Gauge install, please help...

[RJPotts]

I just received my gauges (boost, pyro, fuel press. ) didn't come with very good instructions. Boost and fuel pressure are pretty straight forward. I know that I have to drill and tap my manifold for the thermocouple but how do I go about doing that without getting metal shavings inside the manifold.

I can't imagine that metal shavings either flying through the turbo or getting possibly (less likely) sucked back into the motor is a good thing.

Are there any in depth instructions on TDR that I can look at, or does someone have a better way to do it.

If someone lives close to me that has done it before, or knows better than me how to do it... I'll buy the beer and throw some money your way for saving me the hassle. I'm about 40 mi. north of Atlanta, close to Cumming, Lawrenceville, Gainesville, Lake Lanier, etc...

Thanks in advance

-R. J.

 

[john3976]

I just received my gauges (boost, pyro, fuel press. ) didn't come with very good instructions. Boost and fuel pressure are pretty straight forward. I know that I have to drill and tap my manifold for the thermocouple but how do I go about doing that without getting metal shavings inside the manifold.

I can't imagine that metal shavings either flying through the turbo or getting possibly (less likely) sucked back into the motor is a good thing.

Are there any in depth instructions on TDR that I can look at, or does someone have a better way to do it.

If someone lives close to me that has done it before, or knows better than me how to do it... I'll buy the beer and throw some money your way for saving me the hassle. I'm about 40 mi. north of Atlanta, close to Cumming, Lawrenceville, Gainesville, Lake Lanier, etc...

Thanks in advance

-R. J.

Not hard at all, if you feel good with a drill just drill slowly at first stopping now and then to clean out the shavings.



Once you get close to breaking through you can add a little bit of grease to the end of the drill bit to help hold the shavings.



Also have a small telescoping magnet handy so that when you break through you can stick the magnet down into the hole and pick up any shavings that fell in.



When you tap the hole use grease on the tap to catch the metal shavings, I would tap a little bit and then try the fitting, I think it needs to turn in at least 3 1/2 turns to 4 turns, no more, you don't want to tap the entire hole or you will have sealing problems.



Just go slow and in about 10 or 15 minutes you will have the hole drilled and tapped.



To wire the gauges (ISSPRO) if you are using the cubby hole in the dash, just make up a three gauge harness with 18 gauge wire and tap into the cigarette lighter wire in the dash for your amp boxes, you can run your ground to the large ground bolt under the dash in the area of the right knee, that panel just pulls down from the top likes it is hinged and will hang there. For the lighting you run the gauge wiring over to the head light switch and find the orange wire with the black stripe, it will be on the bottom row of wires on the head light switch, just use a T-Tap and spade plug in your positive three gauge harness.



I have a Di Pricol three gauge harness from Geno's garage if you need one, it is already made up for the Di Pricol gauges.



If you want make your own harness, just run three positive wires and splice them into one wire (RED) for your lighting.



Next run three negative wires and splice them into one wire (BLACK) for your ground.



Then tape up the harness and it will look just like it was installed by the factory with out having a bunch of wires hanging every place under the dash.

 

[Tcolesanti]

First, center punch the exhaust manifold dead center in the rear runner about 1 1/2" from the turbo flange. (the manifold has a web in the center of it that splits the exhaust, front three, back three cylinders). So, center punch it, and drill nice and slow, when you are just about to punch through the manifold, stop, clean everything, and use some grease on the drill bit, and go really slow, once your all the way through, start taping with grease on the tap as well, once your done taping clean again, fish around in the hole with a magnet and install your pyro probe. Hope this helps.

 

[JFaughn]

I haven't done mine yet so I 've been watching the related posts and it seems everybody it doing things like grease on the drill bit , magnets, vacume which all helps but I like to be more sure than that also so I may remove the turbo just enough to avoid any metal going in it , sure there is a small % that I would have a problum but better safe than sorry, by the way I have'nt won the loto yet either. I have'nt got around to figureing out how to put links in my posts yet so I'll sugjest searchs , do one on here and Geno's garage , you should come up with diagrams ,pictures to do the job, next thing you could do is put it after the turbo but your temps are lower and knowing what the turbo is getting is what you want to know.

 

[Joe G.]

I took my turbo off. Clean up with magnet and air. Easy to do and no worry about chips.

 

[RJPotts]

I thought about the magnet idea, I guess that is what I will have to do. I was trying to avoid pulling the turbo or manifold off at almost any costs so this should work well. I don't think this will be much of a problem. I'm not supposed to tap all the way through the hole you say, leave a little bit at the bottom without threads?

 

[CarlJensen]

Put 3psi max pressure in case via the dipstick tube with breather pinched off. Chips all fly right out as you drill and tap. Did this on mine and no problems, clean as a can be. No more than 3psi though to avoid popping a seal. If you don't have regulated air the grease and magnet trick works well. See link below for install drawing.



http://www.tstproducts.com/pdffiles/instpy25b.pdf

 

[RJPotts]

I forgot to add, the gauges are on the pillar, not sure the manufacture of the gauges, they came from Banks originally. I got them from a friend for FREE. I got new everything else though, 7' lead, probe, fuel isolator, and everything for the boost. Everything I need to make them work except for the wire for the lights.

 

[Todd T]

pulling the turbo is just a waste of time. the exhaust side of those can eat a few shavings without harming it. by the time the engine fires the turbine will have made several revolutions at very slow speed and the shavings are all but history. I would be more worried about blowing air in there and chasing a shaving down an open exhaust valve. when turning over the engine does not suck through the exhaust period.



adjust your shorts..... and go at it!



if you have a small pocket screwdriver handy with a magnet on the top. pull the little magnet out with a pair of pliers and then stick it in a piece of rubber vacuum line tubing. you can then use the tubing to stick the magnet down the hole and it will bend to go in deeper and pick out any shavings that fall in.

 

[RJPotts]

The shorts are being adjusted, I'll be drilling and tapping away tonight. Thanks y'all for your help.

 

[Dave M]

The shorts are being adjusted, I'll be drilling and tapping away tonight. Thanks y'all for your help.

When I drilled my exhaust manifold, instead of removing the turbo I removed all the exhaust nuts (4) holding exhaust manifold to the turbo and was able to loosen the turbo and pull it down about 2 inches to the end of the exhaust studs and put a piece of cardboard over the hole to turbo to prevent shavings getting in. I had to remove air intake box and lines for more room and maybe the wastegate line or boost line.



I used the grease on bit and tap and magnet. When done I started the engine for a second to blow shavings out (if any were left, but I don't think there were) and it worked fine. I have small fetus sized hands so I was able to slip my fingers up the manifold to feel for shavings and especially to test fit the thermocouple to tell when I tapped far enough for the thermocouple. I kept putting the thermocouple in and testing fit till it was flush with inside ID of exhaust manifold and then tap more and test more... . don't get in a hurry or you'll tapping too far! Take your time and don't tap too far or you'll bottom out the thermocouple on the bottom of exhaust manifold :{ .



Good luck



Dave

 

[ropinfool2]

I could adjust the depth of my t-couple, so I didn't need to worry about that but I almost tapped too far for the fitting to tighten up. A small turn of the tap went a looong way! John

 

[Smokin_Monster]

I've installed a few of these guages. In my opinion, removing the turbo and airbox and using a shopvac to remove the shavings was the easiest way for me. Plus it made it easier to see what I was doing. I would rather be safe than sorry.

 

[RJPotts]

Well, I got side tracked yesterday and didn't get to install my gauges, so I'll be doing it tonight, I'm not really worried about any problems. The only thing I can think about that might pose a problem is where to run the lines from the turbo, thermocouple, and fuel isolator through the firewall. Is there a factory hole in a good place to do this with? Or do I have to do more drilling?

 

[ropinfool2]

If you have the automatic transmission, there is a cover plate that covers where the clutch master cylinder would bolt up. It's plastic, just remove and drill a hole through it then re-install. John



on edit: Sorry I just noticed you had the 6 speed, you'll have to drill through the firewall somewhere to get the wires inside. John

 

[Smokin_Monster]

If you don't want to drill; just to the right of the clutch master cylinder is a big grommet with a big wiring harness running through it. Just below that there should be a smaller grommet that you can just make the hole in the grommet a little bigger and run your wires through there. That is where I have run my pyro wires, boost tubing and other small wires. Worked great for me!

 

[RJPotts]

Sounds good, I'm not going to say when I will be doing my gauges anymore, I got shafted last night, and the night before, looks like Friday unless I get out of school early.

Thank you all for your help though, it is much appreciated.

-R. J.

 

[rivercat]

keep us posted on your progress I for one am just getting around to doing the gauges and will use all the tips I can get.



for us newbies





on a pre turbo pyrometer how do you tell when to shut down?



I for one don't want to fuel hard or pull hard with a post turbo gauge and I don't want to shut down too soon either and cook my oil that is on the shaft. seems like a compromise either way unless you get seprate gauges for both sides...

 

[jopowell]

Manifold drilling

To drill for your pyro try this, start with a small bit 1/8" drill part way then start the engine and drill through , then switch to the tap size you need and drill it out , the chips will blow out as you drill.