SL-C Manual: Instrument Panel

Instrument Panel

The kit ships with a Koso instrument gauge panel. This gauge set has a large analog tach, with signal lights for turn signals, high beam, the MIL (Check engine light) and others. It also has a digital display for speed, fuel level, and several temperature sensors (usually oil and water).

The wiring instructions are in the Koso manual and so are not repeated here. But the physical installation merits some notes.

The gauge is intended to fit in the binnacle facing the driver. To fit the gauge, make a template of the gauge panel outline and use it to make a rough opening in the dash binnacle, assuming you want to inset the gauge. Finish trim and mount the gauge from behind with a small C-shaped aluminum bracket like the picture below, but for the size of the opening you have cut.

A simpler but less attractive installation is just to drill holes in the back of the binnacle for the three posts on the back of the gauge to allow small screws to fasten it to the back of the binnacle.

If you are using a GM LS engine, the senders in the kit need to use adapters, or you need to obtain different senders that are already threaded to fit into the engine.

To install the Koso water temp sender on an LS engine, find the GM water temp sender on a cylinder head and note it's location. Now go to the other head, and remove the plug in the same location on that head (GM drills and taps both heads, but only one actually gets an installed sender, so there is always one that just needs to have the plug removed to be used to read water temp for aftermarket gauges.) Once the plug is removed, discard it. The Koso sender can be installed into the head with an adapter, or another sender can be obtained to go directly to the head, without an adapter. The Koso part number is BF120000, and is a sender with a M12 X 1.5 thread.

The oil temp sender can be installed in the same basic way- either use an adapter to a more typical 1/8" NPT, or just buy a new sender with a 1/8 NPT already there. You'll need to find a 1/8" NPT hole to use, and the easiest way to do that is to buy a small adapter to install at the oil filter ports. Improved Racing offers a simple one for most LS engines here. Alternatively, the Koso part number for a temp sender with a 1/8 NPT is BF030000.

These new senders from Koso can be purchased on their website here.