🔧 BUILD LAME Turbo V6 Camaro

[10sec]

I love your positive attitude

But your car has a turbo and an intercooler and Mattstrike literally lives in the early 1990's. Just shorten the tube if you want to actually run a filter and go on with life. Hacking a hole into your fender is not going to do anything.

 

[v6buicks]

I'm not regretting the whole GN look yet, but it would have been easier if I didn't care about that. Having the turbo face forward with a filter right on the inlet would have been the most preferable if anybody else was doing this. lol We'll see what I come up with. I decided not to screw with it for now. The elbow works just fine if not better than what I had. It just looks kinda lousy and out of place.

 

[TurboTPI]

Where are you planing on putting the IAT sensor? It was pre turbo before correct?

 

[v6buicks]

Yes, and it's still pre turbo. I was thinking on the up pipe just before the throttle. Sadly, there's no good place on the intake plenum.

 

[TurboTPI]

I think im going to put mine right before the throttle body. I want to see how hot it gets unintercooled, then see the difference after i intercool it.

 

[v6buicks]

It would be interesting, but I'd be a bit concerned about the protrusion making turbulence if it's so close to the MAF. Then again, that kinda where mine was from the factory. Ideally I'd put mine where my EGR tube used to be, but that section of the intake is so meaty. I don't think I'd have enough air passing by the sensor for it to read properly. Maybe I'll pull the plug and check that out tomorrow.

 

[v6buicks]

Update: I lied.

The realization that I never once entertained that idea initially just hit me. This is dumb since I tapped that hole for 3/8" NPT! Now I'm mad, and I'm not waiting until tomorrow.

Oof... Okay so that's the bad side. There's about an inch of meat over there. I couldn't get an easy pic of the other side, but there's much less in the way there. The sensor would not exactly protrude into the direct flow path, but I'm sure it would work fine. What do you guys think?

If anything else it sure would LOOK cool there after shortening that harness!

 

[Mattstrike]

Mattstrike literally lives in the early 1990's.

Hey now, I 3D print stuff, you couldn't do that in the 90's. Besides, delta T is delta T. I don't recall hacking a hole in mine to stuff the filter down in the fenderwell, just removed the airbox and there was a hole there that needed to be... um, well, you know.

everything 3800 is living in the 90s really.

 

[Mattstrike]

Update: I lied.
...
The sensor would not exactly protrude into the direct flow path, but I'm sure it would work fine. What do you guys think?
...

I think it's going to be subject to heat soak if it's not directly protruding into the airflow, especially since it's threaded into the manifold. That behavior might be desirable and directly tuned for, but it's not going to be very quick to react to changes in the intake temperature (all brass housing is going to transfer heat from the IM to the sensor more efficiently than the open element type IAT sensors).


The brass screw-in sensors typically fit into the air filter box, which is plastic so no significant heat transfer from the engine alters the reading. A lot of series 2 cars use a plastic body sensor that fits a rubber grommet/hole.

 

[GTPpower]

Plus, that's a thermistor style sensor, so it's going to react very slow anyways.

 

[v6buicks]

Does that mean it wouldn't really matter what part of the stream its in?

 

[TurboTPI]

Id get an open element style one for sure

 

[v6buicks]

Id get an open element style one for sure

Do tell. I've never heard of this.

 

[Mattstrike]

One of these (1986 Lesabre 3.8L intake temp sensor)

 

[Pewter-Camaro]

For the intake there is enough room to put 3-4” pipe over the top of the radiator as well. I had mine like that but can’t find the pics now. Quick image search shows how it can be done though. Just another idea to throw out there.

 

[v6buicks]

One of these (1986 Lesabre 3.8L intake temp sensor)

That looks almost exactly like what I have. I bought mine for an '86 Grand National.

 

[TurboTPI]

Then your all good!

 

[v6buicks]

Then your all good!

I'm lost. What am I good for? Lol. I thought the only difference between these and the stock one was threaded brass vs. push-in plastic.

 

[GTPpower]

Those still react super slow. Not a big deal, because very little is calculated from the iat. Something faster is only really useful if you are trying to increase your intercooler efficiency.

 

[Mattstrike]

I'm lost. What am I good for? Lol. I thought the only difference between these and the stock one was threaded brass vs. push-in plastic.

When you say screw-in brass sensors, this is what most of them look like:

Which is what I (and likely a few other here) thought you were using - since the threaded open element type sensors stopped being the norm in like 1989. These are super slow to react to air temperature changes, and the body of the sensor conducts heat from whatever it's screwed into.


I'm not sure what kind of sensor GTPpower is talking about that is going to be faster response compared to the open element type, and how a 3800 pcm is going to use it, since the PCM is expecting a thermistor?

 

[GTPpower]

Yeah, you would have to switch to a thermocouple to get accurate readings. But the pcm can't use that, it would have to just be standalone data.

 

[GTPpower]

I have the typhoon/GN type sensor on my car now, but I'm going to switch to a pair of these.

Air Intake Temperature Sensor Module (Type K Thermo Couple)

Accurately measure your car's intake temperature with this sensor for digital gauges. K-type thermo couple temp probe accurately measures temps up to 631º F.

www.plxdevices.com

 

[Mattstrike]

Yeah, you would have to switch to a thermocouple to get accurate readings. But the pcm can't use that, it would have to just be standalone data.

I figured that was the case. I've had to dick around with thermisters and thermocouples with my 3d printer stuff to know which ones work better for certain applications. I guess given the context here though, since the PCM can't use a thermocouple, I don't see how you can use them to tune since the PCM is only going to see the IAT sensor output. Maybe I'm just being narrowminded again but I'm interested in the knowledge.

 

[v6buicks]

When you say screw-in brass sensors, this is what most of them look like:

Which is what I (and likely a few other here) thought you were using - since the threaded open element type sensors stopped being the norm in like 1989. These are super slow to react to air temperature changes, and the body of the sensor conducts heat from whatever it's screwed into.


I'm not sure what kind of sensor GTPpower is talking about that is going to be faster response compared to the open element type, and how a 3800 pcm is going to use it, since the PCM is expecting a thermistor?

Oh jeez. I didn't know this style was used for IATs. I would have pointed at that and said ECT right away. Does this mean I could get away with using my current IAT in the location I posted? Yeah it's slow, but it's going to be slow everywhere right? I'd just hate to drill another hole in my intake tube. The harness looked tacky the way I had it too.

 

[10sec]

Your IAT sensor has worked just fine.