Re: Turbo instrument cluster fully functional in 999?
Louie Bee said:
Interesting modds - I might hold on with the SX dash, sort everything else out while I consider the Turbo dash challenge lol. Ill second that!!! Chas (Warwick)
Sheesh... thanks guys, obviously my memory of names is pretty shocking though: Warwick!
(where on earth did that name come from...) sorry Chas!
Just to clear up a couple of points...
I'm also pretty much 100% sure that the Mk1 and Mk2 panels don't interchange... this despite the fact that I've never taken apart a Mk2!
The temperature gauge for an Uno 45 FIRE turns out to be a PROBLEM: because the FIRE has only a switch, I mentioned the need to fit a gauge sender out of another engine. The trouble is, the FIRE has a different thread size to the 1116cc/1301cc - so, you'll have to get one from another FIRE engine I believe: e.g. 1108cc. (I was WRONG before when I said the thread was the same, see, just when you guys compliment me, I start to make mistakes
).
Chas - the boost gauge is mechanical, measuring 'gauge pressure', which means (as I understand it) pressure above atmospheric pressure - 'gauge pressure' really is a technical term!
The inlet manifold pressure never goes positive in a normally-aspirated engine: it's always atmospheric or less. So, the standard boost gauge wouldn't register on a non-Turbo engine, because it can't read negative values (vacuum). Of course, it doesn't register on a Turbo engine until the turbocharger actually starts to 'boost'. Many aftermarket boost gauges read both pressure and vacuum - of course, when reading 'vacuum' it's actually an economy gauge.
Come to that, the boost gauge is probably there for two reasons:
1. It shows if the turbo is over-boosting and likely to damage something - though in reality up to 1 bar causes no harm anyway!
2. It's an economy gauge - the less boost, the less fuel used.
Now, the airspace under the radiator cap (there should be airspace, shouldn't there?) must be at some pressure above atmospheric, ideally - because there is a sprung release valve in the cap (releases at 14psi?) and you hear a Pssssh when you unscrew the cap?
I figure that since the boost gauge is calibrated 0 - 1 bar (0 - 14.2psi approx.) it would read the cooling system pressure quite well, if the pipe was plumbed into that airspace just under the radiator cap. Why would you want to know cooling system pressure? Well, if there is a leak, pressure drops to zero as the coolant leaks out. It would be good to know this, before the coolant loss resulted in overheating. Seems like a nice 'early warning' scheme! I'll let you know if we get it working (friend and I have a Turbo cluster in an Uno 45).
Louie, your Sound Pressure Level meter is a much better idea on the whole
and as you say, it needs to be speed-calibrated for the drive-by noise level, taking into account the Doppler Effect!
Also, good point about the different RPM for the Yellow Line. The FIRE engine just runs out of breath at high RPM in my experience. We had this conversation with Drinu before, about when to change gears? I reckon unless you've modified the engine, there's not much point in redlining it. Of course, the Uno Turbo, with boost cranked up for the track, is a different story. I was using all 8000RPM, honest
-Alex
