Swap Sixgun for TST Powermax

[MFetzer]

I currently have a Banks Sixgun and am considering ditching it and going with the Powermax with the gauges. The Banks is nice but I am looking for some more power. Does anyone know if Banks EGT probe will work with the Powermax. Also does anyone see any other advantages, disadvantages, or problems with this swap. Also where are people mounting the control for the Powermax.

 

[mattymac]

I put my PMCR egt connection on the same probe as my autometer thermocoupler and all is well. At most there is about a 50 deg diffrence is temps but nothing more than that (I think thats just the gauges reading the diffrent tems). As for my control box I have it mounted in the gauge bezel right in front of my fuel gauge and it fits snugly but slightly restricts fuel gauge, everyone who sees it likes it though.

 

[Prairie Dog]

The TST also fits nicely in your ash tray after you remove the plastic receptacle.

 

[KLockliear]

Originally posted by mattymac

I put my PMCR egt connection on the same probe as my autometer thermocoupler and all is well. At most there is about a 50 deg diffrence is temps but nothing more than that (I think thats just the gauges reading the diffrent tems).

DON'T do that. The Type-K thermocouples output a very small voltage (less than 60mv) which needs to be read and amplified by your gauge or box. The wire is a special alloy (alumel & chromel) to maintain a certain amount of resistance over it's run so that the signal is not degraded. By adding the second gauge and wire, you have reduced the temp read.



You need to run one thermocouple per gauge/box.

 

[mattymac]

Thanks keith! So what your saying is my overall temp on both gauges is now reading lower?

 

[JThiessen]

Each guage/box company could potentially use a different thermocouple for their gauges. As Keith said, a thermocouple puts out a signal in milivolts, which has to be amplified by the guage to give you your reading. There is no standard that the industry uses for the thermocouples, so Autometer could use one that sends a +/-5mV, and Isspro could use one that sends a +/-10mV signal. I doubt there is a big difference, but in the case of the box, I wouldnt want to have any error in data the box receives.

 

[KLockliear]

Mattymac, yep, you got it.



JThiessen, actually, all type K thermocouples are supposed to put out the same mv output at the same temp. So are all the Type J's, etc.

 

[JThiessen]

Correct, thats the rating system. But do all mfgr. 's use the same ones? I've never heard that there is an industry standard thermocouple (but that doesn't mean that they arent the same).

 

[KLockliear]

The "Type-K" refers to the range of temps the probe will read. All Type-K's will output the same voltage at a given temp. All gauges for our trucks (0-1600*F) will use a Type-K.

 

[JThiessen]

So there is a standard then - maybe not by mandate, but by techinical requirments. I seem to remember that US made type K's can be identified by the coloring of the wires - red and yellow positive and negatives and I believe wrapped in yellow... ... ?

 

[KLockliear]

Yes, yellow is positive (+) and the chromel side. Red is negative (-) the alumel side. They are usually wrapped in a yellow sheath.

 

[DLeno]

The EGT guage actually reads a difference in the tempertature of two dissimilar metal junctions -- one junction is in your manifold and the other is, well, at the end of the supplied (special alloy) wire from the mfg. some mfgs have a longer lead (distance of the special allow wire between the two junctions) than others. The reason this is important is that the gauge has to be calibrated with an assumption: Namely, the temperature of the 2nd junction, and where that junction located, and the length of special allow wire. Put the 2nd junction in the cab, and you can calibrate the EGT gauge to that. put the 2nd junction under the hood and you have to make a different assumption and you will be less accurate, depending on how the guage is calibrated.



The worst thing about putting the 2nd junction under the hood is that no matter what temperature you assume for calibration purposes, it will be wrong during extreems of temperature, and your gague will be innacurate.



Kieth is right about not connecting two gauges to the same thermocouple, and there are two reasons for this:



1. the gauge face will be calibrated with an assumption of where that 2nd junction is, and its expected temperature. that assumption may not be valid if you use a different mfgs thermocouple. This is why, standards notwithstanding, one mfgs theromocouple may read differently on another mfgs gauge.



3. Keith mentioned the big reason -- it turns out that these dissimilar metal junctions are relatively high impedance devices -- meaning that the reading on the guage face depends heavily on how the guage amplifier is built and calibrated. Add another gauge to the same thermocouple and you have just blown that whole design point away -- and the worst part is that the error is in the WRONG DIRECTION. that is, hanging two gauges off of one thermocouple means that your readings will always be too low by some amount that is hard to predict.

 

[badams1]

I talked on the phone to a Banks tech. rep. today and... . Dunt ta Da! Rumor is out about an upgraded six gun software change option for the guys that want to tear their trucks up with m m m m m "MORE POWER"! About three weeks and it will be out there for reprograming the existing systems. Hummm? I might just be interested! Ain't life great!

 

[turbinesurgun]

where does the six gun control mount in an 03

 

[AKAMAC]

Originally posted by KLockliear

The "Type-K" refers to the range of temps the probe will read. All Type-K's will output the same voltage at a given temp. All gauges for our trucks (0-1600*F) will use a Type-K.

Yep..... You can take T/C wire, twist and silver solder the ends together and wa-la you have a thermocouple... . The ends that are inserted in our exguast manifolds are incased to protect the terminal ends from corrosion. , wear. , damage... ... . Type J, K ... . all industry standard. Same with RTD's..... Platinum..... Industry standard. Mike