Gauges.

[tauruck]

My question on gauges is, mechanical vs electrical (electronic)?.

I have more Autometer gauges that you can shake a stick at and the only usable unit for my application
is the oil pressure gauge.
The capillaries on all the others are too short for a liner application.

I have two choices, mount the gauges on a panel under the engine cover or replace mechanical with electronic and fit them where I originally intended.

To have my current units modified is risky and not reliable according to the advice locally.

[bearingburner]

I used electrical. No oil,gas etc. in drivers compartment.

[kiwi belly tank]

What can you actually use on a run? Put them with you & the rest go with the engine.
With the driver I have two big EGT's for the turbo's, a big tach with shift light & a low oil light.
  Sid.

[wobblywalrus]

MIke, you will be bouncing around on that lake, as best as I can tell from the videos.  It looks to be rougher than the salt.  Big gauges you can read peripherally without diverting your vision from straight ahead might be best.  Probably a tach and one or two others. 

[awelker]

I have electrical gauges in the drivers compartment and mechanical (oil press & water temp) mounted direct on the engine just to be able to verify the electric gauges when test running.

My concern also was not looking at gauges too much while driving so I used Stack Pro Control gauges.  These can be programmed to change back-light colors at user defined points.  For example a water temp gauge can be programmed to be green back-lit at a temp up to 220 degrees, then change to red for over 220 and made to flash red at 230.  Kind of a high tech warning light I suppose.  They also have a programmable switched output that can be used to trigger a relay to turn on a pump, fan, etc.  They also have outputs for a data logger.

I think Stack is owned by Autometer who also makes a Pro Control gauge, but does not have all the features.

Andy

[bbarn]

This goes without saying (I hope)...

If you are going to do any data logging in the future, might as well go right ahead with the electronic gauges. We run two traditional style gauges in the cockpit for Oil Pressure and EGT. Both of which have electric outputs that we run into the data logger as well.

We also can then choose to display them on the main digital panel but it really would be overkill. Let's face it, the gauges are looked at in startup and pre-launch, beyond that a yellow shift light and a red CEL are all that is necessary.

Looking at the data after the run is far more reliable than asking the driver anyway.

[Sumner]

....Looking at the data after the run is far more reliable than asking the driver anyway...

 

Sum

[fordboy628]

....Looking at the data after the run is far more reliable than asking the driver anyway...

 

Sum

x3!!!!!         Although in all fairness, the driver should be concerned with other issues . . . . . . .

 
Fordboy

[Milwaukee Midget]

Realistically, I'm looking to keep the tach, temp and OP gauges, but actually putting them OUT of my line of vision.  They have value upon warm-up, but last year on my backup run, a combination of a rough spot in the track and spending too much time staring at the tach caused me to short shift a bit on the 3-4.  Had I had my eyes up and an idiot light indicating the shift point, it's likely I would have been better prepared to drive through the rough spot while staying on the throttle than freaking out and shifting.

And let's face it, a sudden drop in OP at 8K is better handled with a cutoff switch and an idiot light than by human reaction.

[wobblywalrus]

Setting up the gauges so the needles all point straight up when things are normal will make it easier to detect problems.

[tauruck]

The only gauge visible from the driving position is the tach.
All the others are mounted on top of the tub for the crew to monitor.

There is a solution though.
VDO are interested in supplying a full set of electrical gauges for the project including sender units.
I'm torn because I love my Autometer units.

I'll let you know how it pans out but if push comes to shove I'll mount the stuff I have in the engine compartment.
Old habits die hard. In F2 I had Smiths mechanical units and they never let me down.

I'll have an update this week.

[SPARKY]

my experience with my setups I only make 2 or 3 shifts---we are now down to Tach  oil  AFR

  we have a water temp but that is for use on the start line

Make sure every thing looks good coming of the truck
PG  We shift out of low at about the 3/4 mile  I try to check the oil the glance at tach to determine shift check oil again the AFR

drive until just before the 2---AFR--Tach-- oil--- tach---shift  AFR

around the 3.5  oil--tach--AFR--

4  oil and tem

4.75  just have to know what the tach is reading to have a clue what we are running

5 tach and chute

[tauruck]

Thanks Sparky.
Info has been banked.

[NathanStewart]

Send all the pertinent data to your EMS and then use a race dash like this:



Has everything you need: tach, shift lift, channel readouts, alarms, etc.

[Speed Limit 1000]

Nathan, Maybe you need to go for a ride in our Lakester