Gauges, are they worth it?

[LBTRS]

Hello,



I have a 2002 Ram 2500HD Cummins Turbo Diesel ordered and they are telling me that it will be delivered in August. I spoke to the dealers accessory shop and they will install pyrometer and boost guages on the a pillar for $602. Is this a fair price for this and is it even needed for a stock truck? I have no intention of doing any engine mods other than a new 4" exhaust. This should probably be my first question... ... what are the advantages for pyrometer and boost guages anyway? I hear everyone saying you need them, can someone tell me why? Thanks for helping a newbie.

 

[EMDDIESEL]

$602. 00 is crazy. Do it yourself for ALOT less. The main purpose of a boost gauge and Pyro is to keep tabs on engine conditions. If you are going to keep your truck bone stock and never tow, then you really dont need gauges. But if you plan on doing either, or want piece of mind, order your self a set and put them in. It is not hard to do and you will be able to know when is the best time to shutdown, plus if there is ever a problem, you will know right away by looking at the gauges.

 

[Archive]

Yes... 602 sounds pretty pricey... check out some of the stuff on the "Links" page... there are more different gauges and pods than you can shake a stick at.



Do a search, also... lots of info on this topic!

 

[Pete Peterson]

No their not........But

No Ray gauges are not neccesary but it doesn't hurt to know whats going on. With that said, staying stock like you say there is no reason for you to get gauges, your motor has a hundred thousand mile warranty and Dodge and Cummins are smart enough to put this motor together so you don't have any temp problems. Also they are fun to look at but your about $ 200. 00 to $250. 00 to high, check around you will beat that price. Check with the service deptment and see what they would charge if you get your own gauges... ... ... Pete

 

[24V-DSL]

I have no intention of doing any engine mods other than a 4" exhaust.

Ray..... Welcome to the TDR. You will love your truck. I can almost guarantee if you put a 4" exhaust system on you'll want more. Then, guages are a must.



You should be able to purchase a pryo, boost and mounting for around $250. Even if you don't install yourself, most agree that these can be mounted in approx. 3 hrs. or less, so the total bill shouldn't be more than $450.



The pyro is very helpful to determine shut-down at 250-300 degrees. Before I got my guages I would idle for 2 minutes which turned out to be way more than necessary to get the temp down.



I could be convinced that a boost is of less importance on an almost stock truck, but I think the pryo is worth it. You'll be amazed at the egt's the Cummins will generate. I want to know what's going on with this fabulous engine.



Good luck.

 

[JR2]

$602 is insane for boost/egt. Buy the gauges and install them yourself or find a local guy to install them. It is fairly obvious that the dealer is charging you shop rate for a mechanic to install them. You did not say where you were from, but I know there are members out there that will help you install gauges for the price of the beer they drink while doing it.



As for need for the gauges... if you are going to tow I would say you need them. There have been several reports of guys getting there totaly stock trucks over the max reccomended EGT. The gauges also help you spot low boost and are valualble in diaganosing many problems with your truck.



If it were me I would put them in. If $602 seemed like a good deal then you will want to buy the SPA gauges, they are digital and quite nice. Click on the link in my signature to see mine installed on the A-pillar... good luck and congrats on the new truck.

 

[MikeR]

Just like EMD said,you have to watch what's going on in your engine. Yes you do need them even on a stock truck.

Diesels do develope leaks in the intake system over time. Loose intercooler hoses are the biggie and many do blow out the thin gaskets in the manifold. With small leaks,alot of times the result is poor mileage. How would you ever figure the problem out if you don't know what your boost levels are?



EGT is the most important. After the engine has been running hot for a while You're suppose to let it cool down to 300 degrees before shutting the engine off. I recommend installing the temp probe 'pre-turbo'. I always see the unsuspecting owner shut off a 'hot' engine. What happens here during hot shut downs is the oil cokes in the turbo housing developing little diamond grains. The next time you turn on your engine,the grains are now rolling around in the turbo and also passed all through the oil system and are now grinding away at your precious main and rod bearings. How would you ever know it safe to shut down your engine when there is no pyro gauge to monitor?



Another thing with EGT is towing. Even with a stock truck you have to watch how hot you are getting while in high elevations.

Also,I get my best fuel mileage by driving by the EGT gauge by keeping my temps below 600 egrees (unloaded).



I also agree that $600 bills is alot of money for installed gauges. If they're just mechanical gauges,you can get them from Diesel Injection Service for less than $225. If you're mechanically inclined,then you can easily install them yourself.



-Mike

 

[Oasis-3]

Ray welcome to the best web site for your new truck.

If you are in the PA area I have all the tools and taps to install boost and EGT gages and would be glade to help install them.

thanks

Cliff

 

[Bigsaint]

As stated above, DO IT YOURSELF. IMHO, the egt. gauge and a fuel pressure gauge are mandatory, BOMBing or not. The boost gauge is nice to have to see what ya got and watch for leaks. When I first got my truck, I was real hesistant to start drilling into perfectly good stuff. Another member gave me some words of wisdom, " do it yourself and get to learn your truck". If nothing else, it will give you the courage and wisdom for future mods. There is a ton of experience on this site, if you have a question or concern do a search and if you don't find what you are looking for ask away.



Scott W.

 

[Deezal Man]

For $602, you could fly one of us out to your house, feed us, and give us a couple bucks for our time.



If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself. Maybe one of our fellow TDR members is close enough to do most of the install.



Heck, give him $100 or $200 for taking the time out of his weekend... . And its a win win. You have gauges for a third of what the dealer wanted, learned a bit. . and gained a new friend along the way. Chances are, the install is cleaner and better than the dealers.



The other guy made a few bucks from something he probably loves doing.

 

[BV]

Guage Pricing

WOW - For that price I would expect gold plating and a 10yr/100,000 mile warraranty to boot.



Just for giggles you can check out the pricing at http://www.genosgarage.com/

 

[mediccummin]

holly smokes

Man thats alot of money to pay someone that can't even perform a simple oil change, meaning the dealer mechanics of course. For that much you can pay for my airline ticket, I'll install your gauges, then fly home in the same day, and give you a refund. Yes gauges would be a good idea. Like others said once you start with the exhaust you won't be happy and you'll want more. So starting with the guages would be the best thing. I'm sure you can find someone out there close by to help you install yourself, plus then you know it's done right and you can't blame anyone if something is wrong. A good learning experience. Good luck, Dwayne. Check summitracing for gauge prices and you will see how much cheaper it will be to do it yourself. Later

 

[SWC]

I am looking at putting in gauges and shy away from doing this myself. I have a desire to do this myself but fear messing something up in the process. I do not know of any one up here around Saskatoon Saskatchewan who is a member of TDR.

I have checked around a little and one shop that handles Isspro would do the install but wants $550 for boost and pyro gauges, $60 for a two gauge pillar mount $213 labor. On top of this our Provincial and Federal gov. figure they need a share of my hard earned money when I spend it to the tune of 13%. That makes it around $930! The difference in our dollar makes it around US$650.

Maybe when I come down to the States to visit family I will have to find someone to help install the goodies. When I cross the border to come back up here customs could search for purchases but since they are already installed it could be more difficult to track. Other wise I still have to pay the government. I would never do this. Why wouldn't I trust big brother to spend my money better then I can!!

Sorry about the long post, just thinking out loud.

Stan Claassen

 

[Amianthus]

Check out the Travel Companion and get in touch with someone near you. Most of the time they will (or know someone) help you out.

That being said, Welcome to the TDR and whatever you do, don't listen to Scott W. (Bigsaint) or Nowell (HVAC). They'll lead you down the path of BOMBing to self-destruction. Look what they've done to me. My life will never be the same.

 

[BFaoro]

Jus dew it

I agree with the rest , you need to try it yourself, if you screw up and have to do it all again it probably would still be cheaper. Do what Amianthus said, everyone here would lend a hand if they could

 

[DonBaggett]

I've had my guages in about a month, and I love knowing more fully what's going on with that engine. My truck is practically stock, but when I pull my 5th wheel, I find that those EGT's can get up in the danger zone. With the guages, I know just when to get off that throttle a litte bit. I installed mine myself, which gives me a great deal of pride, though I must admit, I was rather intimidated about drilling into that exhaust manifold; however, through this great website, I was able to get step by step instructions (better than those that came with my guages!), and I knew what to expect and what to watch out for all the way. I have the boost, pyro, trans temp mounted on triple A-pillar. I purchased a trans line from the dealer that has a fitting for my temp module (which was kind of pricey), and I think I have around $500 in the whole thing. You can do it, it's really not hard.

Don

 

[BigMike]

I had the same gauges installed on a pillar mount at Wentland Diesel in Milton Freewater, Oregon. I paid less than $200 as I recall.



I mistated the figure. I checked my invoice and it was closer to $250 plus labor. Can't tell you what the labor was cuz they did a lot of other work and lumped labor into one line item on invoice. They did a real nice job.

 

[Mill Rat]

Save Your MONEY!

Do a little research and reading and do it Yourself if possible, like a previous post said, it's a great way to get to know Your truck. There are lots of nice gauges out there, I have the Geno's Garage Westach combo gauge in the pillar mount, I am 100% satisfied with it.

I am not a professional diesel mechanic by any means, but, I installed it in an afternoon. I was scared to death to drill and tap the manifold, but, everything turned out fine.

Besids gauges are rumored to intimidate the drivers of the "other" brands.

 

[Mundgyver]

Welcome to TDR. This club can answer any question you come up with. I put my guages in myself and the cost was a little over $200 for the exhaust, boost and motor oil temp. Was not hard with good planning. The basic thing to think about is this, the more information you have to work with, the more informed descision you will be able to make. Guages give you the ability to spot trouble early on and take care of it. They also give you the ability to diagnose a problem with a confidence. No sense in flying blind when you don't have too. Once again welcome, and have a fun enjoying your new toy.

 

[Bigsaint]

lol@Amianthus... no really, come on in the water's FINE!!!!!!!!







Scott W.