I've been needing a tranny temp gauge for a long time now. Since I'm going on a pilgrimage to Glamis this weekend, I decided I needed to pull the trigger.
After looking around I decided most of the gauges I was finding were either a) too expensive, or b) didn't have the resolution I was looking for. It seems like all of the "budget" analog gauges have small dials with a 90 degree or so sweep, and poor resolution on temperatures. Basically, you would be able to see you're somewhere between 200 and 280 for example, but who knows where exactly. As for the more expensive ones, sure you can get a 270 degree sweep gauge with even spacing across the temperature range, but you end up spending $200 on it.
So, after many hours of looking at gauges and weighing pros/cons I decided to get an AutoMeter digital gauge. It has the range I want, and you can easily see what temperature you're running with a quick glance.
Those of you with 3rd gen 4Runners (especially the supercharged guys) know that gauge space takes some creativity if you want several engine metrics, especially after you fill up the 2-gauge a-pillar pod. After prioritizing locations I found the perfect place to install this new one. Overall I'm very happy with the install and and more comfortable knowing how the transmission's doing temp-wise. Dunes here I come!
Installed picture of the gauge:
Installing the gauge was very easy. For the hole I used a 2" hole saw; the gauge fits very snugly in it.
Closeup of the gauge:
Picture of the sender installed: