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What sensors and inline couplers would you recommend for a 2001 GT3 Cup? I would like to be able to measure and report the following:
1. Oil pressure
2. Oil temperature
3. Water temperature
4. Coolant system pressure (lots of great suggestions from folks to monitor this value - thank you!)
5. Coolant level in expansion tank (a simple OK or low value, like an idiot light)
6. Fuel level (already dealt with via an ICM fuel sensor)
7. Throttle position
8. Crankcase pressure, eventually
Which AiM sensors do you recommend and what couplers/adapters/fittings should be used if I am trying to retain existing feeds (to preserve the car's legacy - yes, I am a NUT about that kind of stuff. This is why I am trying to tap into existing sensor feeds where possible.).
For oil, fuel, and coolant pressure, you can use the KA sensors that AiM sells. They are much nicer than the VDO senders and are true motorsport quality.
For oil and water temp, the standard PT-100 temp sensors are the way to go. Inexpensive and reliable.
Throttle position can vary depending on how you want to do it. For the easiest instal, you can do a string pot. You can also do an "arm" type sensors or a rotary pot at the throttle body. This really depends on how you want to do it and how much time you have.
For crankcase pressure, you can use the factory setup like Jerry has figured out, or I have another way to do it that I've figure out. Jerry's would be more or less plug and play on your car. My way would take finding a couple of fittings and install. Both would give the same results.
For the coolant level, you really might be best off tapping into that sensor. It should be easy to do and I'm happy to walk you through the basics of what to do so you can put it all together.
Now, for how to tap, there are lots of options. For coolant temps, you can see if there is a spot on the engine to put the sensor in or you can put one of these in a coolant line.
924RACR, normally, I would agree with the driver development aids.
However, the MXL2 sits directly in front of the stock gauges and thus I cannot readily see any of the gauges or idiot lights on the dash. I'm not necessarily interested in logging these values as much as I would like to trigger alarms and warnings on the dash itself.
Personally, I'd just use a switch for an idiot light for water pressure - and do, on my car, sourced from Longacre direct. After all, it's not something you want to log and analyze after the fact - you need to know about and react to immediately.
Similarly I wouldn't rate fuel level as something that needs to be logged, just checked between sessions.
Rather, replace those with steering angle and brake pressure... much more useful for driver development.
Agree on steering angle and brake pressure, though you can use long G for a great brake pressure substitute.
I would definitely log fuel level if possible. You could do a lot to find optimum fuel loads. Just think about looking at fuel level versus understeer, lap time, tire temps, roll angles. You would probably learn a lot and be better set up. You would know, not guess, what the fuel level does to the car.
__________________ -Peter Krause www.peterkrause.net www.gofasternow.com
"Combining the Art and Science of Driving Fast!"
Specializing in Professional, Private Driver Performance Evaluation and Optimization
Consultation Available Remotely and at VIRginia International Raceway
For oil, fuel, and coolant pressure, you can use the KA sensors that AiM sells. They are much nicer than the VDO senders and are true motorsport quality.
For oil and water temp, the standard PT-100 temp sensors are the way to go. Inexpensive and reliable.
Throttle position can vary depending on how you want to do it. For the easiest instal, you can do a string pot. You can also do an "arm" type sensors or a rotary pot at the throttle body. This really depends on how you want to do it and how much time you have.
For crankcase pressure, you can use the factory setup like Jerry has figured out, or I have another way to do it that I've figure out. Jerry's would be more or less plug and play on your car. My way would take finding a couple of fittings and install. Both would give the same results.
For the coolant level, you really might be best off tapping into that sensor. It should be easy to do and I'm happy to walk you through the basics of what to do so you can put it all together.
Now, for how to tap, there are lots of options. For coolant temps, you can see if there is a spot on the engine to put the sensor in or you can put one of these in a coolant line.http://www.amazon.com/Mishimoto-MMWH...W5TN5DTDFWEZ2H There are a ton of people that sell similar taps for the coolant lines.
I used to sell rotary pots for TPS and belt drive rotary pot kits for steering angle, but when I discovered that for 90% of the installations that the slightly greater cost of the string pot was MUCH more than offset by FAR less time and effort to install, all I recommend and sell now is the string pot for those two applications.
I used to sell rotary pots for TPS and belt drive rotary pot kits for steering angle, but when I discovered that for 90% of the installations that the slightly greater cost of the string pot was MUCH more than offset by FAR less time and effort to install, all I recommend and sell now is the string pot for those two applications.
I'm right with you on steering. Depending on the application with the TPS, I still find a rotary is sometimes better suited (but not easier). I have a great non contact rotary hall effect sensor that I've developed too.
String pots are really great for their ease of installation.
I get what you're saying 'bout light/dash positioning etc; we have the same issue in our 924 with an AIM dash, and so added more lights positioned as we wanted to deal with the extra stuff (only oil pressure in that case). The prototype (in my avatar) is even worse; there's probably less than half a square foot of dash, total, to put ALL of my gauges, lights etc in. Switches too. Can't even fit most data dashes in the car! It's also blindingly fast, pardon the pun, and on a short course I never have time to even look at the dash. So the whole car is driven off of idiot lights while I try to keep it off the walls...
Red are oil pressure, orange is coolant, and the "E" is actually gear indicator (sequential box)... sadly, that LCD dash is pretty much illegible at speed/in the sun...
Now, for how to tap, there are lots of options. For coolant temps, you can see if there is a spot on the engine to put the sensor in or you can put one of these in a coolant line.http://www.amazon.com/Mishimoto-MMWH...W5TN5DTDFWEZ2H There are a ton of people that sell similar taps for the coolant lines.
Thanks Matt. Great info. So could I use the MyChron water coupler that Pegasus sells - Aim Water Temp Probe Port as a combination port for both water temp (using the Aim 10mm temp probe) and drilling a separate 1/8" port to facilitate access for the KA pressure switch? For the cooing system, do I need the 10Bar sensor or the 2Bar sensor?
As an additional data point..
I Have run aim pressure and temp sensors for coolant. Ran alarms on them as you mention.
Same with oil pressure and temp. I have some adapters we had machined to allow for dual 1/8" NPT ports off a single 1/4" NPT port on the engine. I think we used the AiM in line coolant adapters like the pegasus link.
All worked great. We have MoTeC in the GTS/e0 car, but same sensor config we ran in porches, spec e30's, SPB and a dozen or more customer cars.
I recommend removing any analog gauges and using the AiM or Motec sensors when you can because while you can use regular analog sensors, at the end of the day the additional wiring/harness work and potential for problems is greater. kISS is the name of the game with harness work. Harness labor easily exceeds costs of sensors, so keep it simple.
12-27-2014, 10:24 AM
