water pressure vs temp & where to put

[jim dozier]

I have recently fixed an overheating problem on my 87 Suzuki 85hp which required cleaning the cylinder head and a updated modified head gasket. To help monitor my engine I wanted to install a gage. A search on this forum turned up some discussion on benefits of a water pressure gage versus a water temp gage. I am still not clear on this. Many of the pressure gages seem to be hooked up to the pee stream. I thought thats what the pee stream was, a visual check of the water pressure. If I have a good stream why do I need a gage attached there? This begs another question. Is there a better place to put the pressure gage-pickup? Anybody know the best place on the suzuki? There is a metal threaded plug on the cylinder head, should it go there? And another question. What keeps air from getting in the system and collecting at the top of the head/block in the thermostat area and if it does is that a bad thing? Seems like it would be. Or do I just get a cylinder head temp gage with a sender that bolts to the head with the head bolt and go boating?

 

[Solittle]

Re: water pressure vs temp & where to put

Can't advise you where to hook up what on your motor. You should check with a Suzi mechanic on that. What I can tell you is that the pressure gage indicates, generally, the condition of the impeller. For example a new impeller may read 12 lbs and a year later 8. The temp gage does just that. There are a couple of types of temp gages. One type fits into the head itself. Another is attached to one of the head bolts on the outside. I prefer the one that fits into the head. I have an external one and do not think it is as accurate or as quick to react.<br /><br />You motor should have one now that is connected to a warning horn of some type. Make sure that the horn is working.<br /><br />I have all three methods and watch them carefully. Outside of bad gas and fouled carbs overheating is our biggest problem I think.

 

[Boatist]

Re: water pressure vs temp & where to put

Jimd<br />I agree with solittle 100 percent. The water pressure guage tell how much pressure your impeller is pumping but it will not tell you if your thermostate is stuck shut and your motor is over heating or if it stuck open and never warming up.

 

[Franki]

Re: water pressure vs temp & where to put

My Motor is a V4,<br /><br />I have two temp guages, one of the bottom cyl of one bank, and the other at the top of the other bank..<br /><br />the benefit of this is that I can notonly closely monitor the engines temp, but I can also tell if one of the carbies goes lean. (since one carby does the top two cyl's and the other the bottom two.. (and my guages are one top one bottom remember?)<br /><br />You can just have a switch on the dash to swap from one sensor to the other, but I have two guages...<br /><br />Some tips...<br /><br />1. When mounting an external temp sensor, make the bracket hold it as hard against the head as you possibly can.. mine are very very tight.<br />2. Get some fine sandpaper and polish the area on the head that will contact the guage. make it totally flat and mirror polished.<br />3. Get some Thermal grease.. this stuff is used in computers to transfer heat from the CPU to the heatsinks on them.. (and alot of other places.)<br />Putting this stuff between your head and the sensor makes a big difference. and its only a couple of bucks to buy a small tube.<br /><br />I would not mind a water pressure guage as well, but for now this is good..<br /><br />One last thing.. on the cyl head, there will be a wire coming out and running to your control box.. find that wire and earth it with your ignition on.. then take that wire and earth it.. <br />The horn in your controller should sound to indicate an overheat....<br /><br />In my case the horn was tiny and quite.. also in fairly bad nick, so I hooked in a relay instead and use it to drive a real car horn.. works great and as a bonus, I have a horn in the boat now..<br /><br />Hope that helps.<br /><br />regards<br /><br />Franki

 

[jim dozier]

Re: water pressure vs temp & where to put

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[jim dozier]

Re: water pressure vs temp & where to put

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