I am considering putting one or two Autometer intake temp gauges onto my truck. I would appreciate if you could advise me on following:

#1 Where would be best place to put them? Some people suggest one before intercooler and one after. Any other place?

#2 What is temperature range gauge should cover? Autometers are 30 to 400F. Is that enough?

Thanks in advance!

ZoranC

 

1. That would be the logical places.
2. It is unlikely that the temps would ever exceed 400F.

 

I would install one gauge only. Autometer sells a dual intake air temp gauge. Since you can see the air box intake air temp with a scan tool like the AutoTap, you can install a temp probe after the supercharger and before the heat exchanger, and after the heat exchanger before the head.


The lower gauge is the dual intake temp gauge. The temp probes are included.

 

EASTERISLAND--Did you have to drill holes for the probes? If so, I guess you had to remove the intake etc. so you could keep the metal waste out of the engine. Do you have pics of the probes locations. What temps do you run like before a pass at the track and after a pass at the track, cold and when the engine is at operating temp. You state that the guage has two probes and only apperars to have one needle on the guage. Does it take an average from the two probes? What is the Autometer part number? Thanks in advance.
noelvm

 

Easter,Where do you have your EGT probe located?1600* looks pretty scary to me!Mine only hits like 1400* max under a full 1/4 mi run.[It's mounted on the #1 cylinder about 2" from the head]

 

Yeah, when on the freeway following forklifts the temps can reach 1600°+ the air temp is zero and fuel pressure 100psi.

 

I did it last year while the engine is apart. Since it didn't take me too long to toast the new engine I don't have much data to share. There are some pics in my f150 gallery.



The gauge uses two temperature probes. The are connected to a box from which one may switch the signal to the gauge. It also allows for peak recall. The part # was 5773 autometer phantom series. 2 1/16th.

 

Easter,Sorry,my bad.
Your gauge set-up is a little different than mine.Mine reads about 100* when not in operation.What max temps do you usually see?
Jim @ JDM says the "L" runs at about 1300* stock @ the head.
Thanks!-Dave.

 

That's cool. If I remember right the temps were about 1250-1350 cruising and 1500-1550 when WOT. I can give some better #'s when I get to driving it again.

 

I assume this will tell me efficiency of heat exchanger. SVTRobG suggests I install one probe in upper intake and other in lower intake on the driver's side. What would that give me and which one is more important to know?

Thanks again!

ZoranC

 

I wanted to see what temps would be with an aftermarket supercharger compared to the stock one. With it set up like I did I could see how much the supercharger heated up the outside air and how much the heat exchangers were able to cool the temps after the supercharger. I don't really think any of it is necesary.

 

What you would do in my case? I want to monitor important indicators of health of a truck, to know what is going on, and to troubleshoot. Which one would be more important: temperature of intercooler liquid before/after like some told me or temperature of upper/lower intake on driver side like others told me?

Thanks again!

ZoranC

 

You can either get the temp. gauge or a descent scan tool. If it's for scientific purposes or you just like a lot of gauges install a probe in the upper manifold ( or in rubber boot after the air meter ) and another probe in the lower manifold. But in my opinion that's just a waste of time and money to run both gauges.

If anything, I'd install a intake temp gauge in the lower manifold to get an accurate reading of intercooled boost going into the motor. That does require the removal of the lower intake though.

More important gauges would be oil pressure, fuel pressure and coolant temperature.

 

I don't like lots of gauges, but my reason for thinking of going with gauge/gauges instead of scan tool is so I can with just one glance check status of the vehicle as I am going full speed down the freeway. I am not aware of scan tool that would allow me that.

Reason for going with two (before/after) gauges is so I can take into account outside conditions like stop&go traffic on hot Southern California day that could (so I think) affect temperature of air as it goes into engine. My logic is if I see temperature on lower manifold rising without seeing increase in upper manifold then I know I have a problem with intercooler's efficiency.

So, there is a sensor in upper manifold that I can read out with scan tool? Is there any sensor that would give me values in lower manifold?

While on that subject, do you happen to know what temperatures I should see in lower manifold?

Oil and fuel pressure gauges are already on my list. What would be reason for getting coolant temperature gauge in addition to existing dahboard one?

Also, what is your opinion on putting exhaust temperature gauges (two of them, one in each)?

Thanks again!

ZoranC