"Must have" engine instruments

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dovekie

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\"Must have\" engine instruments

We are just about to install a new engine and there is a choice of control panels. What is people's wisdom regarding what's useful to have on a control panel?
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

I like a voltmeter as well as an ammeter in addition to everything mentioned above. I also have some goodies that like to add to my boats, exhaust temperature and engine room temperature.
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

Rev counter and cooling water temperature. Volts, amps e.t.c can be monitored via other means. Oil press/temp nice to have but not essential. For me the most important and not normally included on production boats is cooling water temp which I consider a must have!

Alan.
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

I settled for the basic panel, as supplied by the manufacturer. This had the advantage of being pretty weather resistant and small enough to be fitted in a cocpit cave locker, so I can now start the engine without going below. This has the usual wrning lights and buzzers but no gauges. The only thing I added was a simple Tachometer (Tiny Tach, under £60) which is useful now and again. I may also connect up my exhaust temp alarm this winter, which gives instant warning of any temp rise in the exhaust.
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

Hi, Dovekie!
There are NO instruments in the ''Must have'' category, in my opinion and experience: only alarms to indicate malfunctions --- which is why engine suppliers offer basic control panels with no dials and those have always been my choice.
What might be 'useful' is a different matter. Almost twenty years ago I installed an engine-hours meter to keep routine maintenance on track, and a 'smart' charging system; so no need for an ammeter, but a 'Voltwatch' to monitor battery state and charging behaviour has been invaluable. Both are at the boat's main switchboard, not the engine panel.
The only other 'dial' I've ever felt could be of passing interest was a rev-counter, but unless very well informed about engine behaviour, lots of dials can be too much information and raise needless anxieties! I think they only become important if the engine is prone to problems through poor maintenance or bad treatment: or being an less-than-reliable unit in the first place.
I had a Beta Marine Izuzu for fourteen years, now a Beta Kubota. Great engines!
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

Not a "must" really (and not cheap, either), but - depending on the usage of your boat - you might find this to be one of the most useful pieces of equipment.
And since you can work out your cockpit in advance, it can also replace the rpm.
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

There is only one "must have" - oil pressure. It's the only one you cannot determine from more basic (reliable) methods. (It might also be argued that if the oil pressure drops too low you are going to hear big-end noise, but by that point it is possible that damage is being done.)
All the rest are "nice to haves"
Even jacket temperature is not absolutely neccessary as long as long as you can either touch your engine or see water coming through the exhaust.
(assuming a sea-water cooled unit)

I always dip my fuel tank, and would do so even if I had a guage. If it's good enough for supertankers its good enough for me!

I expect a basic panel would have temperature, oil pressure and charge light anyway.

Mike
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

only thing you really need to know is engine RPM, which enables you to drive on the RPM range recommended by the engine manual. Kind of difficult by ear. Nothing else is really needed. All panels already include oil pressure and charging warning lights and buzzer
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

Oh dear ..... my boat has survived over 30 years with no gauges at all ..... not even warning buzzers etc.

It has ignition charge light ... and last winter I fitted a fuel gauge.

I'm thinking to adapt a car accessory inside / outside temp gadget to do exhaust temp and maybe engine temp .... matter of just strapping bimetal sensor to suitable point !

I have a RPM cable outer still sticking out of engine - but no gauge or inner drive cable.
I have the temp sensor and oil pressure switch still in their respective holes - but neither work or fitted to gauges ...

I run my engine by "ear" .... and regularly check exhaust for water etc. I have a clear section to the water feed from water pump - so can see water blasting through when light shone on it ...
I regularly open the engine box top while using engine to "sniff" and view the workings ... "sniff" ? if it's starting to overheat or electrics problem - the nose is pretty good at detecting ....

Terrible I know ... maybe one day I may treat the old girl to a gauge or two !!
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

Thank you all. It is great how much thought and wisdom a forum like this allows access to. I think I learn that I must have a means of warning if a) the oil pressure is too low, b) the engine is too hot - both presumably both to allow shut down before there is engine damage. A "no charge" warning light is a less catastrophic failure I guess. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that this is the minimum spec manufacturers supply. So no instruments are absolutely essential , but some might help greatly in fault diagnosis.

Thanks again
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

Car instrumentation apart from the statutory speedo, only ever includes a fuel gauge as standard. Even coolant temp gauges are disappearing now, and being replaced by warning lights. In some ways a good thing. My garage told me once of a customer who brought his car in complaining of 'overheating'. He had been towing a heavily loaded caravan up the motorway, and the coolant temp had risen to about 5 above normal. he had spent a small fortune on holiday having the 'overheating' checked out, and it had run fine driving around (without the 'van) until he got on the Mway home again when it 'overheated' again.

Instruments are only useful if you know what they mean in terms of fault diagnostics. Even the much loved Rev counter does nothing except tell you your engine is going round - unless you are experimenting with different prop sizes. If a fault develops that causes speed to drop, your ears will tell you anyway. Like the chap on the Mway it is not relevant what temperature your engine is running at, provided it does not exceed a certain level. Oil pressure - as long as the oil is circulating, so what?

Warning indicators are all that is needed which will give warning if something is running outside normal and safe parameters.

IMHO.

Thats why my boat has as many gauges and meters that I can pack in.... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif It looks absolutely great, but in reality they tell me nothing my eyes and ears wont tell me anyway.
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

During a recent refit I rewired the boat completely and replaced all but 2 of the existing instruments. It comes down to personal preference, but on passage the 3 gauges I glance at every few minutes are oil pressure, water temp and battery terminal voltage; when you get to know your engine / systems you know what they should settle down to after an hour's running or so. The tacho and log are useful to set the engine speed to the hull's maximum speed - over revving doesn't make the boat go faster, just digs her stern in the water. But as I say, a large amount of personal preference in all this.

instrspo5.jpg
 
Re: \"Must have\" engine instruments

I can't imagine doing without an oil pressure gauge. If the engine is meant to operate at, say, 60psi, its a bit blooming late to wait until the actual pressure falls to 7-10psi when the warning light/buzzer will come on. The only option then is to turn it off pending investigation. This might be 'inconvenient' to say the least. Similarly, with the temperature gauge. Both can alert you to problems that are building over the short and longer term. Sorry chaps, but in my book people who don't understand the importance of such measurements don't really understand engines.

ps the comparison with cars is irrelevant. There are no lay-bys or AA patrolmen at sea
 
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