires coming in from your sensors and feed them through the back of the plastic gauge pod. Wire them into the gauge in the proper locations.
  2. Using the joiners, affix the three longer ones to the dimmer, ignition-on, and always-on wires from your gauge's electrical wires. Affix the shorter one to the ground.
  3. Run the ground wire under to just above the gas pedal. From there, behind/under the steering dash, there is a bright ground bolt. Affix the wire here.
  4. I ran the wires along the side of the dash and wrapped them with electrical tape. If I grow tired of this and think it is too trashy (since I know it's not the cleanest look) I'll worry about re-routing them. I'll update this if I re-route them, but for now I'm happy - and this makes them easy to access if there's any kinks to wrinkle out.
  5. Using the provided double-sided 3M tape, affix the gauge pod where you want it. I did mine just beneath the A-Pillar because it's out of the way but still easily visible without blocking anything else.
  6. Run your power wires (which are now extended - since they only give you like 6" to work with) through the firewall hole and along your driverside battery tray to the fusebox here. Disconnect the negative side of each of your batteries, then open the fuse box.
  7. Using the guide on the fuse box door panel, install your fuse extenders where you decide. The always-on needs to be something that is always on - I used my power mirrors. This one lets the gauge remember your settings (colours) when the vehicle is off.
  8. The "on with ignition" I used for both my dimmer and "turn the gauge on" wires. If I decide to change this later I will, but for now I'm pleased with this setup. If you opted for the third fuse/riser, then use something like headlamps or parking lamps to tap into to run the dimmer off of so that the gauge dims when your night-lights are on.
  9. I installed 5amp fuses for each of these. GlowShift recommends a 3amp, but I could not find any easily available at the auto store I was at, and I'm more than happy with the protection of 5amp.
  10. I also drilled a notch in the bottom of the lid of my fusebox so that I could pass the wires through without crimping them. I didn't take a picture of this, but IIRC I sued a 3/8 bit and had enough room for all the wires. Seal this hole with something like silicon seal - and do the same for your firewall cut.
  11. My fusebox with the risers:

That's all folks!

Video of my gauge during start-up

Friday, 01-Apr-2011 23:30:42 EDT