does anyone have the banks sidewinder kit on that might be able to help me out. the gauge gets power and the neddle stays at 200 degrees, never changes.

 

never changes?

 

nope, just kinda floats there at around 200 degrees.

 

just dont know the procedures to op check it. i read the manual the turbo came with and they didnt mention anything about the gauge

 

where is the pryo mounted on the motor

 

its the EGT gauge for the turbo. dont know anything about it like i said so i dont even know where to start

 

yea chck the exaght mafoilds and a pipes for a censor

 

the aftermarket sensor for the turbo is on the motor?

 

There is a probe or stinger screwed into either an exhaust manifold or the down pipe somewhere in the exhaust.
I have had the stingers get loose even go bad.
I have also had the guage itself loose ground and read funny.

 

Should be located on the back of the turbo pedestal bracket on the back of your engine. Might have a loose connection somewhere if it isn't registering. I believe you can check the probe with a multi-meter for resistance but I don't remember the specs offhand. Hope that helps a bit.

-Dave

 

I believe to check the probe you must have volt ohm meter capable of reading milli-amps. Take the probe out, and with your voltmeter probe the wires while heating up the probe tip with a propane torch(carefull dont get it too hot). The milli-amp readings should go up as the temp goes up. If it does odds are its good. Then check you lead wires, make sure they arent grounding out to ANY metal what so ever. Any contact with a foreign metal will screw the gauge up. Pyro's dont use any outside power source, they depend on a reaction inside the probe between dis-similar metals to produce a SMALL electrical current. So any contact with any metal that isnt supposed to be there will throw it off, usually to the point where they wont work at all. If all the checks out, its probly the gauge itself.

 

Most pyrometer's have a set of lead wires attached to the probe. Wires to the gauge attach to the lead wires with a couple of small bolts and nuts then a sleeve goes over the wire joint. The joint is where a lot of connection problems are due to corrosion, rust, ect.

I don't know if Banks is setup this way and I can't remember if my Dads banks system is that way. My ATS system was, even both my semi's were setup with the leads from the probe.

 

All thermocouples I have ever seen had leads somewhere between 6" and 12" long before they bolted to the wire lead running to the pyrometer.
Thermocouples do go bad, so they need a way to be changed without pulling the wire all the way to the pyrometer.

There are also a couple different types, so if the thermocouple is bad, you need to know what type it was.

Also you should never cut or alter the length of the wire running from the thermocouple to the pyrometer or the readings will be altered.

Some pyrometers have nothing but a light bulb that needs power, the only other connections on them run straight to the thermocouple.

Others have a thermocouple signal amplifier either in the pyrometer or just before the the pyrometer and do need power to the amplifier.

Does the needle move any from when the engine is off to just key on to when the engine is running?

I would say your first move is find the thermocouple.
Banks had the thermocouple in the up pipe to the turbo on a couple models if I remember right and actaully in the turbo base flange where it connects to the up pipe on one I have seen before.

Drilled and tapped into the exhaust manifold is another good place to look.

And some units had the thermocouple in the down pipe after the turbo.

Once you find it, check the connections where the thermocouple is attached to the pyrometer leads for both corrosion and possible contact with a ground/metal surface.
The amount of current the thermocouple generates is very small, so it don't take much to make them not work.

Before the turbo is the best location in my opinion, you get truer readings there with less heat loss calculations.

 

wow, i appreciate all the replies thanks ill go out and check it out now that i have a basic understanding

 

the banks sidewinder mounts the thermocouple in the turbo pedestal about 6 inches below the turbo.
it is most likely a bad thermocouple.
i have had 3 go bad over the past 21 years on my 88.
and it has always been the thermocouple. i have the same gauge in there that is 21 years old.