boost guage for Patrol

pfff.....probably to measure 'boost'!

Leroy

Good come back there Leroy!!! hahaha

i still don't get it ..... what do you expect to gain from having one

Donks,

I've got one on my 4.2 Patrol and it is used to monitor how much right foot you're giving the donk. Now, I hear you say, "so what....the motor is built to take whatever amount of right foot you can deliver".......Fair comment; for a stocker. Once you start adding bigger turbo, playing around with the waste-gate etc (to increase power), up goes your boost. This is something that needs to be (or should be) monitored by a thinking-type driver. For example, my 4.2 would have left the factory with a standard boost of around 8psi max. No worries. I've fitted a bigger turbo and it's been tuned to peak at 15psi. No way would I want to be running all day long with that sort of boost......I need to know what level of boost I'm forcing into the inlet manifold. The other reason is fuel economy.

Now, as for these VVT turbos like the 3L Patrol has, they've been reportedly capable of outputting up to 30psi of boost.....supposedly designed to do just that; BUT ONLY FOR SHORT BURSTS at a time.

One of my theories about the issues with the 3L is that one or more of the electronic sensors/valves etc are conspiring to provide that sort of high boost for prolonged periods of time. The result is things like intercooler hoses blowing off, cracks appearing in the intercooler and ultimately, holed pistons.

So, if you own a 3L Patrol, my advice would be to fit a boost gauge and learn to monitor it. If you see high levels of boost showing up under "normal" driving conditions (ie: you're not trying to keep up with the rice-burners at the traffic lights, but just tooling along), then it's time to switch off the ignition before any real damage is done.

I hope this adds some light to the subject for you.

Cheers

Roachie

is there a place to put it already EG a blanked off hole? I havent looked yet

JohnR, I like the idea of a neat looking installation, where did you get your pod from?

Bruce, I had to have a hole drilled and tapped in the charge pipe.

Cam, I got the VDO one but threaded the pipe back through the little cover for the dash place screw, at the base of the windscreen. I used double sided tape to fix the pod there

Thanks JR (and you resemble the man from Dallas :P)



I am going with VDO in the GU, already ordered them from a mate that works for Siemens :D

Snowy, Thanks for the info, I was about to go and buy a speco unit but will now look elsewhere. Down to the decimal point accuracy is not essential to me it is more of an indication on how loaded the turbo is. Thanks again :)