TDR 74 www.turbodieselregister.com 3

In each installment of this column I will review the accomplishments of TDR trailblazers as I use summaries of the old articles to reinforce that “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Here is my look back at what was happening in Issue 34: November, December 2001, January 2002.

FEATURE ARTICLE – EGT GAUGE EVALUATION

Are all exhaust gas temperature (EGT) gauges created equal?

The folks at Geno’s Garage opened their doors for business in 1996. The business was started when I purchased 25 combination EGT and boost gauges from Westberg Manufacturing (Westach) in Sonoma, California. Why 25 gauges?

Long story, short version—I wanted a “combo” gauge so that I could get two pieces of information with one glance of the eye; the gauges had an old-school, aircraft look (Westberg’s claim to fame is light aircraft gauges); and they were the only manufacturer that would do such a small order. Actually, I only wanted one gauge, but I figured I could sell 24 to other TDR members. Father-in-law, Gene, put the other 24 together in a kit and we started selling them from his garage. Again, that was five years prior to our feature article.

Back to the question, are all gauges created equal? After being asked that question over and over I vowed to get an answer. The Geno’s folks are in the business of trying to provide credible, straightforward answers, and the response, “I don’t know,” just wasn’t getting the job done.

I can’t recall how I found the author, it may have been a lead from the Westberg staff. Regardless, Jim Weir, a self described “Humble Tinkerer” at RST Engineering, had a background in electronics and had done some previous work with EGT gauges for Kitplanes magazine. He submitted an outline for the test. The Geno’s group went on a purchasing spree and ended up with seven different gauges from six different manufacturers. Prior to publication of Jim’s evaluation, I sent a letter to each of the six manufacturers in the test. I asked if there was a counterpoint or alternative method that they would suggest for an EGT test. I made a couple of phone calls to follow up and I did not receive any negative responses from the manufacturers.

So, what was/is the answer?

Would you believe I can sum up 9.5 pages of text using $2,000 worth of product in three sentences? Here goes, quoting from Jim Weir: “They all are remarkably similar and accurate. It is how you view the mechanical installation and how you like the color of the dial. Operationally there is not a whit of difference between them.”

Wow.

So what did Jim Weir talk about in the 9.5 pages of text? First he covered the mundane: The principle of operation; the testing procedure; making the meter operate; the gauge response test. However, the article was not your typical scientific/boring story, Jim is quite the engaging and entertaining writer. Consider the following quotes from the article:

“I’ve seen some comments that go something like, ‘…well, it’s got “Super Series” in the title and costs twice as much, so it must be better.’ That’s a little like saying that if I pour rotgut moonshine into a Black Label bottle, it will taste twice as good. It just ain’t so.

“The nice thing about a thermocouple is that it is pretty much a pregnant device. That is, it is or it isn’t. It doesn’t ‘go out of calibration’ or ‘lose sensitivity.’

“Why the ninny that set this system up didn’t use the common convention that red is plus is beyond me, but…what can I say. This one was probably set up by a mechanical engineer, not an elektroniker.

“Note that I didn’t say the ‘XYZ Company’s K-couple,’ I simply said ‘K-couple.’ It should NOT make a single whit of difference whether the K-couple is manufactured in Memphis or on Mars, the output voltage should be the same.

“I do not like something as simple as an EGT to require battery voltage to operate. For the lights, yes, but some hamhand is sure to connect the battery supply to the very sensitive probe terminals and just beat the meter bloody. Would you care to guess who is going to pay for this meter that Clyde Hamhand bashed?

“There is practically no difference between any of these systems, no matter whether they are advertised as the ‘pro’ version or the regular version.”

If those quotes don’t entice you to read the Issue 34 EGT gauge exposé I am not sure what will. To make it easy for you to read about the gauges, we added the test at the Geno’s Garage web site (www.genosgarage.com). Go to “Technical Information” and then click on “Exhaust Gas Temperature Gauge Evaluation.” You’ll be educated and entertained.

As a final note to the EGT evaluation, and as a part of the 9.5 pages of text, I added a subjective evaluation of gauges, gauge lighting, pricing and where to install/best location of gauges and pods. If you are in the market for gauges (’89-’07 trucks) the article is an insightful reread. If you are in the market for a gauge package for your 6.7-liter engine (’07.5-current), I would suggest the Edge Insight monitor (Issue 72, page 134).