Cylinder Head Temp Gauge Recomendation Options

[ddc829]

Can anyone recomend a good cylinder head temp gauge and source?

[barefoot]

I used digital gauge & thermocouples for mount under 14mm spark plug.All sourced from E-Bay for under $25 total.
Gauge is temperature compensated, thats is it reads temperature corrected to the cold end junction at the gauge.
The thermocouple is full length from the engine to the gauge so the cold end is right at the gauge.
I bench tested this in boiling water and at room temperature and got correct readings.

[FlacaProductions]

https://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm/pag...prod/prd347.htm

Dakota Digital 14mm lead - under #3 spark plug.

you can also use this link for easy searching of 914world:
http://cse.google.com/cse?cx=0024083458981...772:ajvfxschcgc

[ddc829]

Thanks all, I'll check them out.

[ddc829]

That looks good, I wanted to mount it in my console. Thanks

[GregAmy]

If anyone wants one of these with the aluminum housing, let me know. I went another direction for the race car for datalogging CHT...you'll need to buy the K-type thermocouple, same company.

https://thesensorconnection.com/product/min...og-output?v=776

https://thesensorconnection.com/product/typ...nal-type?v=2378

[VaccaRabite]

The 2 inch Dakota Digital seems to be the VW hobby standard for CHT, with the ring type K sensor under the hottest spark plug (#3 on a Type 4 engine). This is the unit I have in my 914, and what's also in my bus, and will be in my buggy. There are others, and the important part is that it NEEDS to be temp compensated. As long as you have that, and it uses the K type sender you should be fine.

Aircraft Spruce has several, including units that monitor 4 cylinders at once - but that is overkill IMO.

There are also analog gauges that look more like the VDO gauges in the car as stock. But the one you DON'T want is the VDO CHT - it is not temp compensated.

[ddc829]

Thanks everyone. Good info, I'll check them out.

[emerygt350]

"Aircraft Spruce has several, including units that monitor 4 cylinders at once - but that is overkill IMO."

omg, I would love to have that but not the mess and expense.

I use the dakota digital as well. I wish it matched the other gauges but it's such an important thing to know I don't mind it stands out (I put it way down low on my console anyway)
.

[mgphoto]

Anyone seen a blue tooth version that can be monitored with a smart phone? I use the 123 dizzy app to monitor engine conditions and really like not having to mount additional gauges.

[GregAmy]

Anyone seen a blue tooth version that can be monitored with a smart phone? I use the 123 dizzy app to monitor engine conditions and really like not having to mount additional gauges.

Highly unlikely within automotive or aviation marketspaces. The biggest consumer of CHT gauges - general aviation air-cooled engines - are all hard-wired into either gauges or engine monitoring systems.

However, you may be able to find an industrial solution for bluetooth monitoring of a thermocouple system. A quick Google revealed this:

https://dataloggerinc.com/product/tandd-tr75a/

Looks like it also does data logging.

If you're handy with electronics and apps, you can design your own. Use this amplifier:

https://www.adafruit.com/product/1778

...to convert the K-type thermocouple to a 0-5V analog output, then some kind of BT transmitter to convert that to an app.

I use that amplifier to input CHT into my Microsquirt, which offers Bluetooth transmission of all engine parameters to a tablet display. But that's a bit of overkill for one data point...

That first link above looks promising (yet spendy):

"The "T&D Thermo" app (for Android, iOS) allows you to carry out operations such as making settings, downloading recorded data, viewing graphs, creating reports and sharing data via smartphones and tablets."

I will offer that the Bluetooth idea has merit, in that once you fully tune your car to run within acceptable parameters, there's really no strong pressing reason to have it in view at all times unless you change something. Maybe just fire up the app occasionally to check for deviations (which, if bad enough, you should have already noticed in the drive quality).

[GregAmy]

Another thought: barbeque temperature sensors. It's very common for serious BBQ chefs to have Bluetooth ambient and meat temperature sensors.

I used one of the below to monitor and log multiple air temperatures in my 914 as I was trying to troubleshoot an oil cooling problem. I don't know what kind of probes these things use, or if they can be modified to run a K-Type, but i'm guessing someone very clever can figure it out...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076QDC5VL

I actually now use it to keep track of the flue temperatures on my wood stove. Gives me a heads up when it's time to add wood...

[ddc829]

Looks good. My thoughts exactly, very important to keep an eye on. CHT will warn of troubles way before the oil temp. Thats why I want it in the console.