EGT vs. wideband O2 gauges

[hsk8te2006]

Hi Everyone,

I need help making a decision.

Right now my '96 GS-T is essentially stock and I'm adding gauges first. I'm not planning on upgrading the turbo (budget conciencious), but I am planning on cheaper mods like cone air filter, UIC pipe with 1G BOV, high-flow Cat-con, wastegate restrictor removal, and perhaps a manual boost controller. Down the road I may get a full turbo back exhaust, but no plans yet. I'm looking to keep the future in mind in case I do choose to upgrade further, so I'm looking for experienced opinions.

I'm already planning on electrical boost with peak. I've been told that EGT can be handy. However, I've also read that a wideband O2 sensor may do more good than an EGT. Opinions please?

Also, I can use second opinons for my third A-pillar gauge... I'll have a good sense of what's happening inside the engine with an EGT or wideband O2, and the stock coolant temp gauge is accurate enough to let me know if there's a serious coolant system problem. I figure an oil temp gauge or fuel pressure gauge won't be much use on a nearly stock car if I have an EGT or wideband O2. That leaves me with voltmeter or oil pressure, and I figure I'd rather run out of electricity and need to be jumped or towed before trusting the non-reliable stock oil pressure gauge to alert me before my engine siezes if there's a drop in oil pressure due to a problem, so an oil pressure gauge with peak and warn may be best. Does anyone disagree with this logic?

Thank you so much,

Hsk8te2006

 

[bling5tatus]

The answer is you need to be able to tune the car to run whatever boost you want without knocking.

 

[Talesin]

hsk, all you really need for the BCS mod 1-2psi bump is a logger cable and software. Watch your timing ramp for unexplained timing-pull on a third-gear WOT run, which would indicate that you're knocking, even if you can't log knock directly. If you want to go bigger, you'll need more stuff, like a proper tuning solution.

delta, I didn't mean any offense... I just really do not see any point in running an EGT with a wideband O2. If there's a combustion problem, it'll register on the wideband. If you have one cylinder running stupid-rich and one painfully lean, who's to say the one you have the EGT hooked up to won't be the lean one? Or one of the two running normally in your scenario? You have a 1/4 chance of hitting the 'right' cylinder to give you that panic-warning and shut it down... maybe for peace of mind, but I have to view it as more of a psychological thing than a real warning system.
I may just be hypersensitive though, given that some locals seem to try to find any excuse to put more gauges into their car, even when they serve no real, informational purpose.. and that's not just the Honda kids.

 

[nightspeed87]

As long as you can log, and/or have like a chip with a knock sum gauge to see knock on the stock boost gauge ( dsmchips feature ) with the addition of at least a wideband and or a egt gauge you will be ok. Other than that which one is just personal preference.
Staying in the low 11 afr range like i was suggesting should still be rich enough to avoid any lean troubles.