Mounting an Air Temp Sensor

[vwjim]

On my NA engines I've always had the Air Temp sensor in the filter housing.

On my turbo engine I've got it in a boss welded in the cross duct between the TB's after the chargecooler, so the tip of the sensor is in the air flow.

I'm putting a small supercharger engine together, and the ECU supplier said to mount the air sensor in silicone pipe to reduce heat soak.

Has anyone done it that way? How did you keep the tip in the air flow as the silicone T's look like they would hold it out of the air flow?

Anyone tried it both ways and noticed a difference?

Thanks

[Chip Birks]

If it's in a pressurized intake, the air will be everywhere. It will get plenty of air flow to measure temp from I'm sure. I have definitely seen heat soak in the steel intake on my turbo car. I moved it. I get much better reading from measuring in my intercooler which is isolated from the rest of the engine via silicon. It doesn't heat soak like everything else seems to.

[rubenski]

Wow, havent even tought about that!

Good tokeep in mind.

My pipework is alloy so i hope it conducts the heat a bit better/faster

[vwjim]

Wow, havent even tought about that!

Good tokeep in mind.

My pipework is alloy so i hope it conducts the heat a bit better/faster

My turbo engine ductwork is all ally, and I haven't seen any issues / air temp readings only a couple of degrees over ambient air temps so the chargecooler must be doing a good job.

Been told by a UK racer than he's seen temp senders wound direct in to the silicone hose on engines pushing 30psi and not blown out. So that's one mounting option.

[nbuscemi]

If it's in a pressurized intake, the air will be everywhere. It will get plenty of air flow to measure temp from I'm sure. I have definitely seen heat soak in the steel intake on my turbo car. I moved it. I get much better reading from measuring in my intercooler which is isolated from the rest of the engine via silicon. It doesn't heat soak like everything else seems to.

I did the same as you. I originally had my IAT in my intake manifold between the TB and cylinders 1 and 2. Intake is made of steel tubing and heat soak / temp lag was a problem. I drilled and tapped the outlet endtank of my intercooler and mounted the sensor near the outlet of the IC and that fixed the problem.

-Nick-