Coolant psi gage

[Al_E]

I was just wondering if anyone has ever tried a coolant psi gage? Ive got one on my JD 125 skidloader, and the other day when I was plowing snow the radiator blew out a upper tank seam. If I didnt have the coolant psi gage I wouldnt of caught the leak in time and over heated the motor.
So I am considering putting one on the truck. It saved my skidloader, so it should work on my truck. What do you guys think?

 

[94turboidi]

Sounds like a good idea.

 

[Diesel_brad]

I was just wondering if anyone has ever tried a coolant psi gage? Ive got one on my JD 125 skidloader, and the other day when I was plowing snow the radiator blew out a upper tank seam. If I didnt have the coolant psi gage I wouldnt of caught the leak in time and over heated the motor.
So I am considering putting one on the truck. It saved my skidloader, so it should work on my truck. What do you guys think?

You didnt see the coolant in the snow? Dont they have a safety to sut the engine down for low oil press/high temp?

 

[Al_E]

No I didnt see any coolant, Its about a 500ft push from the house to the road and I have a 8 ft truck blade on the quick attach, sonot alot of wasted time backing.
Shes an old girl, 1982 no auto shut downs only gages.

 

[GenLightening]

That would have told me when I lost a head gasket last year. Would have gone way up and then down to 0 after the lower hose blew off... Wonder where I could put one? Hmmm...

 

[icanfixall]

Coolant pressure can only get as high as the radiator cap will let it... Yes... Having a pressure gauge on the coolant is a great idea. I thought about doing that some years ago but... I already have 6 extra gauges on my rig....

 

[94turboidi]

Gary you need to make a custom dash w/ about 50 gauges and blinking leds, a few aircraft toggle switches hehe. Mine is all stock but I have seriously considered building a custom dash down the road and putting in all new gauges w/ some extras. I think this coolant psi gauge is a great idea because it would show you instantly when you start running out of coolant instead of waiting for the temp to go up plus the temp could be highly inaccurate if there is no coolant flowing past it right? What would be cool is a dual gauge w/ both the pressure and temp along w/ a blinking led when one of the two are out of range.

 

[GenLightening]

It might have helped when you lost the freeze plug, but then where you lost it didn't help matters.

 

[Al_E]

Seems to me coolant psi is as important as coolant temp.
Think its time to get busy and find a coolant psi gage. When im done my dash will probably look like a 747.

 

[GenLightening]

A quick search found this one for $300,

http://www.spatechnique.com/product_pages/productdetails.cfm?id=378

SPA's oil pressure and oil temperature dual gauge has been designed with many and varied applications in mind from performance cars, motorcycles, planes, boats and even machinery. They have a choice of backlit illumination either user switchable red or green or blue only.

This oil pressure and oil temperature dual gauge represents one of the most accurate oil pressure monitoring devices available. High resolution mode allows 1/10 of 1 psi resolution, user programmable alarm conditions for any application and peak recall of maximum values.
Kit is fully inclusive of all sensors and wiring as well as comprehensive user manual.

Edit: They have one that just says Temp and Pressure or any combo you'd likely want.
Maybe I could put it where my current water temp gauge is...

 

[motrack]

I saw a coolent system PSI guage 20 years ago when looking at a friends BlueBird diesel pusher motorhome.

First and only one I have ever seen in a factory gage cluster.

 

[icanfixall]

Well... After I burned down my engine I wanted to fabricate an alarm system. On every gauge I have I wanted to "moniter" them. I felt if I had an alarm horn and a blinking red lite in the gauge I would know whats going on in an instant. Also thought about installing a low coolant level alarm in the top radiator tank... I actually had Rodney Red install a 1/2 inch pipe thread port up there on the drivers side of the tank.... Got to get back to that setup sometime. Maybe I could use the factory water in fuel probe but just wire it up opposite from how it how works.... The low oil pressure switch would be up near the turbo. Then if the line ever broke I would know it right then... A 747 instrument panel.... Nope... An SR71 instrument panel....

 

[94turboidi]

The factory turbo has the oil pressure sending unit mounted right at the oil feed line to the turbo.

 

[icanfixall]

Yes and so does my Banks setup but.... I don't have it programed with an alarm and a red flashing lite in the aftermarket gauge.... Then you can drive without constantly watching any gauge.... Just look them over when the lite flashes and the alarm sounds.....

 

[Agnem]

The problem I see with a coolant PSI gauge, is your going to be at zero, or even possbily below when your cold. I would think a water level indicator would be of more value.