just curiosity speaking . . . what is the benefit of having an "additional" water temp gauge? what's the difference between stock and aftermarket? please dont flame me but just answer my question to the best of your knowledge please. Thank you. Oh yes, if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say it at all. Thanks again.

 

your stock one doesn't have any temp indications at all. What is hot? Do you know? And is hot really too hot, or is it SUPER FREAKIN hot?

I run a lot of road course events, and i wanted to make sure i didn't ever over-heat the car. With a gauge that tells me exactly what the water temp is, right before it hits the turbo.

 

Mitsu's factory water temp gauges are notorious for not being very high resolution. I know from the 1g and 2g DSMs, the needle would stay in the normal range all the way from 180F to 220F (verified on the datalogger). Only after 220F does the needle start moving and it doesn't move very much! Head warpage starts happening at 230F (110C). I wouldn't count on it being any more accurate for the EVO. Nor would I rely on it at the track.

 

WarmPepsi's home-brew solution is totally doable, and extremely cheap. I put something together today for under $5.

WarmPepsi, if you didn't see my post on the other thread, I'd appreciate it if you could check it out. Thanks!

 

Great writeup.

 

nice, thanks for clearing that up guys. I think I'll be in the market for this soon.

 

Sorry for the delay guys, I ignored the computer this weekend.

WarmPepsi - It is true that this adaptor puts the temperature sender on the other side of the thermostat. However, the difference is not as dramatic as you imply. Naturally, the sender will see no warm coolant until the thermostat opens. This takes 2-3 minutes normally. At that point the thermostat very rarely closes shut. The thermostat is not an on/off switch. It's more like a door cracked open. It regulates the coolant flow to the motor not by opening and closing abruptly but by creating a restriction in the flow which inhibits cooling.

The location of this sender is literally 3" from the other senders in the coolant system. What those senders see this sender will see. Even though the flow is regulated by the thermostat, the sender is so close to the other senders that no major difference in temperature will be seen. This location is far from 'no good.'

MrMejia - OEM car manufacturers dumb things down for the customer. In VWs the instrument cluster coolant temp gauge will read 190 if the actual coolant temp is anywhere between 170 and 210. That's a 40 degree fake! Many people who mod their cars extensively and use them for racing like to see how effective their cooling system actually is. This is where an additional temp gauge comes into play.

marksae - thanks for the data. I do not know of any late model cars out there which don't use a 'dumbed down' water temp gauge.

Matz - excellent solution. Typically fluids lose their temp as they enter small lines and go to external components. We see this with external oil cooler setups. If you measure the temps of the oil leaving the cooler naturally it's going to be much cooler than the average temp of the oil inside the engine. With that said, you're going to be watching the temps of the water exiting your turbo. Keep in mind these readings won't show the average motor coolant temps. You will only be monitoring the temps of the water as it's boiled running through a 800° turbo!

Obviously our adaptor is not the only way to install a water temp sender in the EVO, or any car for the matter. However, we feel it's an excellent, trouble-free bolt on solution for those who are seeking one. In my experience in this business I will assure you that very few people are willing to shop for fittings are the local hardware store, let alone cut a water line! Sad but true. I mod my cars as close to 100% DIY as possible. In my experience though 95% of our customers come to us for true bolt-on solutions.

The adaptor we have designed will provide you with a simple way to measure the average coolant temps of your motor. If you are looking to measure water temps at a specific location such as the turbo I would encourage you to come up with another solution.

Hope this clears things up,

Evan

 

I'm aware of how a therostat works, and in most cases, this unit would work just fine, after it opens, However, i can't see the logic in installing something that will work correctly "after a few minutes"

Correct me if i'm wrong here, the temp you're reading, when you take it from where i have it set, is BEFORE the turbo. I could be mistaken, i just knew it was inline, and by looking, assumed it was the TO, not the FROM of the turbo route.

That being said, i've never seen a temp over 215 or so ( can't even really remember seeing it over 200 now to think about it ).

 

Looks like a good spot to me. Don't know what the fuss is about. I will buy one once you get them for Jap gauges.

 

FYI, I've confirmed that GReddy is 1/8" NPT even though it's a japanese product.

 

Matz - thank you for the confirmation. I'll jot that down in my giant list

I haven't been able to do the 1/8" BSPT version yet. I've been busy with some other projects that came up. I'll get to them asap!

 

I am working on some other EVO specific adaptors as well this week

Evan

 

Got a cheap adapter that replaces the plug in the oil filter block (for temp. sensor)? I haven't found one at Home Depot yet, and may end up machining my own if I can't find one soon.

 

Yes, here's our oil pressure adaptor. This uses a 45° fitting to clear the subframe. THis starts from a 3/8" BSPT plug. Home Depot only sells NPT which will strip the threads in your oil filter housing and cause leaks. I'll have the adaptor above for 1/8" NPT and BSPT senders by early next week. We are no longer using the steel plugs as a base. We are machining our own due to the high cost of steel.

http://www.42draftdesigns.com/product/42902.htm

 

Technically you can use this adapter for the temp sensor minus the elbow, correct?