Install a turbo pressure gauge It has some advantages for a car owner. Especially if it's a reprogrammed vehicle or modified to increase its potency. Leaving aside the touch racing That gives it, this device is also used for the early detection of a failure of the turbo, of any of the systems that it has even or of the intake system.
Of course, its main function is to report turbo boost pressure at different throttle loads. Something useful to have clearer connection of the driver with the motor, in addition to allowing adapt driving to economize fuel to the max. However, although installing it on your own is cheaper than going to a specialized workshop, it requires certain mechanical notions that we are going to offer you throughout this article. If not, it is possible that you are the one causing a leak when installing the pressure gauge.
what are you going to need
Before installing the turbo pressure gauge, it is always good to be clear what are the materials you will need to install this clock. These range from the typical keys that can be found in a tool box for car, even some cables and components for electrical work. The list of material used in this work is:
- torx keys
- Allen wrenches
- flat keys
- Pliers
- Electrician's pliers (expendable)
- Screwdrivers (for prying mostly)
- Multimeter (look for electrical connections for the light)
- Robocurrents or faston type plugs (whichever is preferred)
- 3 different colored cables (approximately 1,5 meters each)
- Worm screw flanges diameter 60
- 2 copper bushings diameter 6 mm
- 3 nuts for pneumatic accessories with their olives and tube reinforcements
- Pneumatic tube diameter 6
- Thermal protective sleeve for the front tube
- O-rings
- Reduction for tube of 6
- Teflon
- 1 BC Corona manometer lighting 7 colors (approximately €35)
- 1 Universal support for 51 mm pressure gauge (Norauto, €9)
- Patience and a place to sit without being disturbed
In a car with these characteristics we are going to use the technique of drill an intake hose. A job that must be done with great care so as not to cause leaks that force us to change it and spend more money.
The disadvantages of this method are:
- we drill the sleeve, leaving it useless if we want to remove the watch
- we can cause leaks in a tube with a large diameter
- we introduce a foreign body in the intake air passage section, which hinders the flow
- if something loosens and is pulled through the air into the pistons the damage can be enormous
- turbos can blow oil, so the sensor will be exposed to the oily air coming from it.
The advantages of this method are:
- if the engine is gasoline, with a thumb on the accelerator, the clock will also indicate the depressions in the system. Which supposes a more exact information of what is happening in the engine
- somewhat easier to do than the other gauge installation options
Steps to complete the installation
Assemble the stand and the clock
For this you have to remove the pillar trim very carefully. Before you remove it, decide where you are going to install the bracket. Make pencil marks on the pillar to indicate its final position. If you don't do this you may find that the clock mount then touches the dashboard and you won't be able to mount it.
When you go to remove the trim, pay pay close attention to the curtain airbag if there is one and make sure nothing can interfere with it should it be deployed. Normally the trim comes off pulling, since it is usually fixed only with plastic staples.
Start by unlocking from the top part. The base of the dashboard costs a lot to remove it and even more to put it on. In the model that we have used for this article, it was necessary to remove a torx screw that is held by means of a tape the trim to the pillar. The purpose of this screw is to limit the movement of the trim in the event that the airbag is triggered.
Once the trim has been removed, the support must be adjusted to the pillar as best as possible. here everything goes: sanding, cutting, melting the plastic, using filling putties… each one as required. In our case it was only necessary to cut and sand. also have to do a hole through which the air tube and the clock cables will pass. After this, you have to fix the clock solidly with the methods that it brings. The one we use is attached thanks to a single screw and a self-locking nut.
Pass the air tube to the engine compartment
For this, the ideal is use any of the holes in the bulkhead that separates the engine from the passenger compartment. In our model there is one just below the wipers that will give under the pillar, but since its disassembly was complicated, we decided to pass it through the flap to the driver's door. A much less elegant but still valid solution. Also, there was no need to drill anything.
Take current to power the clock light
The watch comes with three wires. One negative (ground), another positive (supply) and another contact to light up at the same time as the lights:
- The negative we plug it into any of the many screws in the car. You will easily see ground screws when removing plastics. In the model we use, we find one under the center console, more or less at the passenger's feet. It is easily accessed by removing the plastic to get to the cabin filter.
- the positive it has to go to a permanently live wire (even after removing the key). After much searching for the car connectors (I wanted the safest possible connection) I ended up plugging directly into the fuse box outlet by inserting a faston plug next to the pink cable and taping everything. If anyone finds a better site let me know. I'm sure they exist, I don't rule out changing it at some point, especially if I install more accessories of this type.
- the contact We plugged it directly into the cigarette lighter. It costs a bit to remove but it is preferable there than to other lights in the box.
Put everything in its place
We already have all the cables and connections already pulled by their corresponding site. Only the plastics need to be assembled and the intake hose to be drilled. To assemble the pillar with the clock, firmly connect the air tube and the cables to the clock (remember that it is already screwed to the removed trim). Reattach the trim to the pillar with the plastic clips.
Get intake pressure
- The first and biggest problem is that the variable geometry management of this engine works with vacuum pump depression. So the most viable option for this case was to drill one of the intake hoses.
- The air circuit is made up of various sections, some rigid and others flexible. Obviously we will drill one of the flexible.
To access a flexible tube of this model, it is necessary to access from the bottom, removing the sump cover. We chose the one at the exit of the intercooler, easy to disassemble and in a good position. We proceed to loosen it since They usually have special flanges that deform and cannot be used again. For this reason, we will have to previously acquire some worm screw flanges of those of a lifetime for later assembly. - Once the flanges have been loosened, the approximate location where the drilling is going to be done must be marked, ensuring that the fitting is as straight and vertical as possible, so that it suffers less from vibrations.
- For the drill, we will use a bit one or two millimeters smaller than the fitting. In this way it will be difficult to insert it (it is made of rubber with textile reinforcements), but it will practically be sealed without putting anything else.
- We insert the bulkhead fitting and put an O-ring on each side of the tube wall. We reinforce it with another metal and rubber gasket (like the ones on the sump of oil) but perhaps not necessary. We tighten both nuts, crushing the joints and the wall of the tube in between. We also put teflon on the thread, but this is also optional. The internal thread can also be secured with nutlock or superglue, if desired.
- We reassemble the sleeve in the admission discarding the original flanges and putting those of a lifetime. We have everything ready and we still need to connect the tube.
A small hiccup in our case:
Surprise, the nylon tube that comes with our pressure gauge is short and doesn't go all the way to the fitting. It is necessary to use another bulkhead for the sole purpose of connecting another flexible tube, if possible of the same diameter. I use a pneumatic tube made of rilsan material (I didn't have another on hand) and I protect everything with a thermal cover. I take this opportunity to insert a reduction in each union nut. This will prevent vibrations in the needle of the turbo and it will make the movement slower and more fluid, much more attractive and beneficial for the life of the watch.
- To finish, fasten the air cable well with plastic ties to prevent it from vibrating and with its own weight, fatigue the joints.
To enjoy
Everything is ready. Check that everything is well fixed and fastened, that the tube is not hanging nor is it going to suffer many vibrations. It must also be kept away from the electric fan or any moving part.
Start the engine and look again. If everything is correct, mount the skid plate already enjoy the invention.
It has helped me a lot with my pressure switch page pressure switch