Pyro gauge install

[Bowtie70SS]

I have caught the Deuce modification bug. I turned up the fuel after I added the turbo and took the forum's advice and added a pyro gauge first.


What do you guys think? I bought a Autometer pyro gauge with probe for like $82 shipped and added a $5 gauge mount from O'Reilly auto parts. I covered all that in some Krylon flat OD green. To make it work I went to Radio Shack and bought a regulator and tapped into the gauge power under the dash. I drilled and tapped the exhaust manifold on the back half. It works great, if memory serves it idles 300ish and max temp I have seen is a tic over 1000 maybe 1050. I wish the needle were white to match the rest. A boost gauge is next

 

[gimpyrobb]

I put mine on my steering column. I watch that more than anything else in my truck. Not sure if you saw the thread or not, lots of ideas here.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?19089-Pyrometers&highlight=pyrometer

 

[TMNT]

I agree with Gimpy on putting the pyro on the steering column. The temps move quickly when you're pulling hard and you need to be able to monitor the EGT within your normal field of view.

 

[Bowtie70SS]

Thanks. I thought about that but it is a little busy on the column. I never cared much for column mounted gauges or tachs. I wanted pods but they didnt have any. I am looking for a used boost gauge next. I even thought about taking the high beam indicator out of the dash and using a hole saw to mount the pyrometer in the dash to see easily. I can either relocate the high beam indicator or replace it with a LED. I am going for a somewhat original look for the truck but that may change.

 

[brianp454]

I mounted a boost and pyro gage over the column as the other guys suggest. I used peashooter's box with VDO gages. I have pics on this site in another thread. They look great!

 

[gimpyrobb]

Thanks. I thought about that but it is a little busy on the column. I never cared much for column mounted gauges or tachs. I wanted pods but they didnt have any. I am looking for a used boost gauge next. I even thought about taking the high beam indicator out of the dash and using a hole saw to mount the pyrometer in the dash to see easily. I can either relocate the high beam indicator or replace it with a LED. I am going for a somewhat original look for the truck but that may change.

Look for an A3 dash, they have more openings for gauges.

 

[Bowtie70SS]

Great info thank you. If my fuel gauge doesn't work at all until I tap on it then it just reads full, what are the chances it is the gauge? My tanks looks to have been replaced. Yeah I know, I cqan check the sender with a ohm meter.

 

[Gastrap]

I machined a pod from bar stock for mine and attached with a hose clamp. Not only handy having it right in your face, but also a max temp line added too for quick reference.

 

[Repo3004]

I agree with Gimpy on putting the pyro on the steering column. The temps move quickly when you're pulling hard and you need to be able to monitor the EGT within your normal field of view.

DEFINITELY on the column... it's too important to miss. Even with the gauge right in my face I still want an idiot light.

 

[Bowtie70SS]

What is critical temperature? I was thinking that 1100 and less is ok and that 1300 would be redline. Is that correct?

 

[73m819]

I have been told that 1200 is as far as you want to go for a length of time, when it goes over either get out of it and/or down shift.

 

[TMNT]

Aluminum melts at 1,221 degrees F. In my humble opinion, I would keep it below 1200 degrees for sure. I personally consider 1000 degrees to be the limit for extended operation. That gives me a couple of hundred degrees of safety margin. Here's why you don't want to run it too close to the 1200 degree point:

* the temperature probe is downstream from the combustion point by a few inches to a foot and half, depending on where you put it and which cylinder is your reference. Those few inches allow the gasses to cool below the actual cylinder temp.

* the probe is measuring the temperature of the exhaust gasses and not the actual temperature of the surface of the piston. The exhaust gasses will be a bit cooler than the piston surface.

* the temp probe measures the combined temperature of 3 cylinders. (Unless the probe is downstream from the turbo, then it's measuring the total exhaust of all 6 cylinders). An individual cylinder could be hotter than the combined gas temp from 3 cylinders. Your gauge could read 1150 but you could have one cylinder running 100 degrees hotter and a couple running 50 degrees cooler. The hot one is going to melt.

* unless you have 2 pyro gauges, you're not seeing the temp of 3 of your cylinders. The cylinder bank that you're not monitoring could run hotter than the bank your are monitoring.

* My truck runs strong with EGT's around 1000 degrees. These trucks aren't meant to be dragsters so I don't know why you would want to run one at the very edge of disaster. Considering the above, I run mine at 1,000 degrees max and I figure that gives me about 200 degrees of safety margin. My normal "driving around" temps are 700-800 degrees. It'll hit 950-1000 pulling a long hill in 5th gear. Very rarely, it will rise to 1050 and I'll ease up on the throttle to avoid it getting any higher.

 

[Bowtie70SS]

I will not run mine past 1100 then. I have yet ti see it even touch 1100, primarily stays at 8-900 and if I give it **** it will go a tic above 10. If I see it get that high I will probably back it down. Thanks

 

[DeucesWild11]

Hey guys, I was thinking of turning up the fuel in mine as well but had a question first. I do not have any turbo on my truck, do I still need to add a pyro gauge? Just curious as I don't have much knowledge about this stuff... yet..

 

[gimpyrobb]

I put the pyro in mine mostly to keep the fins on the turbo from melting. I have heard you don't need to worry about it on a non-turbo, but if I were to play with fuel settings on a truck, I would want to know whats going on.

 

[TMNT]

Hey guys, I was thinking of turning up the fuel in mine as well but had a question first. I do not have any turbo on my truck, do I still need to add a pyro gauge? Just curious as I don't have much knowledge about this stuff... yet..

I would personally prefer to have the gauge and know for sure, rather than assume it was ok. That being said, I would think that a non-turbo engine would have lower EGT temps, but I have no experience with a non-turbo deuce.

 

[DeucesWild11]

Thanks guys, she's such a dog up hills I wanted to get a little more power. Perhaps I'll just turn her up a little and see.

 

[Ford Mechanic]

I put mine on my steering column. I watch that more than anything else in my truck. Not sure if you saw the thread or not, lots of ideas here.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?19089-Pyrometers&highlight=pyrometer

+1 I had mine beside the 6x6 switch and found it was too had to read or took too long to read and was way too far to look off the road in my truck. I also moved mine to the steering column.

 

[cranetruck]

The pyrometer is a valuable addition and you'll learn about your engine with more input. During my cross country trip in the deuce, I checked it more often than the speedometer or any other instrument, for that matter. Different fuels with give you different EGTs, biofuels lowers it, for example.

My current installation is of the dual type to help pinpoint a potential problem or at least narrow it down to which set of 3 injectors are not performing. You will immediately discover that the front set runs a bit cooler than the rear, most notable at low loads.
Image shows the EGT temp at idle and "R" is the rear set.

 

[Mister Sunday]

How did you find a pyrometer for $82? Everything I've seen has been better than double that.