Heath Robinson style Engine overheater Alarm

[Paulinwales]

I am thinking about buying one of the very competative engine overheater early warning system type alarms which I am sure are very good - but been a tight notherner was just looking for a cheaper alternative

I have seen food digital alarm thermometers with max heat alarm settings with 1 metre remote lead and thermocouple designed to go in the oven and the digital part outside the oven. Now it seems to me one could solder/silicone (silicone is heat tolerant to around 300'C) the nitting needle like probe to the engine cylinder head passenger side near the coolant pipe and have the thermometer under your seat (out of sight) with an alarm setting above the normal running functioning and this would be a cheap alternative to engine alarm. The thermometer is accutate to within 1'C and can go up to 300'C

as you are looking for a variance from normal operating temperature (over heating) would this method not work?)
If I am barking up the wrong tree someone please tell me but in principle thought this might at least work

Now I am not trying to say the coolant alarms and engine alarms are not worth the investment. I would adise anybody who values their vehicles to get one, as they are tried and tested and approved systems that represet good value for money preventing damage to expensive engines.

but for less than £10 would it not do a useful job as a stop gap till I could save up to buy the proper version (a dual alarm) as I am a bit cash strapped at the moment)

any thoughts please

[francophile1947]

Does the alarm go low enough? My oven starts at 130C, which is a lot hotter than I'd like my engine to get
Personally, I 'd put the £10 towards a proper one

[jimpearceuk]

Careful PiW - I am tight but do the maths, penny wise pound foolish i'd say.

Have you seen the price of a head?

For me, and like all new bongo'ers had a list as long as your arm of stuff I wanted to buy - always something more exciting to buy than the iAlert and coolant alarm, but I feel nice and relaxed now, knowing if an issue occurs I can get to it in time.

Chilled and relaxed feeling on top of the world, priceless

[The Great Pretender]

Do you have a link to them Paul? Sounds interesting, would even consider using it on my oven.

[Paulinwales]

As requested
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

comes with 1 meter line
was thinking of putting it under the passenger seat out of sight as a stop gap before purchasing a proper alarm and then using it to monitor my oil heating (WVO) before standing you can heat to 60'C to speed up settling and also monitor the preheats on my fuel line
etc

rgds P

[rita]

Looks good.

Cheers..

[Paulinwales]

ended up putting the thermocouple onto the dipstick with soldering wire (soft and liable) and put it into the dipstick sump - reads around 90'C unpushed.

what would happen if the thing fell apart and ended up with a wire down the dipstick i gues it would stay in the sump or be caught be the oild filter?


had it on the engine block ,but too much air flow effecting the results

rgds Paul

[Dave.]

so its measuring oil temp ? this wont save you head if coolant is lost the head will fry before the oil temp rises enough

[321Away]

If it broke up in the sump, there's a strainer fitted to the oil pick up pipe which sifts out bits bigger than about 1mm, so it shouldnt make it anywhere near your oil filter.
Julian

[lpgimports]

Would agree when you oil is too hot its already game over for the head...

[haydn callow]

I have adapters that will allow you to get the thermocouple into the the coolant flow.

[Paulinwales]

hi hadyn,

A very kind offer, how do they get the probe into the coolant and how much are they - this is just a stop gap till i can get the money saved

rgds Paul

[dom_e]

Looks like a nice n cheap option. I wonder if the probe could be modified - cut down and a threaded section bonded on so it'd screw into a suitable spare hole on the engine.

[Paulinwales]

not that mechanically minded (but that's changing thanks to this forum)

can anyone come up with some ideas where I might put the wires to get a reading of the cylinder head - apparently my oil reading is non too clever/unsuitable. I tried on top of the engine, but wind cooling was an issue, is it worth puttying them into an open thread on the cylinder head? perhaps with graphite putty (a conductor) - i am guessing the cylinder head is the top section of the engine just under the seat, have mainly been looking drivers side, where does it normally go on the kits?

anyone got any ideas
sorry I am still a bit clueless

rgds Paul
PS Will get a kit one day when i'm more flush, so many things to sort, hoses, bleeding, radiators etc

[rita]

not that mechanically minded (but that's changing thanks to this forum)

can anyone come up with some ideas where I might put the wires to get a reading of the cylinder head - apparently my oil reading is non too clever/unsuitable. I tried on top of the engine, but wind cooling was an issue, is it worth puttying them into an open thread on the cylinder head? perhaps with graphite putty (a conductor) - i am guessing the cylinder head is the top section of the engine just under the seat, have mainly been looking drivers side, where does it normally go on the kits?

anyone got any ideas
sorry I am still a bit clueless

rgds Paul
PS Will get a kit one day when i'm more flush, so many things to sort, hoses, bleeding, radiators etc

Hi,you could try and fabricate a small shield/shroud type thing to shelter the probe from the Wind.