what kinda pod gauges are you guys using?
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From: va
what kinda pod gauges are you guys using?
Hi, my customer won't do his homework. So i'm here to do his homework. We got 93 rx-7 turbo, and he wants to install 3 pillar gauges. Now with that said, what gauges you think is worth having? he wants to have water temp gauge, since his is broken, he wants to have boost gauge, and for the 3rd, he's stuck whether to get wideband, oil pressure, fuel pressure, or exhaust gas temp. I personally recommended fuel pressure, but he was saying something about exhaust gas light comes on sometimes. will you guys chime in and let me know what gauges you have, what you recommend please? my ears are open. thank you in advance
Coolant or oil temp for sure. The stock temp gauge isn't linear and worthless. Coolant temp is a lot easier to install IMO but doing both is redundant. Boost gauge is also a for sure. After that it really depends on the engine's state of modification. The car has an exhaust overheat light but that's not useful to monitor any engine parameters. The 13b rarely has any oil pressure issues but the stock gauge can give sketchy readings sometime, usually because of a dirty connection. Less typically because of a bad sender.
Last edited by Sgtblue; Oct 4, 2016 at 01:36 PM.
Close to stock or mildly modded and if he just HAS to have three gauges I might go with wideband but probably not that useful either.
FWIW if his car still has the throttlebody coolant line this is my suggestion for the temp gauge. List of needed fittings are in post 36 or 37 IIRC.
https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...d-idea-392910/
I agree with this....
FWIW if his car still has the throttlebody coolant line this is my suggestion for the temp gauge. List of needed fittings are in post 36 or 37 IIRC.
https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...d-idea-392910/
I agree with this....
For a street car, boost, water temp, and wideband are my picks. I can see oil temp if you plan on tracking the car, but otherwise it's not going to tell you much.
Oil pressure - as Mahjik stated, the stock gauge works fine. Oil pressure isn't as common or critical a problem on a rotary as it is on a piston engine. If something Very Bad happens, like an oil cooler line blows and you start dumping oil, the oil level sensor will start beeping and light up as the oil level drops, letting you know of the problem.
Fuel pressure - this can be useful for diagnostic purposes, but doesn't need to permanently be in the car. If you were worried your fuel pressure was on the edge, put in a temporary fuel pressure gauge and zip tie it to the windshield wiper or something. If you're tuning the car in and need to watch fuel pressure, get an electric sender and datalog the output. Fuel pressure sweeps so much that it's REALLY hard to keep an eye on it when at full boil.
Boost gauge is a given. Water temp I prefer to have since the cooling system is so vital on these cars. I check mine frequently to see how it's running, and have a warning set up if it gets too hot. Wideband is not necessary for many, but it's a good way to keep an eye on your mixtures at full throttle for spot checking the tune, and it's a good way to see patterns if you're tuning the car yourself, like if you feel a dead spot in the range you can look at the gauge to see if you're rich or lean there.
Oil pressure - as Mahjik stated, the stock gauge works fine. Oil pressure isn't as common or critical a problem on a rotary as it is on a piston engine. If something Very Bad happens, like an oil cooler line blows and you start dumping oil, the oil level sensor will start beeping and light up as the oil level drops, letting you know of the problem.
Fuel pressure - this can be useful for diagnostic purposes, but doesn't need to permanently be in the car. If you were worried your fuel pressure was on the edge, put in a temporary fuel pressure gauge and zip tie it to the windshield wiper or something. If you're tuning the car in and need to watch fuel pressure, get an electric sender and datalog the output. Fuel pressure sweeps so much that it's REALLY hard to keep an eye on it when at full boil.
Boost gauge is a given. Water temp I prefer to have since the cooling system is so vital on these cars. I check mine frequently to see how it's running, and have a warning set up if it gets too hot. Wideband is not necessary for many, but it's a good way to keep an eye on your mixtures at full throttle for spot checking the tune, and it's a good way to see patterns if you're tuning the car yourself, like if you feel a dead spot in the range you can look at the gauge to see if you're rich or lean there.
Last edited by Sgtblue; Oct 4, 2016 at 04:01 PM.
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From: okinawa to tampa
personally...... oil temp and pressure and a wideband. i have a power fc so i get my water temp and boost from the commander among other things. without one i would suggest water temp, boost and oil temp or a wideband depending on the mod level. since your customer already wants water temp and boost then i would say oil temp or a wideband. is he dead set on a pillar pod? there are other options such as a center speaker pod. its a lot less obtrusive in sight and in function and is just better. i got rid of my pillar pod since i kept hitting it with my hands when driving. theres also the single the steering column pod for 52mm gauges. prosport makes a triple and a quad pod for the center speaker.
I personally recommended fuel pressure, but he was saying something about exhaust gas light comes on sometimes.
If this is stock ECU car the "exhaust overheat" light would come on when your main catalytic converter gets VERY hot and heats up the floor (where the sensor is mounted on US cars).
Very rare.
Usually would happen from driving the car in limp mode (retarded timing/too much fuel) or with emissions control problem killing the main catalytic.
-----------
If this FD has a Apex'i Power FC ECU, the "exhaust overheat" light comes on when the knock count from the knock sensor exceeds a pre-set limit in the ECU mapping.
Note- the Power FC has no knock retard/safety capability (as the stock ECU does), it just monitors raw knock sensor output.
If you are working on/tuning this car this may be of interest to you.
------------
As far as gauges, I would go for boost, water temp, AFR for first three.
If this is stock ECU car the "exhaust overheat" light would come on when your main catalytic converter gets VERY hot and heats up the floor (where the sensor is mounted on US cars).
Very rare.
Usually would happen from driving the car in limp mode (retarded timing/too much fuel) or with emissions control problem killing the main catalytic.
-----------
If this FD has a Apex'i Power FC ECU, the "exhaust overheat" light comes on when the knock count from the knock sensor exceeds a pre-set limit in the ECU mapping.
Note- the Power FC has no knock retard/safety capability (as the stock ECU does), it just monitors raw knock sensor output.
If you are working on/tuning this car this may be of interest to you.
------------
As far as gauges, I would go for boost, water temp, AFR for first three.
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Smiths Falls.(near Ottawa!.Mapquest IT!)
If the stock gauges still work then you don't need a voltage gauge.
As an FC owner,I went Oil pressure,water temp and Boost.
Wideband was also added on.
Blue TII hits it nicely though with his recommendation as you don't really have to monitor oil pressure either if the engine is running fairly decently.You just need to monitor the vital parameters of it.
Mark my words though,I found that they are a bit distracting as you Look at Boost when you gun it..look at AFR's when you gun it...but don't Look at the Guy dressed up as a giant slice of pizza and run him over because you were watching the gauge build boost..LOL!
As an FC owner,I went Oil pressure,water temp and Boost.
Wideband was also added on.
Blue TII hits it nicely though with his recommendation as you don't really have to monitor oil pressure either if the engine is running fairly decently.You just need to monitor the vital parameters of it.
Mark my words though,I found that they are a bit distracting as you Look at Boost when you gun it..look at AFR's when you gun it...but don't Look at the Guy dressed up as a giant slice of pizza and run him over because you were watching the gauge build boost..LOL!
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From: va
first of all, thank you all for chiming in. his engine wise, from what i was told, he had his engine rebuilt from a guy down in south carolina that runs a rx-7 shop. supposedly he's well known or what not. his engine bay didnt look too fancy. no turbo upgrade or anything, but his engine was brought from japan, and guy rebuilt it. and also, i was thinkin about same thing about pillar gauge, i think it'll get in the way but let me talk him into getting the center one like on the picture. and he's got after market ecu, i do not know what brand, let me call him and get some info. thank you all. keep the post going, since its still on going process.
Possibly this shop. You might call them if your customer still has the name of the previous owner they might have records.... Specialties - HPMotors, est. 1977
As for gauge placement, FWIW I prefer to have the boost gauge in front of the tach for diagnosis should it be needed...
As for gauge placement, FWIW I prefer to have the boost gauge in front of the tach for diagnosis should it be needed...
In my race cars I always run the following gauges:
Volt - Helps diagnose a failing battery or failing alternator before it becomes an issue
Wideband - Self explanatory, mandatory on any modified engine.
Oil pressure - Are you getting adequate oil pressure?
Water temp - Because overheating sucks
Boost - Good information to know.
Volt - Helps diagnose a failing battery or failing alternator before it becomes an issue
Wideband - Self explanatory, mandatory on any modified engine.
Oil pressure - Are you getting adequate oil pressure?
Water temp - Because overheating sucks
Boost - Good information to know.
Gauges
Personally I think #1 has to be water temp. the stock gauges in my experience have only ever showed me, cold, ok or boned.....
after that i would get Boost and Oil temp.
He could also look at the GReddy Informeter Touch, that way he can have lot of stuff.
tom
after that i would get Boost and Oil temp.
He could also look at the GReddy Informeter Touch, that way he can have lot of stuff.
tom
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From: Vancouver, Canada
Mostly stock here, just have a downpipe.
i went with triple dash pod.
BOOST
WATER TEMP
AFR
For me AFR was important as I can monitor if I lean out as I add mods. might prevent detonation... maybe not...
found out really quick downpipe and no cat on stock ecu creeps really quick.
i went with triple dash pod.
BOOST
WATER TEMP
AFR
For me AFR was important as I can monitor if I lean out as I add mods. might prevent detonation... maybe not...
found out really quick downpipe and no cat on stock ecu creeps really quick.
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From: east tenn
id have agree with T.Seuf if your dead set on only running the 3gauge pod. coolant, wideband, boost. doesnt take much leaning out to turn a 13b into a grenade. but i actually have but dont use gauge pod that sits over the instrument cluster as well as the din pod as mentioned before i like the din pod personally cuz it gets rid of the cheesy eq. and doesnt sit right in my vision as im trying to drive.
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