Does anyone use EGT meters to monitor tune of exhaust gas temps?

Seems like an exceptional meter that would do something other than speed/tach.
Troubleshoot, monitor, and indicate what is going wrong when its going wrong.

If so, please give feedback about your brand/model/cost and you personal experience/opnions.


Thanks!

 

I have one on my Banshee. I worked well for several years and then quit working.

I was always looking at the temp while riding and constantly worrying if I was running to hot. When it stopped working, all I did was ride and had fun. I wouldn't buy one again. I would rather jet by reading my plugs.

For a 4-stroke, I don't think EGT is as critical, unless you plan on racing and like to run on the edge of dependability.

 

AZsandrider,

Hee hee, I thought you might be the only one to answer. Thanks!
I'm looking at a lot of experimenting with fuel systems so thought this may help to monitor and troubleshoot as I go.
(and keep from screwing a rotax engine up)
I may get one with colored lights, since single cylinder egt's are basic units and cheaper.

My 2 stages will require 2 different fuel platforms so what I'm thinking is stage one put dually dialajets in my dual mikuni 36mm stock cv's.
No throttle conversions, no air box conversions, ...for BMW from DS.

And see how that goes and probably get a lectron for engine stage 2 depending on if I get the 5mm roller stroker. But I will use dial a jets on lectron also so I need to get used to dial ajet since HPR won't support that.
The cv's will be more street tame, get better gas mileage, and should not be that bad of performance with 20-30% atomized gas from idle up.
Mr dialajet bores and rebuilds cv's so I'll have to see, but that sounds a little messy. I need to get a better feel for fsc lectrons gas mileage and throttle response, which dial ajets should help gas mileage and throttle smoothing in traffic (poor man's EFI).

No I cant read with my bifocals vibrating when I ride, but I can just monitor bright colored lights in my peripheral vision so can understand what part of power band is effected. Plug readings seem too static vs the dynamic and continous tester. It seems appropriate since dialajet only works one to 4 jets too lean, so there may be trouble gaps somewhere - ???

Any way, I'd better not start without one. I want to learn, but not burn (my engine).

Thanks for your feedback, and I'll remember your advice.

 

I like the Digatron. Gives you Temp through a thermo couple.

You can get multiple displays so you can see cylinder head (coolant) temp / tach / etc.

It also datalogs.

Not sure what they are costing these days.

 

Thanks DuneMe. Nice looking readouts and a light option.

 

I have a Digatron on my Banshee. I guess I should take it off and send it to get it fixed, but the Banshee is for sale. Also had a Digitron for my wife's Honda Pilot, it too was acting up when we sold the Pilot.

My wife's RX1 turbo powered mini buggy has a digital gauge in the dash that has a colored bar that shows "rich" and "lean" conditions with no temp gauge. If the bar is in the middle your ok. I like that a lot better than always worrying about my EGT when I can constantly see it.

 

"My wife's RX1 turbo powered mini buggy has a digital gauge in the dash that has a colored bar that shows "rich" and "lean" conditions with no temp gauge. If the bar is in the middle your ok. I like that a lot better than always worrying about my EGT when I can constantly see it. "


For riding, that's what I'm talking about. For tuning or troubleshooting, the digital readout,or a less accurate (but easier to recognize) gage would be best. But like you say for riding, colored lights (or centered bar) are the 'ticket'. I was going to ditch a totally worthless clock (from brand new) on the dash of my 97 BMW F650 ST and replace it with a similar size egt (2" dia). The digital would be better on my electrical system as well.

I don't know if your digitron reliability problems were from off road material handling or what but it sounds suspicious.

EGT sounds like the optimum way to verify tune. The only bad thing will be figuring out what/where to drill for the thermocouples. That could introduce a lot of temperature variance so hope dont have extra holes in exhaust or whereever they are inserted, lol.


Thanks for the information!

 

azsandrider and duneme

Digatrons are the ticket. They are lifetime guaranteed, all of them. A knowledgeable ebay seller said the only failures he's known are thermocouples and attachements not secured and insulated adeqautely (sensitive).

You can save data, warning lights, shift lights, graph, ... they do everything.
Cht and egt in one with tach for intelligence.

For racers and tuners alike, this seems to be must have to understand what is going on with your bike realtime and historically.
I might have to get my laptop repaired for this.


Thanks guys!

 

Yep I got one on my LT500 was the best thing I ever did!!! at the cost of rebuilding the top end over and over it was cheaper to get the EGT meter once dial that puppy in and ride and ride and ride, mine has the sensor wielded in teh head of the pipe about 6 inches away from the exhaust port using a oxygen senser.

 

Hard not to get excited about all those features. . . What a GEEK!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]


(I can say that because I'm just as much of a Geek!) [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]


For the guys running the lean/rich meter. . . isn't that just an O2 cell? If so, and you are running a turbo (therefore you must be running race gas) how do you keep the O2 sensor from getting leaded-up?

My Turbo Busa Mini-Rail has the EGT's which I haven't gone up a steep enough hill yet to monitor them. I've heard (with the engine work done to the motor) I can run extremely high EGT's and not worry. Need to check into that a bit more but, it does make me a little nervous.