3800 Got my IC temp gauges installed

[imported_Ron Vogel]

Well, got these digital guages for my IC water temps. The probes are in the water lines going in/out of the IC about 10" from the core. It's nice to see first hand the water temps rise/fall and now I can start making the IC more efficient. Just from driving to work today I can tell that my IC radiator needs to have a fan. It's mounted off the engine rad a couple of inches, so it gets very little air when not moving, and my temps reflect it. I also think my pump needs slowing down, the water temps in/out level off too fast, and it looks like water isn't in the core long enough to extract enough heat. However, my IC coolant temps never get higher than 30 degrees above ambient, and hover around 20 degrees above when the car is moving air through the radiator. I highly reccomend putting in guages like this to anyone that likes to tinker. I bought a computer dual temp monitor for $7.99, it normally fits in a CD-ROM dive bay. The guages are battery powered, I popped them out of the bay they were in, and cut out slots in my cubby area to install them. I had to lengthen the probe leads about 2 feet, but that was it. This is what the guages look like.

Click to read more...

 

[sr71_rgl]

Nice work Ron...do you have any pix of the guages installed?

 

[imported_Ron Vogel]

No, I really need to get a digital camera. It turned out nice though. In the little cubby below the ashtray I have my boost guage to the right centered up/ down and the IC temp guages to the left stacked vertically with about 1/2" space between them. I cut out the holes with a roto zip, and it came out very clean, the guages snap right in. Just came back from lunch; on the highway, I'm seeing 5-10 above ambient IC water temps, at slow speeds and idling it's about 20-25 higher.

 

[ThePizzaGXP]

Any insight on where a fat white man like myself could pick up one of those temp gauges? ?

 

[imported_Ron Vogel]

Originally posted by ThePizzaGTP@Jun 30 2004, 12:23 PM
Any insight on where a fat white man like myself could pick up one of those temp gauges? ?

Do an internet search for a Thermaltake Hardcano II. They are discontinued, but lot of places still have them. I got mine from www.svc.com, but I believe www.newegg.com has them too.


Newegg is the cheapest @ $6.99, here's the link:
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc....-999-109&depa=0

 

[imported_Ron Vogel]

If you plan on doing this, a couple of things to note...

The leads aren't long enough, you'll need to splice in 2ft extra to each lead. It won't affect temp readings as long as it's done around the middle of the wire.

This is a thermocouple, and can't be submerged in water. It is made to go on the outside of things, tape is supplied in the kit. For most accurate measurements, Hayden makes a very thin brass barbed hose-hose connector. Put this in-line on your IC in'out's. I slipped the thermocouple slightly under the hose between the barb, taped it with the supplied tape, then over that with electrical tape, zip-tied the wire, and covered the assembly with poly pipe insulation to prevent scewed readings. The thin brass responds quickly to changes in temp.

The readings are in Celcius, I made my own conversion table and can supply one to anyone that needs it (in Excel)

When slipping the leads from the cabin to the engine compartment: The thermocouples are fairly fragile, if you shove them through the firewall they are likely to be damaged. I found they fit well into the empty barrel of a bic pen. I taped the wire to the barrel once the wires we in it, then pushed them through the firewall.

Hope this helps...
Ron

 

[ThePizzaGXP]

Thanks.

 

[sweetness]

just a thought, but how is slowing the water going to help intake temps? I understand that slowing the water will allow each unit of water to absorb more heat, but the amount of heat taken out of the air will be less as the water temps rise. Slowing it down in the front radiator is a good idea... amybe thats what you are talking about. Moving it as fast as possible through the intercooler would be better than letting it linger. The amount of heat removed is greater when the water and air temps are vastly different. the closer together the less heat can be removed. Maybe running a larger diameter hose into the front heat exchanger will allow it to linger in the heat exchanger longer, while keeping the velocity thruogh the intercooler higher. Just a thought.

BC

 

[imported_Ron Vogel]

I'm only seeing a small temperature increase between the inlet and outlet of the IC. It's going through there and not pulling enough heat out from what I presume. I'm going to be switching to a pump that's a bit slower, but I'll also put in a relay and hobbs switch to switch the pump voltage between 12 and 6 volts when under boost. We'll see how that affects it, at least now I can track the performace with my temp guages. I am using 5/8" lines for my system, my theory was to zoot the coolant through the lines quick and slow it down in the exchangers. I also picked a large rad to create capacity, and slow down the flow. The only problem I see in my system is that my pump is a very high capacity/high flow pump. I can only guess on GPM, since it's home brewed, but it could be anywhere from 10-15GPM. I'd like to be around 4-5GPM.

 

[rob]

Well now that you got the temp gauges in you'll be able to fully tune your IC in. All you'll need now is an ice exchanger..

Im very impressed with your water temps and Hayden also makes fans that are low profile....Their pricey but work well for there thin size. You probably can get one from the junk yard though. I think with a fan you'll be ambient.

Make a cooling can like you said and intsall it after the rad/before the IC core. This sould add a little resistence and keep the water in the rad longer.

Ive been busy working on other stuff but when I finish my ice exchanger I have Fredo take some pics.

 

[imported_Ron Vogel]

Rob,
Farm & Fleet has the Hayden fans pretty cheap. I can fit 2-10" fans on there, or one 15". The 15" fans are around 60ish at F&F, not too bad. They have a thermo fan turn on too, but it's preset at 170; may have to plumb that one in the engine rad.

 

[rob]

I got the Hayden 3580 or something. It was $60. I also got the Hayden thermo switch....I need to see if it can be submerged....Looks like it.

The fan fits well in my custom IC rad brackets.

Ron, I found a Stewert warner temp guage I had laying around. I want to use it for monitoring my IC water temps but cant find the sending unit. Where do you think I can get a sending unit....Anyone should do right. The gauge looks like a one wire hook up to the sensor and guage.

SW still in buisness?

 

[imported_Ron Vogel]

Got me if they're still in business...You may want somethong different anyway, I don't think there are really any automotive guages that go low enough. I could only find ones that went down to 100F. The highest temps I've seen so far have been about 110F, and usually hover around 85-90F. After my dry ice coil goes in, I should be seeing 50-60 degree temps.

 

[superchargedgp]

so your have your probe taped to the outside of rubber hose?

sooo you measuring the temperature of the hose not the coolant?

i think thats pointless

 

[imported_Ron Vogel]

Originally posted by superchargedgp@Jul 2 2004, 07:03 PM
so your have your probe taped to the outside of rubber hose?

sooo you measuring the temperature of the hose not the coolant?

i think thats pointless

I have it on a thin brass coupler, just under the hose. Then the coupler and hose are covered with pipe insulation.

 

[rob]

Originally posted by Ron Vogel@Jul 1 2004, 06:11 PM
Got me if they're still in business...You may want somethong different anyway, I don't think there are really any automotive guages that go low enough. I could only find ones that went down to 100F. The highest temps I've seen so far have been about 110F, and usually hover around 85-90F. After my dry ice coil goes in, I should be seeing 50-60 degree temps.

Yea thats right. For now im going to use my temp probe on my DVOM or a heating and air probe. I just need some baseline temps for now and deternine the longentivity of my ice capacity at different ambient temps.

I may go with the Lindsey when I mount up all my guages. Later next week. Im racing to complete the plumbing so I have a car when my whife and kid leave tomarrow.

I'll post some temps later if I geta change. Maybe Fredo will stop by tomarrow and get some pics of the final install. Or just come Ron. We could shoot the shit on friday or something if your not too busy.

This thing is comming out well and pending some real temps may be something some people may want to add to there existing IC system....A fan and a can should really get up the timming in high boosted applications.

What did you have in mind for the can Ron? Maybe a nice aluminum can witha screw on top or if you can fit a smaller personal water cooler in the nose. I saw the coiled line at HD.