Velvet Leopard

Hey guys. What is this Pyrometer Gauge I am hearing about? I found a nice set of C2 Autometer Gauges I may pick up for my dash. What is a Pyrometer and why is it important? Thanks guys.

95gt302

i beleive it gives your exaust temp and i think its just really important on desiels but i may be mistaken

ShadowDrake

Yeah, the Pyrometer measures your exhaust gas temp (EGT, for anywhere else you see that acronym). For our engines, it's not tragically important and won't do you much good... like 95gt302 said, it's more imporant for diesels... They don't have spark plugs, and just rely on heat and compression to ignite the mixture... so watching EGT is important in that case.

Velvet Leopard

I heard you could use a pyrometer to watch your cylinder head temperature. Is this true and is it worth it? Thanks for you info.

GypsyR

You can use a pyrometer if you like. On a normally aspirated engine it's not needed. It was long used on airplanes where the pilot could read one and adjust the fuel mixture if necessary. Mostly back in the days before modern electronic fuel injection and the widespread availability of oxygen sensors. Still used on small aircraft.
Mostly the guys with turbos or supercharged engines are interested in EGT's. Excessively high exhaust temperatures are a forewarning of imminent piston melting. They're mostly installed in addition to a gauge that reads from an oxygen sensor and more useful in a carbureted car than an EFI car.
"Normal" oxygen sensors won't give useful readings in a diesel because they would shortly be fouled by the soot in the exhaust. Non-turbo diesels don't usually require close monitoring of EGTs. Pyrometers are most used with turbo-diesels to monitor the fuel mixture under boost so something doesn't melt. Usually pistons. Considered a necessity on a turbo diesel if you are trying to run more boost than stock or messing with propane injection or something.
Monitoring cylinder head temperatures is considered "overkill" on mostly stock engines. But, if you already have an oil temp gauge and a water temp gauge, the head temp gauge will complete the set and between the three give you a very good picture of exactly what's going on with your engine temperatures. Although they aren't commonly listed in most hotrod type catalogues, Autometer and such do sell head temp gauges and they are usually less expensive than the exhaust pyrometers.
Do you need one? Probably not. Want one? Hey, why not?

dobry

you are right, when I was passing my commercial drivers license for an 18-wheeler all diesels and all of them had pyrometers
to check the temp of the exhaust fumes

LvGordo

i have an egt gauge. since i dont have an a/f gauge, i would figger it would heat up alot if i started to run lean (before detonation starts). It was recommended by my mech, says it would be a quick indication if i had a fuel pump start to fail or a filter start to clog or an injector do the same. I said fine and now i have one. not sure if that makes any sense or not.