Qustion 1) I have a 2003 Ram 2500 with the HO diesel engine and the six speed. Want to install some extra gauges. Has anyone had any experience with the Auto Meter Products? Their Phantom series appear to be a close match. (FirNhole, take note!) Specific gauges I am considering are: 5703 Boost/Vac, 5744 Pyrometer, 5763 Fuel pressure, 5773 Dual Intake Temp. Considering installing them under the temp controls.<br>Question 2) Anyone had any experience on the 03 diesels with installing a pyro BEFORE the turbo? I know how to drill a hole and keep the chips out.<br>Question 3) What fuel pressure range of gauge is required on the 03 diesels? 0-15 or 0-100 psi? 8)

 

I just installed pre-turbo pyro. What question do you have about it? The hardest part of the job is getting the stupid nuts off the back of the flange between the manifold and turbo. No room to work. I dropped the turbo 1/2&quot; to put a piece of cardboard in there to catch any shavings that might get by me. Just be sure to drill to one side or the other of the manifold downspout (?? for something better to call it). There is a partition between the front and the back. I drilled into the back portion.<br>Bob

 

Thanks. Basically you have answered my question #2. I see it is a super pain to disconnect the turbo so was (foolishly??) thinking of drilling the hole with everything still connected. With VERY careful and slow drilling using a sharp bit, a greased bit and very frequent cleaning of the drill bit it is possible to drill a clean hole with zero contaminants going into the pipe.

 

[quote author=Mexstan link=board=7;threadid=11468;start=0#108983 date=1046203144]<br>Thanks. Basically you have answered my question #2. I see it is a super pain to disconnect the turbo so was (foolishly??) thinking of drilling the hole with everything still connected. With VERY careful and slow drilling using a sharp bit, a greased bit and very frequent cleaning of the drill bit it is possible to drill a clean hole with zero contaminants going into the pipe. <br>[/quote]<br><br>You &quot;might&quot; drill it ok. I found the drill really dove once the hole was made. I was very glad I had covered the hole. Also, the tapping was probably harder to make sure nothing went in than the drilling. As careful as I was, there were shavings on the cardboard when I removed it. The nuts are the hardest part, then the rest is duck soup if you have the right tools. I tried to come up from the bottom after those nuts with a long extension - - I couldn't even see them. Ended up using extreme offset open end.

 

Sigh!!!! Well, guess I may as stop being lazy and when I decide on the gauges bite the bullet and do what you did. Bought the shop manul but have not yet read the part that tells how to remove the turbo. It may have some clues to make life a little easier.<br>Guess this is what happens when the engine is assembled first and then the rest of the truck built around it. No design engineer obviously tried to remove the turbo after the truck was assembled.<br>Thanks again for your help.

 

One method I have heard about but not tried is this:<br><br>Start hole in manifold. Once started and you are close to the end start the truck. Continue drilling and the exhaust will blow the metal shavings out of the hole you are drilling instead of fallingin. <br><br>I guess you would still have to be careful not to push the bit much pass the end of the hole.

 

Excellent idea! However it would be a wise idea to use safety glasses to prevent the tiny chips getting into your eyes. To prevent any drill going in too far just use a drill stop. If you don't have one for that diameter drill slip a piece of similar diameter pipe over the drill bit and cut the pipe short enough to allow only the drill bit protrusion you require.

 

Once you remove the four nuts on that flange, the turbo will drop down far enough to get a piece of thin cardboard or plastic in between the bolts and cover the hole. You don't remove the turbo. You do need to remove that big black plastic pipe thingy coming from the air cleaner, but that is easy. There was an unused hole in the firewall just to the left (I think it is the left) of the steering column. It has a rubber cover in it. A small slice in the side of that rubber and you can run your wires thru that. <br><br>Yes, I used safety glasses - - no I did not start the truck. <br><br>Bob

 

Thanks Bob for the info. I pretty well know what I have to do now. Seems like if I want to play with my gauges I have to work hard first. (sorry about that 4 letter word. work)<br>Now if one of you experts will only be so kind as to answer questions 1 &amp; 3.