EGT Gauge Added

[jacwjames]

49 minutes ago, Jim Pratten said:

Van, does the AutoMeter amplifier output match the connected type K signal?  Would prefer sticking with the same gauge family as the fuel pressure and, if possible, would use this amp between the type K thermocouple and the gauge. Like you, I have run multi conductor cable and using an amp makes great sense to me. 

This is an older thread, not sure how often Van checks the site.  Hopefully someone can chime in to answer your question. 

[vanwill52]

Yes, the K-type thermocouple with a short lead is still used.  Its output connects to the amplifier, and then plain copper wire from the amplifier is used to connect to the gage.  Don't know why this wasn't thought of years ago!

BTW, when you connect the EGT gage, you will be amazed at how high the temp will go in a bone-stock engine.  It is easily possible to hit 1450*F in low-RPM, high-load conditions.  So many posts on iRV2 by "experts" like "Wild Card" will tell you exceeding 1200*F will destroy your engine.  Good luck never going above 1200*F.  But the EGT gage will demonstrate the importance of keeping RPM's high in high-load conditions.

Years ago, I ran TWO 14 AWG, 7-conductor cables from the engine compartment to the instrument panel and terminated each end in barrier terminal strips.  That certainly simplifies adding electrical accessories.

[Ivan K]

I wish I had drilled for the thermocouple when I had the turbo out few months ago, just like I had done in my race car headers with a recorder when running a lot of nitrous. Just as I put the turbo back in, I found the long time mysterious bundle of spare wires, engine room to dash, oh well.

Van, where have you positioned the thermocouple,  manifold or past the turbo? I could certainly drill the exhaust tube past it but not sure about accuracy at that point. Thanks.

[Jim Pratten]

53 minutes ago, Ivan K said:

Van, where have you positioned the thermocouple,  manifold or past the turbo? I could certainly drill the exhaust tube past it but not sure about accuracy at that point. Thanks.

@vanwill52and @Ivan K, I’ve wondered the same. Assume there’d be some heat dissipation and reduction in temperature past the turbo but wouldn’t it still be linear with respect to the manifold temperature?  If linear, it seems I’d be able to establish desirable performance range . . . or not?

[vanwill52]

I suspect it is reasonably linear, no matter where in the exhaust system you mounted it.  I mounted mine in the exhaust manifold.  Drilled and tapped where the front and rear cylinder manifolds came together.  DO NOT DRILL DEAD CENTER OF THE MANIFOLD.   There is a rib there. Drill on either side of it.

Because of the laws of thermodynamics, the exhaust temperature at the turbo exit will surely be lower than at the exhaust manifold.

[Kenster]

On 7/17/2021 at 4:31 AM, CRY1942 said:

The gauge, sender and special cable is from Banks Power (www.bankspower.com).

The sender is installed in the exhaust manifold PRE Turbo.

I debated a long time about Pre or Post Turbo, but my shop mechanic said they could drill the manifold with no problem and mount it Pre Turbo which would be more accurate. Post Turbo readings can be 300 or 400 degrees cooler, so I am told.

I have a great deal of trust with my shop; Carpenters Buss Sales, Elm Mott, TX and went with their advice.

Running the cable was the hardest part of the job, coming from the engine, along the frame rails forward, there was an entry point from my single roll out bay (38 foot coach) which comes out under the refrigerator, then forward behind the couch to the dash area.

There are other vendors of EGT Gauges that do not require the "special" cable but were out of stock for the longest time and the Banks Gauge was readily available.

Good luck and safe travels.

The only issue with the thermocouple being pre-turbo is, if the thermocouple ever burned off, guess where the parts go; through the turbo turbo.

[vanwill52]

4 hours ago, Kenster said:

The only issue with the thermocouple being pre-turbo is, if the thermocouple ever burned off, guess where the parts go; through the turbo turbo.

I removed my thermocouple, after approx 20K miles, and it was pristine.  You are UNQUESTIONABLY correct about what happens to thermocouple pieces should the probe disintegrate (not necessarily that they destroy the turbo)...but I think the risk is miniscule.

I would prefer to know the ACTUAL exhaust temperature, than an "extrapolated" one.

And I hesitate to digress, but Ivan and several others realize EGT is NOT piston temperature...not even close.  So many "experts" will say that EGT of 1100*F is above the softening temperature of the best piston materials.  But EGT is NOT piston temperature...not by a long shot.  If EGT temp equaled piston temp, ALL Cummins engines would self-destruct under high-load, low-RPM operation. 

Install an EGT gage (in the manifold, before the turbo) and you will quickly realize that I have what Bill D would call "personal experience".  Even on a bone-stock ISC, you can easily see EGT's that FAR exceed the melting point of even the best piston materials.  PLEASE do your research before you post internet BS.

I have now been running a slightly "hopped up" ISC for nearly four years.  Get your ICE (internal combustion engine) understanding before offering your virtually worthless personal (not from personal experience) OPINION on CI (compression ignition, i.e. DIESEL).

Sorry if I seem to be condescending.  I do not mean to be.  But there is SOOO much worthless BS out there on the subject of EGT.

[Rikadoo]

Here is some printed info that came with my stinger kit years ago. Now im not sure that gale banks is concidered the “burning bush” however im sure somewhere the team that engineered the stinger kit must of had some idea of what was what. One other piece of information i will call “personal knowalage”  is that all the years of working on military trucks then for the 10 years of working on OTR rigs Not one time can i remember EVER seeing a pre turbo egt! Now thats not to say they dont have there place, but i can say the vast majority of drivers “OTR” could care less about intake EGTs as they were more worried about the tattel tales that were being installed that watched there every driving issue. In fact just to add a little something extra to this pile of EGT history information is how many pairs of vise grip pliers i would collect from truckers that used to pinch off the fuel return line so the truck would inject more fuel due to base line fuel pressure would increase. Back then the world believed smoke was power!!! So excuse me if i dont get fall into all this knowalage wars of intake temps vs the science of egt temps cause you will find many differing opinions written or folk lore tales. I understand we all pull loads of weight, and yes i know knowledge is power, but at the end of the day just having a baseline of info is crucial, and after that its just personell preference as to what your willing to risk to get your load “over the hill”.

[Benjamin]

When comparing RV engines to truck engines or any other engine, they are not the same.  It might be the same ISC or C7 or whatever, and might or might not be identical internal parts, but the HP setting is significantly higher for RV's.  RV's are considered a lower duty rating than trucks, so a truck that is expected to reliably go 250k before overhaul might only be expected to do 100k in an RV or 20k in a fire truck, or 2,000 hrs in a recreational boat.  The ISC put in a truck might get 250HP, while the boat, RV, fire truck gets 330+, and in a farm tractor or construction equipment it might be 200 or less.  So you're already dealing with a hot tune and there's not as much room for "free" extra power without shortening the lifespan of the engine like there was when an 855 put out 250hp.