DT466e thermocouple placement

[cruizinbiker]

2001 Amtran RE activity bus with DT466e and MD3060. 165k miles. Came from Orlando area. Undercarriage is immaculate. No rust anywhere. Inlet/turbo pipes as well as coolant pipes and exhaust pipes have surface rust. All pipes are removed. I am a powdercoater. I am coating inlet and coolant pipes with powdercoat. Exhaust pipes and muffler will get high heat Cerakote. Eventually, I wish to install a pyrometer to keep an eye on EGT. Of course the exhaust manifold is rusty. Since pipes are removed, would you remove turbo and exhaust manifold so as to drill/tap the manifold for a thermocouple, then high heat coat the manifold? I've coated several turbos, but they were new and disassembled. I kinda don't want to disassemble the turbo just to coat it. The hot side is of course rusty, but the cold side's factory coating is relatively intact.

Would you pull the exhaust manifold to coat it? And where would you place the thermocouple? (In the manifold or in the down pipe with a bung?) I'm concerned about the divider in the outlet port of the manifold. I saw Chuck Cassidy's YT video of pyrometer install where he drill/tapped into the Y collector on the manifold. My understanding is that there's a divider in there. I don't want my drill to catch the divider.

[Booyah45828]

If you're a powder coater by trade, IDK why you wouldn't. Yeah, you might strip bolts, and yeah, it might be a pain. But I feel it's all worth it.

I had the turbine and center section that I was going to use on my bus cerakoted by a buddy. He quit doing it before I could have him do the manifold, and the project is still sitting there unfinished. Oddly enough my turbo was off an 02 dt466e, but I'm not sure if it's the same as yours. You can read about the steps I took in my build thread, as I de-rusted it in a molasses-water solution and it came out awesome.

As I said, I haven't used the turbo, and I've actually listed it for sale on marketplace. New chra, cerakoted cartridge and exhaust housing, essentially a new piece. I'd sell and ship on here if you need it.

As far as the pyrometer is concerned, in the bend right before the Y, in either front or back pipe. Back of the engine typically runs hotter, so I'd choose back.

This guy here has a dt360, but it should be similar to your 466, and he puts it in the exhaust flow in the right spot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA6JfUkpNYw

I just watched cassady's video, and my god did he do that wrong. Like you, he has a divided manifold and turbine housing, and there is no way that thermocouple is in the exhaust gases with where he put it. It's kind of disappointing because a lot of folks rave about him and his knowledge/skills.

[cruizinbiker]

Originally Posted by Booyah45828

I just watched cassady's video, and my god did he do that wrong. Like you, he has a divided manifold and turbine housing, and there is no way that thermocouple is in the exhaust gases with where he put it. It's kind of disappointing because a lot of folks rave about him and his knowledge/skills.

Chuck's bus has all mechanical DT466. Don't know if the manifold is divided or not. Here's a clip and closeup from his video. If his manifold is divided, how did he not drill right down the web?


On a divided manifold, would you drill/tap at the red dot for the thermocouple?

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by cruizinbiker

Chuck's bus has all mechanical DT466. Don't know if the manifold is divided or not. Here's a clip and closeup from his video. If his manifold is divided, how did he not drill right down the web?

You tell me? Cause I don't see how. 3 comments down on his video someone mentions that and he liked it but didn't respond. That comment also mentioned 04+ being undivided, which is true, but because it's a log style manifold design due to the addition of an egr port.

Originally Posted by cruizinbiker

On a divided manifold, would you drill/tap at the red dot for the thermocouple?
Attachment 72170

Yes, looks good to me.

[magnakansas]

I would remove manifold for coating. When I was working with turbo Mazda rotary race cars we found the best way to hold heat in the exhaust was to coat the inside of the manifold . Assume there is a divider drill one side. If you take temps after the turbo—- more difficult to find “safe” numbers. Temps for use after the turbocharger sometimes can be in engine manufacturers technical data. I always use temps at manifold. On first time engines I will. Have a temp probe for each cylinder as close to the port as I can. Then one more at the “collector”. After running and tuning I then have a better idea of what I really want as a no go temp at the collector. There is no rule for what is hotter, ports or colllectors.1250 is a safe number for egt. 1275 should be safe that is really an absolute number. I am using numbers from piston engine aircraft. I use these numbers for limits on the piston engine race cars. No failures due to egt since 1988.