Ej22 ---> '78 DL dash ?

[julianco]

I have a 97 ej22, 78 Leone, 89 GL 5spDR

So no tach, and no oil pressure gauge in the '78, but I was hoping to tie in the temp gauge.  I thought it might be possible to get some reading and then adjust it with some 'lectrics, but when I plug it in, it shuts down the fuel level and charge light (same circuit I suppose) and it also doesn't work. So I'm thinking of doing some custom gauges.  Temp gauge is the most important, but I'd like to have oil pressure and tach -- any recommendations on what to buy?

I'm also thinking about finding a junkyard impreza dash and maybe finding a way to mount the gauges from it up...

[Uberoo]

with the 80's subarus the temp gauge has a different resistance than the ej stuff.Maybe with a 78 the resistance is so different it almost acts like a shorted or open circuit.I would just get some gauges,because even if you could get them to work I wouldn't put much faith in 35 year old gauges anyway.

 

However, if your dead set on the gauge in your dash working you could always have a bung welded in the coolant crossover pipe on the engine that will accept the temp sender for the 78.I did that with my 81 hatch rather than mess with extra gauges.

Edited December 16, 2013 by Uberoo

[Gloyale]

270 ohm resistor PARALLEL to the sending unit.  Close by the sender, splice/tap the wire for the gauge, hook it to one end of the resitor, connect other side of resitor to ground.  So basically split the wire. One side to the sender, other side through resitor to ground. 

 

78 uses the same sender as 80's ones so this should work fine as long as the gauge still functions.

[julianco]

OK.  Thanks for the info!  I've been spending too much time on the Subaru and other work is catching up.  So I have to take a break on it for a little bit.  I am leaning towards the more simple aftermarket gauge option along with an oil pressure, and maybe eventually tach.  It should just wire right up to existing sender right?