Can I get a sanity check on this boost gauge before I send it back?

[gsxrken]

Just got my boost gauge from NHS and I don’t like how the gauge face is roughly 1/4” set back from the glass. With the lights on, there is a very noticeable gap around the face with light leaking through. When viewed straight on its barely noticeable, but of course it does not sit in the gauge pod straight on from the driver’s perspective.
My other gauges have the face right up to the glass.

Is this how they all are, or did the FNG make mine?

[mepstein]

Face came loose in the housing. Easy fix but not right.

[gsxrken]

Originally Posted by mepstein

Face came loose in the housing. Easy fix but not right.

Thanks for the suggestion but I don’t believe that’s the case. There is no rattle, there’s no movement of the face when I roll it around in my hand, and it’s a very uniform 1/4” or so all the way around. It seems firmly mounted…too far back in the housing.

Can I assume you’re saying that your NHS boost gauge doesn’t look like this?
Any pics anyone can provide would be helpful!

[pkabush]

It sure doesn’t look right. If you google VDO boost gauge the images don’t have that gap.
I’d call them and let ‘em know you want to send it back for correction.

[mepstein]

Originally Posted by gsxrken

Thanks for the suggestion but I don’t believe that’s the case. There is no rattle, there’s no movement of the face when I roll it around in my hand, and it’s a very uniform 1/4” or so all the way around. It seems firmly mounted…too far back in the housing.

Can I assume you’re saying that your NHS boost gauge doesn’t look like this?
Any pics anyone can provide would be helpful!

My stock boost gauge doesn’t look like that. I doubt NHS built it that way on purpose. But you asked for an option.

[krasuskyp]

lame

FNG - lol, yup... seems to be, that ain't right

sorry brutha - least we're still w/in pre-season 8 )

[Bucketlist]

When I first looked at your pictures I thought maybe the gap was a new way to illuminate the gauge, then pulled up their website and see nothing on the page like it.
Ya, don't you just hate it when you get the FNG treatment.

https://www.nhspeedometer.com/custom-design-and-accessories-911

[gsxrken]

Originally Posted by Bucketlist

When I first looked at your pictures I thought maybe the gap was a new way to illuminate the gauge, then pulled up their website and see nothing on the page like it.

That’s what I’m afraid I’m going to hear. The gauge face is not translucent like our tach and speedo where light comes through the graphics, so they do need to illuminate it somehow. And their photo on the website is cleverly depicted from a dead-straight-on view, where the gap “disappears”. Mine will do that too. Without the dash lights on it’s hardly noticeable and I don’t drive at night too often but now thst it’s on my radar I’m mind-****ed over this. @#$&!!
I’ll call today.

[spuggy]

I feel your pain Ken...

I had a VDO "Cockpit" vacuum/boost gauge in the clock hole for many years, in an adapter (I think an old clock shell). Lettering etc. matched the other instruments perfectly - but, obviously, smaller than desirable.

Bought an Autometer (I think) gauge that was the correct size - but difference in fonts etc meant I never actually fitted it, I think. Don't even know where it is - although I found the fitting kit for it the other day...

Finally decided to spring for a NHS vac/boost gauge 3-4 years ago. Dealing with them was smooth, and it turned up promptly. Looked nice in the box, in the dash when the car isn't running.

Niggles:

1) -0.5 bar isn't enough vacuum; my car idles at 18-20 hg/mm. So whenever car is idling, gauge is pegged on the lower stop. Meh. I can live with this (especially as I can read the vacuum from the MoTeC if I really want).

2) They use a T5 (? I think) bulb for illumination. This doesn't match the "classic white" BA9 LEDs I have in the rest of the instruments (and which give vastly improved bright/more even illumination). When I looked a few years ago, couldn't seem to find any T5's in "classic white", only "bright white". So I left the bulb in, IIRC. Need to figure out an adapter or something so I can use a BA9 for a better color match. It's also a lot brighter than the other instruments.

3) Exact same 6-8mm gap down the side of the face that you show in your photos.

[gsxrken]

Originally Posted by spuggy

I feel your pain Ken...

2) They use a T5 (? I think) bulb for illumination. This doesn't match the "classic white" BA9 LEDs I have in the rest of the instruments (and which give vastly improved bright/more even illumination). When I looked a few years ago, couldn't seem to find any T5's in "classic white", only "bright white". So I left the bulb in, IIRC. Need to figure out an adapter or something so I can use a BA9 for a better color match. It's also a lot brighter than the other instruments.

3) Exact same 6-8mm gap down the side of the face that you show in your photos.

Yep. And on the bulb topic, if they would duplicate the round bulb holder like the stock gauges, you could put whatever matching bulbs you had in the other gauges AND wouldn’t have to snip the wiring harness to put a blade connector on to match the post type connector they went with.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by gsxrken

Yep. And on the bulb topic, if they would duplicate the round bulb holder like the stock gauges, you could put whatever matching bulbs you had in the other gauges AND wouldn’t have to snip the wiring harness to put a blade connector on to match the post type connector they went with.

I'd completely forgotten about that, but remembered when I removed it about 20 minutes ago... I bought a BA7 bulb base with a flying lead (almost certainly from Flea Bay) to connect to the 1/4" spade on the T5 bulb holder without cutting the factory harness.

You can just about see it, along with the T5 bulb holder & LED I pulled when I removed the 935 gauge, on the dash in the photos...


I talked with John Bell (jbell959) over email about the things that bugged me about the 935 gauge. He said he was pretty sure the 935 gauge was never produced specifically for Porsche, and was a generic off-the-shelf racing part.

Which would explain why the legend fonts/sizes, face gap, lighting etc don't match the rest of the instruments well - or, actually, at all...

So I asked him to build a VDO vacuum/boost gauge into a clock shell for me, with an entirely custom face. I could have had anything I wanted, but I preferred the in/Hg and PSI units. Very happy with how it turned out.

He also did the tach; 930 tach w/ boost gauge fairly pointless with a dedicated boost gauge - and I wanted a voltmeter as it's a useful warning your voltage regulator has gone south (BTDT). ..

Face/redline is custom/what I asked for; SC cams are all done, HP wise, by 5500 RPM - but I sometimes rev higher anyway, (Pauter rods come w/ ARP bolts, valvetrain not stock etc).

Gauge illumination (and legends) seem like a much better match to the factory instruments than before...



and one with it running, just because:

[patina]

Ken - mine is similar. It is not nearly as noticeable in the car.

[nippy]

Mine is the same and I called them but I have the one with the Tell tale and he said the gap allows for both needles to fit

[7783911]

i have a new VDO for a voltmeter and its identical to yours re lighting from the circumference

[Bucketlist]

I looked at mine the other day and was surprised to see the same style gauge. I never noticed it with the white faced gauge.