Hey - what's wrong with 6 gauges John?? I have 6 Autometer's too - same ones as Heatstroked infact, except for where my other 3 are mounted. Can't have too many!! I actually want more but don't have any money to blow on them.

Heatstroked - what's wrong with a Volt gauge??

 

Nothing's wrong with it, I just wanted to know what they were.

 

I just think that the differential temperature while towing is more important. I ordered my aluminum extra capacity differential cover with the 1/8 NPT for the sender too, just flat out forgot! Damn blue lead paint......hehehehe

I have a small digital voltmeter gauge made by Vector that plugs into the lighter that is more accurate and practical.......oh well.

 

Can I have it?

 

The blue lead paint?

 

Nah, I thought you meant you you weren't using that volt meter in your cigarette lighter.....

 

Hey all,

Newbie alert in a way... I just bought a 99 SD and it's had some work done to it. It has a Diablo chip, aftermarket exhaust, AFE air filter kit, and I think maybe a new rad. Anyway, I've been told by a buddy of mine that I should have a gauge that measures the exhaust temp so I don't crack my turbo.

My question / questions are:

The person I bought the truck from didn't put any gauges in it. The only ones I have are the ones that came stock with the 99 SD manual tranny. So what do I need? I will be towing all kinds of things at altitude since I live in Colorado. I've always used Autometer so I know what brand I want but I need some clarification on what gauges, why, and where to get them.

Pyro gauge = exhaust temp gauge?

So in short...

What do I need, what do they do, where should I get them?

Thanks in advance

 

Toadie,
Congrats on your new rig and welcome to FTE! I would suggest that you get your gauges in there asap. I would recommend the following:

1) Pyro gauge - yes this measures the exhaust temps. Mount it in the up pipe ..... pre-turbo. That will be your most important gauge. Not only will it keep you from cracking your turbo, but also prevent blowing your motor. Exhaust temps should never be higher than 1200-1250 degrees for any extended period of time. I hate to say it, but with that aftermarket stuff already on it I'd be shocked if your turbo hasn't experienced those high temps a few times with it's previous owner.

2) Trans Temp Gauge - You'll definitely want to have this with the amount of towing you do.

3) Boost Gauge - With your mods you're running higher boost than stock. With those other mods, the guy may have unhooked the wastegate as well. You'll want to get the gauge to monitor the turbo's output. They say that you're in safe oporating range between 25-30 psi max.

Lastly, with all these mods and the towing you do, I'd suggest upgrading the trans. A lot of guys are running a Sonnax valve and tricumulator springs to adjust the pressure in the trans so that there's consistant pressure. A very cheap upgrade that will prolong the life of your trans. Perhaps a new, larger capacity tranny pan and an upgraded tranny cooler would greatly help you too. If you look towards the top of the screen you can click on the names of companies that sponsor our awesome website. Without them we wouldn't be able to have this. Check out Motorhaven.... they're the main sponsor. Good luck!

 

Heatstroked,

Let me know what you want for the autometer voltmeter I'll take it off your hands.

Fire Rooster

 

Great info Lulu but I noticed that MotorHaven doesn't carry Autometer?

Where are the $300.00 packages people are getting?