[Hamman]

Just thinking - If you use CAN gauges that just plug into the engine ECM, then I understand the TEMP, Oil Pressure data coming through but how does the ECM get the fuel level data - is there a special sender unit?

 

[Rick_L]

There's not a practical solution for that in the 55-57 Chevy vs. late model powertrain world. The exception would be if you swapped in the dash and gauges from a late model that had a CAN bus.

But very few of those even have the CAN setup. Most donor engines/cars have separate wiring/dash gauges that don't go to a CAN bus.

Maybe someone can tell us what potential donor cars have a CAN bus for the dash gauges. I don't think it's very many.

For instance, all the 4th gen Camaro LT1 and LS1 cars may have had the gauge wiring in the same harness, but the actual conductors for the gauges except the tach are totally separate from the pcm. And I'm pretty sure that the cars and trucks up throug 2006 are the same way.

But the key think is swapping the dash too, when you find a car with it.

 

[Hamman]

There's not a practical solution for that in the 55-57 Chevy vs. late model powertrain world. The exception would be if you swapped in the dash and gauges from a late model that had a CAN bus.

But very few of those even have the CAN setup. Most donor engines/cars have separate wiring/dash gauges that don't go to a CAN bus.

Maybe someone can tell us what potential donor cars have a CAN bus for the dash gauges. I don't think it's very many.

For instance, all the 4th gen Camaro LT1 and LS1 cars may have had the gauge wiring in the same harness, but the actual conductors for the gauges except the tach are totally separate from the pcm. And I'm pretty sure that the cars and trucks up throug 2006 are the same way.

But the key think is swapping the dash too, when you find a car with it.

Thanks Rick,
My thinking is this. If you use say a LS engine from say Mast Motorsports then you need a harness and ECm - theirs comes with one. Theirs can uses CAN bus gauges. There is a cable that plugs in the the ECM then to the main gauge. Sub gauges go from the main gauge so it looks just like plug and play. I would think it would suit LS transplants