kastle
02-26-2002, 11:05 PM
Special thanks go out to <a href="mailto:matsut_rpi00@yahoo.com">TMAT3</a> for sending in this mod and allowing us to post it.
I have installed 3 Autometer temprature gauges (Water, Exhaust Gas, and Oil)
on my Impreza. I have installed these on top of the center dash using a Subaru
gauge pod. I have bought a custom gauge face plate from an i-club member, trimmed
the gauge pod to make the face plate fit, and installed the gauges.</P>
<TABLE WIDTH="42%" BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="1" CELLPADDING="1">
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="29%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/3gauges_01.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/3gauges_01.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD WIDTH="71%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/3gauges_02.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/3gauges_02.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<P>For all these gauges that I installed, you will need the following tools:</P>
<OL>
<LI>Screw driver</LI>
<LI>Knife</LI>
<LI>Drill</LI>
<LI>Drill bits</LI>
<LI>1/8NPT tapping kit</LI>
<LI>Thread Tape</LI>
<LI>Silicon Sealant</LI>
<LI>Locking pliers.</LI>
<LI>Adjustable wrench</LI>
</OL>
<P><B><FONT SIZE="+1">NOTE: This site is only for reference purposes. I AM NOT
IN ANY WAY RESPONSIBLE for any damages, injuries or other accidents that may
occur from installations performed by you or any other people</FONT></B></P>
<HR>
<P><B>1. Electrical Water Temperature Gauge</B></P>
<P>I have tried to come out with the best solutions, and I thought about installating
this gauge in many ways. You can install onto the stock coolant temperature
pickup points, or use a Tee-fitting off a heater hose. But, there were a few
problems with those ideas. The first is that I did not know the thread size
of the stock temperature sensors. Tee-ing off a heater hose was a better idea,
but it was hard to reach. The best solution that I came up with was to use the
upper radiator hose. It's easily accessible, and no need to remove anything
else but the hose. Please note that the upper radiator hose has an inside diameter
of 1.5inches. After installation, you will find that your car runs around 180F
on highway, and 200-210F in city traffic. It also takes at least 3 misles of
driving to fully warm up the engine.</P>
<P>First, you need to fabricate a custom fitting to accomodate the temperature
sensor.</P>
<OL>Material you need to buy:
<LI>A 2inch-long galvenized pipe whose inside diameter is 1.25inch. Usually,
this pipe has an outside diameter close to 1.5inch</LI>
<LI>2 hose clamps</LI>
<LI>A tiny rubber o-ring</LI>
<LI>Anti-freeze</LI>
</OL>
<OL>
Installation procedure:
<LI>The pipe needs to be drilled at the middle.</LI>
<LI>Using the 11/32in drill bit, drill a hole like you see below.</LI>
<LI>Then, tap the hose with the 1/8in tap kit.</LI>
<LI>Install the rubber o-ring on the sensor.</LI>
<LI>Tape the thread on the temp sensor with thread tape, and screw the sensor
to the pipe.</LI>
<LI>Unscrew the hose clamp screws, and remove the upper radiator hose.</LI>
<LI>Coolant will come out. Place a drain pan under the car.</LI>
<LI>Rinse the places where coolant touched. Coolant can damage car paint severely.</LI>
<LI>Cut the hose at the middle.</LI>
<LI>There is a need to trim the hose a little. I cut about 1 inch off the hoses.</LI>
<LI>Install the hoses over the pipe and clamp them together tightly.</LI>
<LI>Make sure everything is tight, install the modified hose between the block
and the radiator</LI>
<LI>You may need to trim more hose to make the hose fit.</LI>
<LI>Wire the sensor to the back of the gauge.</LI>
<LI>Also, install another wire between the pipe surface and the chassis to ground
the sensor correctly. If you don't ground it, then the gauge will read incorrectly.</LI>
<LI>Fill the radiator with 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and water. You will need
about 3-4 cups of coolant.</LI>
<LI>DONE, and make sure nothing leaks at any RPM.</LI>
</OL>
<TABLE WIDTH="75%" BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="1" CELLPADDING="1">
<TR>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/W_T1.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/W_T1.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/W_T2.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/W_T2.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD> </TD>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/W_T4.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/W_T4.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<HR>
<P><B>2. Exhaust Gas Temperature Gauge (aka EGT or Pyrometer)</B></P>
<P>EGT measures exhaust gas temperature at the exhaust manifold. The exhaust gas
determines if the engine is running lean or rich or just right. If too lean,
the engine would run hot, and the engine might explode. If too rich, the engine
would experience performance and gas efficiency issues. For a Subaru EJ25 engine, the engine would
run at 600-800 during idling, 1200-1400F during cruising, and 1450-ish at full
throttle. You can use this gauge to adjust the APEXi SAFC very effectively.
I bought the gauge with a clamp stype probe kit. You can install the probe with
a clamp, or a 1/8in nut, or a weld-type nut. I chose to use the clamp for ease
of installation first, but decided to use the 1/8in nut a few weeks later. I'll show
you both installation methods.</P>
<P>NOTE: If your car has a turbo, remove the manifold from the engine. The dust
and cast iron pieces can get into turbine, and damage the turbo and/or the engine.
On a N/A engine, I was told that removing the manifold was not necessary because
everything goes straight to the muffler, then to the outside world. I didn't
remove it.</P>
<OL>
Material you need to buy:
<LI>None.</LI>
</OL>
<OL>
Installation procedure for a clamp style probe:
<LI>The exhaust manifold must be drilled.</LI>
<LI>Using a marker, mark the place you want to drill. That is typically about
3-5inches away from the top of the manifold.</LI>
<LI>Using the 1/4in drill bit, drill a hole through the heat shield, then the
manifold.</LI>
<LI>The hole on the heat shield must be made bigger and need to be trimmed.
I used a dremel to cut the way I like it.</LI>
<LI>I found it easy to drill a hole on the manifold for some reason. So, if
you find it easy, don't worry.</LI>
<LI>Insert the probe as described in the Autometer installation manual.</LI>
<LI>Clamp the probe tightly.</LI>
<LI>Run the wires to the back of the gauge.</LI>
<LI>Done. Make sure there is no exhaust leak, smell, or any increased noise.</LI>
</OL>
<TABLE WIDTH="75%" BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="1" CELLPADDING="1">
<TR>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_01.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_01.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_02.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_02.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_03.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_03.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_04.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_04.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<P>In the next section, I will show you how to install a probe by tapping the
hole in the manifold. Tapping means making pipe threads on the hole that
you just created so that a bolt or a nut can be installed to the hole.
I found that installing using this method works better
because there is virtually no leak from the hole. Also, I used the clamp style
method for 2 weeks, and the clamp was about to break apart when I took it off.
It wasn't in a good shape. So, I recommend installating the probe by tapping
the hole. It's not as difficult as you may think. All you have to do is tap
the hole by using a 1/8NPT tapping kit. Insert the tapping kit and twist and
turn until you can't any more. Like I said, all you are doing is making a thread for the
probe adapter. </P>
<OL>
Installation procedure for tapping-style probe:
<LI>Follow step 1 through 5 from the clamp style installation.</LI>
<LI>Use a 11/32in drill bit instead. Make sure the hole is round. Sometimes,
the hole can become oval because the drill may move while drilling.</LI>
<LI>Tap the hole with a 1/8NPT tapping kit shown below.</LI>
<LI>Screw in the adapter provided with the gauge.</LI>
<LI>Screw in the probe to the adapter.</LI>
<LI>Then, follow step 8 and 9.</LI>
</OL>
<TABLE WIDTH="64%" BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="1" CELLPADDING="1">
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="29%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/tap.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/tap.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD WIDTH="29%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_05.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_05.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD WIDTH="42%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_06.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_06.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<HR>
<P><B>3. Electrical Oil Tempreature Gauge</B></P>
<P>The easiest and probably the most accurate way to install the temp sensor is
to drill a hole on the engine drain plug. Drilling a hole and welding the sensor
to the drain pan is another solution, but I didn't want to do that. Drilling
on the plug is safer and cheaper if I mess up. The plug only costs about $5.
The temperature sensor must be measured at the drain pan area because you need
to measure the temperature of unpressured oil. If the oil is pressured, then
the temperature will be way off. High pressure = higher temperature.</P>
<OL>
Material you need to buy:
<LI>A drain plug from the dealer.</LI>
</OL>
<OL>
Installation procedure:
<LI>Using a 11/32in drill bit, drill a hole on the drain plug that you just
bought. Make sure that you drill in the center.</LI>
<LI>It is very easy to drill the plug. You have to drill through the plug. Meaning
you have to make a tunnel through the plug.</LI>
<LI>Tap the hole with 1/8in tap kit.</LI>
<LI>Clean the plug before installing the sensor.</LI>
<LI>Using thread tape, tape the sensor. Then, screw in the sensor to the plug.</LI>
<LI>Make sure the sensor is tightly screwed in.</LI>
<LI>Unbolt the drain plug on the engine.</LI>
<LI>Replace it with the new plug kit that you just made.</LI>
<LI>Wire the sensor to the back of the gauge. Don't worry about grounding the
sensor because the sensor is already grounded.</LI>
<LI>Make sure oil doesn't leak out of the plug and sensor area. Run the engine
and see if the gauge works correctly.</LI>
<LI>Done.</LI>
</OL>
<TABLE WIDTH="42%" BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="1" CELLPADDING="1">
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="29%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/O_T1.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/O_T1.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD WIDTH="71%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/O_T2.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/O_T2.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
I have installed 3 Autometer temprature gauges (Water, Exhaust Gas, and Oil)
on my Impreza. I have installed these on top of the center dash using a Subaru
gauge pod. I have bought a custom gauge face plate from an i-club member, trimmed
the gauge pod to make the face plate fit, and installed the gauges.</P>
<TABLE WIDTH="42%" BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="1" CELLPADDING="1">
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="29%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/3gauges_01.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/3gauges_01.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD WIDTH="71%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/3gauges_02.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/3gauges_02.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<P>For all these gauges that I installed, you will need the following tools:</P>
<OL>
<LI>Screw driver</LI>
<LI>Knife</LI>
<LI>Drill</LI>
<LI>Drill bits</LI>
<LI>1/8NPT tapping kit</LI>
<LI>Thread Tape</LI>
<LI>Silicon Sealant</LI>
<LI>Locking pliers.</LI>
<LI>Adjustable wrench</LI>
</OL>
<P><B><FONT SIZE="+1">NOTE: This site is only for reference purposes. I AM NOT
IN ANY WAY RESPONSIBLE for any damages, injuries or other accidents that may
occur from installations performed by you or any other people</FONT></B></P>
<HR>
<P><B>1. Electrical Water Temperature Gauge</B></P>
<P>I have tried to come out with the best solutions, and I thought about installating
this gauge in many ways. You can install onto the stock coolant temperature
pickup points, or use a Tee-fitting off a heater hose. But, there were a few
problems with those ideas. The first is that I did not know the thread size
of the stock temperature sensors. Tee-ing off a heater hose was a better idea,
but it was hard to reach. The best solution that I came up with was to use the
upper radiator hose. It's easily accessible, and no need to remove anything
else but the hose. Please note that the upper radiator hose has an inside diameter
of 1.5inches. After installation, you will find that your car runs around 180F
on highway, and 200-210F in city traffic. It also takes at least 3 misles of
driving to fully warm up the engine.</P>
<P>First, you need to fabricate a custom fitting to accomodate the temperature
sensor.</P>
<OL>Material you need to buy:
<LI>A 2inch-long galvenized pipe whose inside diameter is 1.25inch. Usually,
this pipe has an outside diameter close to 1.5inch</LI>
<LI>2 hose clamps</LI>
<LI>A tiny rubber o-ring</LI>
<LI>Anti-freeze</LI>
</OL>
<OL>
Installation procedure:
<LI>The pipe needs to be drilled at the middle.</LI>
<LI>Using the 11/32in drill bit, drill a hole like you see below.</LI>
<LI>Then, tap the hose with the 1/8in tap kit.</LI>
<LI>Install the rubber o-ring on the sensor.</LI>
<LI>Tape the thread on the temp sensor with thread tape, and screw the sensor
to the pipe.</LI>
<LI>Unscrew the hose clamp screws, and remove the upper radiator hose.</LI>
<LI>Coolant will come out. Place a drain pan under the car.</LI>
<LI>Rinse the places where coolant touched. Coolant can damage car paint severely.</LI>
<LI>Cut the hose at the middle.</LI>
<LI>There is a need to trim the hose a little. I cut about 1 inch off the hoses.</LI>
<LI>Install the hoses over the pipe and clamp them together tightly.</LI>
<LI>Make sure everything is tight, install the modified hose between the block
and the radiator</LI>
<LI>You may need to trim more hose to make the hose fit.</LI>
<LI>Wire the sensor to the back of the gauge.</LI>
<LI>Also, install another wire between the pipe surface and the chassis to ground
the sensor correctly. If you don't ground it, then the gauge will read incorrectly.</LI>
<LI>Fill the radiator with 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and water. You will need
about 3-4 cups of coolant.</LI>
<LI>DONE, and make sure nothing leaks at any RPM.</LI>
</OL>
<TABLE WIDTH="75%" BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="1" CELLPADDING="1">
<TR>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/W_T1.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/W_T1.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/W_T2.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/W_T2.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD> </TD>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/W_T4.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/W_T4.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<HR>
<P><B>2. Exhaust Gas Temperature Gauge (aka EGT or Pyrometer)</B></P>
<P>EGT measures exhaust gas temperature at the exhaust manifold. The exhaust gas
determines if the engine is running lean or rich or just right. If too lean,
the engine would run hot, and the engine might explode. If too rich, the engine
would experience performance and gas efficiency issues. For a Subaru EJ25 engine, the engine would
run at 600-800 during idling, 1200-1400F during cruising, and 1450-ish at full
throttle. You can use this gauge to adjust the APEXi SAFC very effectively.
I bought the gauge with a clamp stype probe kit. You can install the probe with
a clamp, or a 1/8in nut, or a weld-type nut. I chose to use the clamp for ease
of installation first, but decided to use the 1/8in nut a few weeks later. I'll show
you both installation methods.</P>
<P>NOTE: If your car has a turbo, remove the manifold from the engine. The dust
and cast iron pieces can get into turbine, and damage the turbo and/or the engine.
On a N/A engine, I was told that removing the manifold was not necessary because
everything goes straight to the muffler, then to the outside world. I didn't
remove it.</P>
<OL>
Material you need to buy:
<LI>None.</LI>
</OL>
<OL>
Installation procedure for a clamp style probe:
<LI>The exhaust manifold must be drilled.</LI>
<LI>Using a marker, mark the place you want to drill. That is typically about
3-5inches away from the top of the manifold.</LI>
<LI>Using the 1/4in drill bit, drill a hole through the heat shield, then the
manifold.</LI>
<LI>The hole on the heat shield must be made bigger and need to be trimmed.
I used a dremel to cut the way I like it.</LI>
<LI>I found it easy to drill a hole on the manifold for some reason. So, if
you find it easy, don't worry.</LI>
<LI>Insert the probe as described in the Autometer installation manual.</LI>
<LI>Clamp the probe tightly.</LI>
<LI>Run the wires to the back of the gauge.</LI>
<LI>Done. Make sure there is no exhaust leak, smell, or any increased noise.</LI>
</OL>
<TABLE WIDTH="75%" BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="1" CELLPADDING="1">
<TR>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_01.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_01.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_02.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_02.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_03.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_03.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_04.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_04.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<P>In the next section, I will show you how to install a probe by tapping the
hole in the manifold. Tapping means making pipe threads on the hole that
you just created so that a bolt or a nut can be installed to the hole.
I found that installing using this method works better
because there is virtually no leak from the hole. Also, I used the clamp style
method for 2 weeks, and the clamp was about to break apart when I took it off.
It wasn't in a good shape. So, I recommend installating the probe by tapping
the hole. It's not as difficult as you may think. All you have to do is tap
the hole by using a 1/8NPT tapping kit. Insert the tapping kit and twist and
turn until you can't any more. Like I said, all you are doing is making a thread for the
probe adapter. </P>
<OL>
Installation procedure for tapping-style probe:
<LI>Follow step 1 through 5 from the clamp style installation.</LI>
<LI>Use a 11/32in drill bit instead. Make sure the hole is round. Sometimes,
the hole can become oval because the drill may move while drilling.</LI>
<LI>Tap the hole with a 1/8NPT tapping kit shown below.</LI>
<LI>Screw in the adapter provided with the gauge.</LI>
<LI>Screw in the probe to the adapter.</LI>
<LI>Then, follow step 8 and 9.</LI>
</OL>
<TABLE WIDTH="64%" BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="1" CELLPADDING="1">
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="29%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/tap.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/tap.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD WIDTH="29%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_05.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_05.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD WIDTH="42%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_06.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/EGT_06.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<HR>
<P><B>3. Electrical Oil Tempreature Gauge</B></P>
<P>The easiest and probably the most accurate way to install the temp sensor is
to drill a hole on the engine drain plug. Drilling a hole and welding the sensor
to the drain pan is another solution, but I didn't want to do that. Drilling
on the plug is safer and cheaper if I mess up. The plug only costs about $5.
The temperature sensor must be measured at the drain pan area because you need
to measure the temperature of unpressured oil. If the oil is pressured, then
the temperature will be way off. High pressure = higher temperature.</P>
<OL>
Material you need to buy:
<LI>A drain plug from the dealer.</LI>
</OL>
<OL>
Installation procedure:
<LI>Using a 11/32in drill bit, drill a hole on the drain plug that you just
bought. Make sure that you drill in the center.</LI>
<LI>It is very easy to drill the plug. You have to drill through the plug. Meaning
you have to make a tunnel through the plug.</LI>
<LI>Tap the hole with 1/8in tap kit.</LI>
<LI>Clean the plug before installing the sensor.</LI>
<LI>Using thread tape, tape the sensor. Then, screw in the sensor to the plug.</LI>
<LI>Make sure the sensor is tightly screwed in.</LI>
<LI>Unbolt the drain plug on the engine.</LI>
<LI>Replace it with the new plug kit that you just made.</LI>
<LI>Wire the sensor to the back of the gauge. Don't worry about grounding the
sensor because the sensor is already grounded.</LI>
<LI>Make sure oil doesn't leak out of the plug and sensor area. Run the engine
and see if the gauge works correctly.</LI>
<LI>Done.</LI>
</OL>
<TABLE WIDTH="42%" BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="1" CELLPADDING="1">
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="29%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/O_T1.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/O_T1.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
<TD WIDTH="71%"><A HREF="/mods/impreza/images/O_T2.jpg"><IMG SRC="/mods/impreza/images/O_T2.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150"></A></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>