For those that do, how do you monitor drive pressure?

Is there a better way you'd rather do it?

... only need hardware and installation experiences & preferences, please!

 

Using RowJ's gauge attached to the pyro hole in the manifold for me... 1:1 up to 55psi and at 60psi of boost 61psi of drive

 

That's the only way I know. A pressure gauge tapped into the manifold. To do it full time requires a flitering system of some sort, but could never get one to work properly.

I just use a cheap 0-100 pressure gauge with 6' of copper hose off the manifold, under the hood and through the passenger window. rests nicely on the opened glove box. Has held up for 6 or 7 uses but is bound to die/clog soon with the heat and the exhaust soot.

RJ

 

I guess a plastic line is out of the question?? I've got a water pressure guage sitting here and all the fittings I need to check drive pressure, short of a peice of tubing. Would you look at a hardware or automotive store for some small copper tubing?

 

Yeah id say a plastic line is def. out of the question. It would melt in no time. Id say the copper tubing shouldnt be hard to find. Lowes probably carries it.

 

My local NAPA store had a kit...6' tubing, compression fitting, nut, etc. They had a kit with the gauge also... around $16.00, I think.
Just needed an adapter to fit threaded hole in the manifold.

RJ

 

Lowes only goes down to 1/4" copper tubing, I would get a kit from Auto Zone or something that is for oil pressure gauges, it has a fitting soldered on one end and is 1/8" tubing.

 

You think it'll clog up? I just bought a gauge and tubing a couple weeks ago. I haven't had the chance to install it yet. The gauge came with the copper. I saw a friends truck who ran his with the copper (6') run while still looped (spread coils) with it spread out to dissapate heat, then it connected with a brass coupling to the poly tubing, then ran the poly inside the cab through the regular firewall grommet to the gauge. I didn't see that he had anything to filter it. I'll have to check with him. I'll post back if I hear different.

 

I would expect it to carbon up badly and block flow...sooner or later. Wouldn't you? Just look at your egt probe.

RJ

 

Well yes, silly question I guess. I just didn't think of it prior to. I was planning on a permanent mount gauge. We'll see how it works if I don't hear back from my friend.

 

My local Autozone actually carries a boost gauge kit w/ copper tubing.

 

I don't think it will clog- ours on the engine test stands never did- remember that on a pressure gauge the column of gas won't move far. (only to compress the volume to the gauge) - what helped ours was that the tubing was very thin. (Like the measuring lines on a fridge with thin nylon tubing attached to it-less than 1mm ID)
As soon as the drive pressure drops the gas in the line will expand and push back. You'll need to take care that everything is really tight, otherwhise the soot will travel up to the leak.

HTH

AlpineRAM

 

Ok, that makes sense too. Thanks for the contribution. I'll try and get mine hooked up this evening if I have time. I'll report on any issues I have....if any.

 

Was that for diesel engines? Trust your experience and it's an interesting theory but .... I'm just not so sure, on a full time basis??
Guess Tiger will find out for all of us.

RJ

 

Rowland, I'm going to have a drive-pressure gauge kit suitable for long-term use installed on the '05 in time for next month's Ardmore dragstrip test & tune.

It deals with the soot/vibration/boost/heat issues to allow an in-cab readout.