Thread: EGT Gauge

Good read......I still prefer the ease of use of the UEGO, and because i use the o2 feedback function built into the AEM EMS I am running. The accuracy of the LC-1 is pretty spot-on, but installation is a pain and the software is not the most user friendly, in my experience. But I mostly work with AEM EMS's so im probably partial the UEGO. But vadim has no use for an egt gauge. Especially since he is running a calum ecu because he can mess with his timing tables. Yes im sure we can agree that the more data you have about your engine the better, but not for daily driven or even weekend drivers. As the widebands have come down in price and the technology for tuning has become more advanced the use of EGT's has considerably lessened.
Save up and get a wideband. But Innovate ones are still quite pricey.

I have no experience with Innovate's software but let me say this. If you're using the wideband controller to datalog and such, you're on your own. For all intents and purposes it just makes too much sense to route the WB signal into a proper EMS and log/tune using that, whether it be AEM EMS, MegaSquirt, etc.

That simply isn't true. The very fact he can mess with his ignition tables means an EGT prope is very useful to him.

Not true again. Widebands may have gotten cheaper and better giving you the ability to tune fuel better but that doesn't relate to EGTs and tuning timing at all. Use of EGTs to tune hasn't lessened from what I've seen.

get a wideband and call it a day

Ben's right on all counts, and IMHO, far too few people use an EGT gauge. It's a great tool for getting appropriate timing, which we all know affects the way our cars work. No serious high power tuner that I know works without an EGT. It complements the WBAFR, doesn't negate it or get overridden by it. Do some reading and you'll see that it's an excellent tool. I personally feel like a lot of people torch their motors by having their timing off without any inkling that they are. You want a fast processing thermocouple with a high quality (I like military spec) lead and a good quality digital gauge. For these reasons I am a big fan of the Zeitronix, which is an all in once EGT/AFR/boost meter with really good quality datalogging software.

Your serious? One cylinder is not going to help him tune. What if something is happening in cylinder #2?? to be truly useful he needs a probe in every runner. What happened to building your timing tables from monitoring knock? In a wonderful world of perfect tuning we would be equipped to outfit every car that comes to the dyno with egt probes for every runner for every car.....let me know when you figure that out mr. amazing ben.
And to Dr. Fowler your saying Ben is right on all accounts, i think you guys must tune together then...There are shops with amazing engine dynos that have the ability to truly utilize the usefulness of monitoring egt's because the equipment is there to utilize this helpful tuning aspect. So Ben I don't know how many High Hp tuning shops you know, I know plenty and none of them use EGT's for tuning.....We have tuned numerous 1000+hp cars, and don't have egt data logging or gauges....There are some inputs in the AEM that can somewhat be utilized or looking at the spark tables in SCT, but know most shops with a dyno( and not an engine dyno) do not have the egt capabilities needed to truly make it useful.....I think you just like saying im wrong!
So go drive by walls to hear knock while watching your egt gauge and building more timing into your tables to bring your egt temps down....and watch the puff of smoke billow from your car

so Ben tell me this.... On a deseil the most comon place for a EGT..... what is it used for there??? is it ignition timing???

Well, I don't personally know Ben at all, so we definitely don't tune together, but I think we share the same tuning philosophy. I know a lot of people that use it, and it's a very useful tuning tool. Simply put, if the engine temp is too hot, you're gonna melt stuff. Changing the timing is going to change the temp. I have personally been convinced of this because I changed my setup, and didn't even touch my timing, but suddenly my egt's were getting dangerously high at full boost. I could adjust it, but otherwise I would have just wandered around trashing my motor.

Every car has a consistently hotter runner than the others, so you identify which one that is and put your egt probe there. I agree that optimally you would run a probe on every cylinder, but I haven't seen anyone who makes a nicely laid out controller for it. If something is going on in one cylinder, you still have no less information about it than you do with no EGT. A lot of tuning shops tune by MBT, which is EGT based. I'm not saying it's the end-all, nor that you're stupid for not using it, just that it's a good tool. I'm gonna keep using mine, feel free to keep not using one. My $0.02.

Oh yes baby. I'm completely serious.

WHAT IF YOU GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING??

Oh yah? Because modern engines have very little variance in EGTs from one cylinder to the other, and "hot" cylinder(s) are also widely known for many engines a single EGT isn't truly useful? You may need to look up the definition of useful sometime.

I assume you're bringing up an old, 3-page-long debate we had where I stated tuning timing properly on the street was possible. Nothing has happened to that. Why do you ask?

Agreed.

I'd say it was about 9 years ago I figured that out.

I've never met Dr. Fowler, but he's quickly gaining my respect.

That makes sense. They have dynos which provide the same information EGTs do when related to timing. They wouldn't need to use EGTs. Tuning with EGTs for timing is very much a street tuning thing. Although, they certainly can be used in this, and other ways while dyno tuning and are a good idea (like you said, perfect world) anyway.

Good for you.

Hmm. That's sad.

I don't remember saying you were wrong in this thread. This is the first I've heard from you here.

I'll meet you on the playground after school if you'd like.

This personal attack with no useful information or contribution to this thread has been reported.

Yes.

Any more questions?

I know you're trying to be a smart-ass here (you're succeeding by the way) but since diesel engines have no spark plugs, they use fuel injection as their ignition event. This timing is even more crucial to get timed right, and thus it makes complete sense that diesel engines make use of EGTs for ignition timing monitoring.