Ooo, that's a good idea! One of those hardcore super magnets would be great for that.

 

you wouldnt happen to have the part #'s for those guages/pods? I like how the color matches well with the stock cluster. Thx for the write up.

 

Are you saying that Autometer brand gauges are cheapo or mechanical boost gauges in general?

 

Autometer gauges are cheapo in general. They now make electronic ones, but I don't know much about them personally.

With a boost gauge it's not too big of a deal--you don't gain much from having an electronic boost gauge unless maybe you get one that has a playback feature. A peak/hold boost gauge won't tell you much besides what you're spiking to.

However, I wouldn't trust Autometer for things like oil temp, oil pressure, or EGT. The Autometer EGT gauges only go up to 1600 degrees. Not high enough, in most cases.

 

Why would the Autometer EGT gauge be any less trustworthy than another one? Unless you buy some kind of lab quality equipent, the meter is a simple device and the thermocouple is just a K type devise, the same everybody else uses

Autometer gauges are not all cheap either (at least not price wise) Sure, you can buy better ones, but probably the biggest difference is in the looks except for a few exceptionally good (and extremely expensive) gauges.

 

I said:

I think that's quite clear enough.

Really? Last I checked, Autometer gauges were about 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of a good electronic gauge. If you're paying $250 for an Autometer mechanical...

Can you replace the bulbs in the Autometer gauges when they burn out? Do they hold calibration over time? Do you like having a pressurized oil line running into your cabin? How durable is the probe they use? Peak/hold recording? Smooth needle movement? Warning lights? You'll never be watching your gauge when you need to be.

Generally, you get what you pay for. Of course, good-looking gauges can be crap too. Look at the R1 Racing gauges with the bling bling lighting that you can change on the fly. Pure crap. Hell, their water temp gauge only goes up to like 190 F or something like that.

 

Congrats .... they look very nice especially at night with the red lighting ......my blitz white faced guage gives a white light


P.S Just realized from the photos another difference in the interior between the evo7 and the 8 , in the guages cluster your cars have 'LANCER' beside the speedometer , my car has" EVOLUTION".

 

Yes - autometer gauges are less costly than other gauges.. but I dont feel they are any less usefull than other humpty-dump guages. You can replace the bulbs and change the colors to match the dash..

Its a personal preference really. But I'd rather spend my money on performance than $500 gauges.

What's with the gauge only going to 1600'?? If your EGT temps break 1450 you are dangerously close to detonation anyway.

 

Where'd you get that figure? Detonation isn't something that can be determined solely by EGT alone. Is it a known fact on these cars that 1450 is where detonation occurs in a stock-ish Evo running 91 octane? If so, that's very interesting.

On a DSM running with a stock computer, generally around 1600 was where you'd want to be. The ECU is pulling a lot of timing at anything over 1600, maybe 1650.

Most of the pricier gauges show EGT to a much higher range. To me, 1600 sounds is limiting. It'd be as if you had a tachometer that topped out before or near your rev limiter.

As for rather spending your money on performance than instrumentation, I can fully understand that idea--believe me! But instrumentation is as vital as safety equipment. How much is your engine worth to you?

You own a Duc, so you know how important it is to keep things in tip-top shape and stay on top of things. To me, cheap gauges don't allow you to do that. If they work for you, okay then.

You can't change the bulb in an Autometer gauge--you can put a slip cover over it to change the color, sure, but if the bulb burns out, I don't think it's socketed for replacement. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Yeah, Autometer gauges are about 1/4 to 1/5 the price of SPA gauges.... Sure, SPA are probably more accurate and their EGT gauge can read temps of the turbo inlet gasses as well as the lower temps of the turbo outlet gasses. They are also electronic and quite cool. I guess the boost gauge is also very accurate and it also has another temp gauge in the same housing (not useable for EGTs though). I guess there are other electronic gauges that are also more accurate and perhaps more useful than the Autometer. Hell, there are probably mechanical gauges that are more accurate and useful, but they all come at a much higher price. Personally, I only use the gauges to monitor the engine parameters that I'm interested in. Also, I'm not planning to go to extremes with my tuning (perhaps 20-21 psi and tweaking the fuel/ignition settings with SAFC an a dyno).

Unless the gauges are butt-ugly or totally inoperative, which the Autometers are not, I'm more willing to spend the extra $600+ on things such as the SAFC, a boost controller and a couple of hours of dyno time.

 

You neglected to comment on my durability questions. Regardless of accuracy and all that, do you feel comfortable with hot oil lines next to your head? Do you mind having to replace it in a year or so when the bulbs burn out or the gauge falls out of calibration?

Sorry to continue tromping all over this conversation, but I just want to be clear. Buy what you can afford, but gauges are very important and just because cheap alternatives exist, it doesn't mean that's the route you'd necessarily take. I'm not suggesting y'all need to go out and buy a bling bling Apex-i EL gauge--take a look at the Omori line for instance.

I gripe because I care.

 

I've always had good luck with Autometer. Just because they cost less doesn't mean they suck. I use Autometer ultralights on my 600hp Mustang for things such as fuel pressure, nitrous pressure, etc....they work great. I plan on getting an Autometer boost gauge for my Evo. I twill do just fine. The spare $$ will be spent elsewhere

 

Hey, you are entitled to your opinion and I respect your choices. To me the ultimate quality of the gauges is not so important as long as they do the job. It's like buying a good kitchen knife, you can get a decent, well, balanced and perfectly good one for $25 or you can spend upwards of $1K or more for a hand forged Damascus blade. there is no doubt which one is the more beautiful, desireable and pleasurable to own and use, but my onios and eggplant don't even know the difference.

I've never had a gauge go bad if it was good to begin with. I use gauges all the time in my profession. I'm a mechanical engineer and I use all kinds of pressure, vacuum and temp gauges in my machines. The machines need to be monitored all the time and we depend on the gauges quite a bit. The truth is that except on rare occasions, the cheaper gauges do every bit as good a job as the most expensive ones. The only exceptions are laboratory quality instruments and only because of the precision and range they offer. I'm not going to set my boost to within 1/10 of a pound before it explodes, likewise, I'll not tune to within the last 20° F before catastrophic failure.

My tuning will be done conservatively, with due care and the use of good instruments (wide band o2 sensors, dyno, etc.) after that, the gauges are just to keep an eye on things. They do not need to be the absolute best or the most beautiful. I think the Autometer Sport-Comp gauges look pretty good and will do at least as good a job as the optional factory gauges from
You might use however expensive or cheap bits you want in your car, but it's not helpful to just go and bash on the choices of others. I appreciate you are trying to be helpful and all, but dismissing the Autometer Gauges as trash is a bit over the top. I could afford the SPA gauges, but then I'd be hard pressed to justify that much again on the go fast bits.... I'll go with my choice. I'll watch the boost with the Autometer and I'll monitor the TOT with the Autometer EGT gauge, if the light bulbs burn out, I'll send them back and get more, if they are not good enough for my needs, I'll buy some others.


Cheers,

Manuel

 

Here is what I've read about the EGT temps..

Pulled from the web...
The problem comes when you're trying to turn the turbine too fast. To do this, it takes a lot of heat and pressure. If you get the turbine too hot, it can damage the turbo. At 1270 degrees F, the tips of the turbine blades begin to blow. If you get them too hot, they'll straighten out or even melt and you'll ruin the turbo. The factory Garrett turbocharger will pull all day long at 1250 degrees, but in our opinion, 1270 degrees is the DO NOT EXCEED temp for sustained use.

There is contradictory opinion and advice about the best place to install the temperature reading device (thermocouple) that supports the pyrometer, but there is no disagreement that watching EGTs with a graduated gauge is a good thing to do.

EGT's will run about 500 degrees F at idle to 1100+ degrees F under an extreme load. Normal running temps will be between 500 to 900 degrees F. With EGT's at 800 degrees F, the 2.0L engine wis operating at its peak efficiency. Complete combustion is being achieved and converted into usable horsepower and torque as efficiently as possible. Maximum fuel mileage is achieved at this point.

Some publications dealing with EGT temps favor Turbocharger Inlet Temp (TIT) and not Turbocharger Outlet Temp (TOT). This suggests that the thermocouple should be mounted Pre-Turbo (in the exhaust manifold) and not Post-turbo. (in the down pipe) In their view, if you choose to mount the thermocouple in the down pipe, EGT readings will be inaccurate. With the thermocouple in the down pipe, the gauge reacts more slowly and is reading the TOT which is lower than the actual temp of the turbocharger. The difference between TIT and TOT can be as little as 50 degrees F to as much as 400 degrees F under a heavy load.

Other experts point out that installing the thermocouple in the exhaust manifold, ahead of the turbo, raises the possibility of the thermocouple breaking loose in the heated air stream and damaging the turbo. With greater accuracy goes greater risk.

One expert gauge manufacturer suggests that mounting the thermocouple in the downpipe and watching for a sustained temperature of 1050 F, is just as good as mounting in the pre-turbo position. Logic would suggest that if the temperature can vary as much as 400 degrees from the input to output side, then the sustained TOT temperature to be watched for under extreme load should be more like 870 F (1270F "straightening" point minus the possible 400 F variation.)

The most convenient installation of the thermocouple for a TIT application is in the lowest point of the driver's side exhaust manifold. The manifold itself is made of a high silicon cast iron and is very easy to drill and tap. There is a place on the manifold that makes for an easy installation and since it's the lowest point of the exhaust manifold, the metal chips are easy to clean out. (Greasing the drill bit to capture and contain any loose metal chips does not seem to help much. Some owners drill with the motor running to blow the metal chips out in real time.)

The best location for installation of the thermocouple for a TOT application is in the downpipe as close to the turbo as possible.

This article is based on our own research through the trade literature, and discussion with gauge manufacturers

 

Here is a sketch of the carbon fiber mounting panel we are making for my car....It'll fit in the existing radio opening without any modifications