I know everyone says not to install them, and they are just a light show. Mine is hooked up to one of my cats on the drivers side. Under throttle it reads Rich, is that any indication I have a safer tune? I've always heard Lean is Mean (lean is faster) and pig rich is a little safer... If my a/f gauge is reading Rich is that any indication I am running rich? Most of the time it is hopping back and forth and spending most of its time in the middle... Any info on an Exhaust Gas Temp gauge, could that be any more accurate?
thanks, Shane

 

Only way to get a true, accurate reading is to get a wideband. I had an autometer guage and I'm looking to get a wideband sensor soon.

 

shane there was a thread not too long ago about the "best" gauges to get....meaning which ones will tell you the most about your truck. EGT is a better, more accurate picture when telling about A/F, from what i understand, but i'm not sure of the reasoning (it escapes me at the moment)....here's the thread

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...ghlight=gauges

 

thanks, I'd like to get an EGT and maybe a trans temp. The EGT gauge is more accurate than the air/fuel?
Shane

 

Quote from Ruslow..."EGT tells you the a/f indirectly in that as temps go up the a/f goes lean"

so if you can do a quick translation in your head after glancing at the EGT gauge, then it's better....killing two birdies with one stone!! I just don't know at what temp the A/F starts to be bad...you know what i'm saying?? like what temp = boom!!

there was another thread about the trans temp too....damn i can't remember who though....i'll find it for you....

 

Wideband, by far, is the best way to play. At a glance, you can see (accurately) what your A/F is. Plus, if you have something like an FJO, you can datalog your A/F vs. RPMs so there is no doubt if your tune is safe. It's not cheap, though.

EGT is a less accurate alternative to check your tune, but more accurate than the lightshow gauge. Higher temps mean more lean...

I believe the gadgetseller gauge is supposed to be reasonably accurate at WOT--which is probably what you're most concerned with anyway.

I don't believe you can trust the basic A/F gauge at all. The O2 sensors don't have the voltage range for the gauge to read anything valuable.

--Rip

 

I recently read that post also and decided on a Fuel Pressure and EGT gauge.
The install of the EGT Gauge seems like a pain in the azz. Talks about putting the sensor in the exhaust manifold a few inched away from the cylinders to read corretly. I guess you just take the exhaust off the header then drill the whole and make sure all the metal comes out and then reconnect everything.

What temps should be normal for the exhaust gas?

 

i'm no expert on it (most other guys in this forum will add more to this) but 11-14.5 is where you want to be. higher (14) if you have a very aggressive tune or running really lean. Lower than 10.0 and you're running rich...halflife will tell you - his tune was so rich that it robbed his truck of like 40 hp the other day at the dyno...

too rich = no hp too lean = boom!!!

 

May be somewhat truck specific (which is why it's not as accurate), but it seems around 1500 deg or less at WOT is reasonable. If you start headed toward 1600, it could be problems.

YMMV

--Rip

 

That helps alot, thanks.

Is the fuel pressure readings in this range?
Idle = 36-40 psi @ Idle
WOT = 48-52 psi @ WOT

 

Narrow band 02' sensors read between 12.0:1 and and 14.7:1 (I believe, someone correct me if I'm wrong).

So when you have a normal 02 sensor hooked up to them, you will not get any readings below 12:1, which is where alot of us and want to be at WOT. So the gauge will then just peg to rich end and thats it.


Wideband measures more and that is why it is so much better. There are other differences but I can't explain them well so I'm not even going to try.

 

TampaBlack99,

Try this link

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...re+and+read%2A

--Rip

 

Sweet!

 

I just had mine checked today, the idle was at 33-35 and wot was at 48-49. Consider that is in the shop, not driving it.

 

First a few answers to everyone's questions

Look under FAQ for answers like EGT vs Wideband A/F
Click the Link

Second a less Expensive alternative and when compared to the cost of a full electric gauge it's not that much more considering the information you get from it.

Innovate Motorsports, LM-1, Wideband A/F

I've got the LM-1 permanantly installed in the glove box. Eventually it will run a Autometer or like A/F gauge off the LM-1 for full time easy access to instantaneous read outs.


Third a little something to read for more insight into A/F

Autometer PDF for A/F Gauge, Installation Instructions, Page 4