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Under Bonnet Temperature Monitoring
John Bonnett - 15/4/08 at 08:11 AM

Good Morning All

I am making strenuous efforts to reduce under-bonnet temperature and to ensure that inlet air to the engine is cool under all conditions.

I would be very grateful if anybody could point me in the direction of a continuous temperature monitor with a probe that could be located, for example, in the air filter and a readout on the dashboard. This would enable me to measure my success(or failure).

I have done a search of previous threads but could not find anything. As ever, your advice and help will be very much appreciated.

John


Humbug - 15/4/08 at 08:28 AM

Not sure what temp range it would have, but how about one of the digital (house) thermometers which have a sensor on the end of a wire? We've got one which certainly registered more than 50 deg C when we went to Death Valley


RazMan - 15/4/08 at 08:28 AM

Depending on your budget, you could get one of the Fluke meter range - most have a socket for standard thermocouple.

Failing that Halfrauds sell a few 'inside & outside' digital thermometers which have external thermocouples and only cost a fiver.


indykid - 15/4/08 at 08:28 AM

if you have a gunsons multimeter, you can get a thermocouple for them. you'd probably have to extend the leads though and i don't know how that would affect the calibration.

tom


Bluemoon - 15/4/08 at 08:31 AM

Argos had a DVM with an external thermocouple (us it at work, actually not a bad meter would be good for odd electrical stuff on the car as well).. About 17Quid I think, bit of Velcro on the back should see you sorted..

Dan


tegwin - 15/4/08 at 08:39 AM

Maplins do a temperature probe:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=3261&doy=15m4

It can be programed to sound an alarm on high/low preset temps....

Cheap too!


John Bonnett - 15/4/08 at 08:45 AM

Thank you all for you replies. What a fantastic data base we have; it never ceases to amaze me that no matter how oddball the question there is always a number of people who can come up with the answer.

I've spoken to Pete Jones at Jondel who built my engine and he said 30C was a maximum for the temperature of air going in to the engine so a sensor with a +50C top end should do the trick. Pete said think how you would feel if the air temperature was 50+ which was what I was seeing and he said the engine will behave in the same way.

With your replies you have given me plenty of choice so thank you all.

John


DaveFJ - 15/4/08 at 08:52 AM

Any one know the air velocity of an unladen swallow?



Mines the dirty mac with the grass stains...


iank - 15/4/08 at 09:25 AM

quote:
Originally posted by DaveFJ
Any one know the air velocity of an unladen swallow?



Mines the dirty mac with the grass stains...


Here you go. Both for African and European birds. 24mph
http://www.style.org/unladenswallow/

[Edited on 15/4/08 by iank]


britishtrident - 15/4/08 at 03:13 PM

Maplin have all sorts of probes for this sort of measurement, many only go up to 55c others cover the range -5 to 200c