Drive Temperature Sensor
 

Would anyone use it if it were offered as an easy to install package with gauge?

Dont see why not.

I think it would be great...show a issue before it got out of hand...hopefully

Do you have one in mind. I have 3 livorsi ones that do not work and would like to have some new ones but can't seem to find any.

I have the project underway, I have designed a new sensor prototype to be in my possession hopefully by the end this month. At the moment I only have a digital gauge combo for trials so it will still be a while. Readings from 32deg.F to 240deg.F.

The overall design incorporates an integrated ground so faulty readings due to a "lack of ground" situation are discouraged. The sensor itself will install into the upper vent hole for the drive lube with an additional safety lock which is still on the drawing board.

The conductors will travel through a modified trim sensor grommet/wedge or straight through the transom via a clamshell and 5200 or some other aesthetically pleasing design.

Keep us up to speed if you would please.

Gladly

I have used the Livorsi model before and while I don't remember what the max temp of the drive got to, I do think it was over 240 deg. I thought it was well over 300 deg. The gauge may not have been reading correctly....I'm not sure what the temp should have been since it was the only one I had ever used. I would hate to see you do all of this work and not have a high enough temp reading. Keep us posted.
Eddie

I looked into this a while back and located the concept in the pic below which was patented in 1998. I also remember an article published several years ago in one of the boating magazines evaluating drive showers and their effect on gear lube temperature. I can't remember the temperatures they were running, but I will see if I can find the article.

GAFFRIG,,,,they work !:ernaehrung004:

Thanks for the input guys, it appears that I may have a patent infringment problem as posted above. Hmmm.

I quess if yours look diffrent then not,,,,,,but i would call gaffrig and talk to Mike Schulz .

He may work it out with you ?

Sorry.:party-smiley-004:

If you or anyone else could point me to that article (or other articles ) on the effect of different drive showers on gear lube temperature that would be much appreciated.

Any info that you can share about the measured drive oil temperature versus different operating conditions/HP/drive showers/etc.?

:)
Here some info that might be interesting to this thread.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/d...-readings.html

Good info. Thanks. After the hard run you noted the drive oil temp hit 230F without a drive shower. Now that you have installed a drive shower what is the drive oil temperature with a similar hard run?

This is not my setup. I just remember reading the thread awhile ago. I think he hooks up the drive shower on page 4 or 5 and reports back. You will need to read the whole thread. Pages 2 and 3 is just a bunch talk back.

may have to run a separate ground drom the drive housing back inside the boat to get it to read right

I do not find anywhere in that thread where he reports back with the drive oil temperature after adding the shower

Yes on page 5 i think he says it runs 20 degree cooler then without the shower.

:party-smiley-004:

Sorry. First time on Speedwake.com and did not initially recognize the paging scheme. Actually the one guys drive temperature did not change from 270F at WOT but now looking into if the shower is set up properly. Another guy said that he had documented 20F drop in drive oil temperature. Thanks.

I hope that was a little informative read, I've been meaning to get back and see if there was any updates for this year.

I firmly believe in drive showers, they substantially assist in the cooling of the upper drive during extended full speed runs. For someone who just puts around the lake and gets on plane once in a while it's not worth the investment.

It was informative to the degree it flads the fact that one should be aware that the drive oils can get hot with enough hp but is very limited on details as to drive type vs hp vs oil temperature vs drive shower type vs oil cooling performance. Hopefully such info is out there and will show up on this thread or others eventually.

I believe that the best thing to take away from that thread and reading gages in general is: You know the temps and pressures that your stuff runs at during your normal operations; Idle, Cruise, and Beating the s#it out of it. If something is all of a sudden different it gives you an opurtunity to shut down before a little issue becomes a serious issue.

We Have run drive temp guages on a fiew boats on stock power 160 to 220 ,on big power 140 to over 300 but it saved drives ,pull out at 270 and they hold up pretty good .livorsy told me they are not made anymore I found one in texas to replace a bad one ,the pick up is veary fradgle and get damaged when the gears break .

Do the drive oil temperature sensors fit in the Bravo's upper vent/fill plug or is it necessary to drill and tap a seperate hole for the temp sensor?

I called Gaffrig also. They stopped carrying the drive oil temp sensors that screw into the bravo oil fill/vent plug hole.

Do you know of anyone/anywhere that still has the oil temp sensor for the Bravo drive?

Not to over simplify this. ( I might be looking at this all wrong) Couldn't you just get a 340* oil temp gauge and a 1/8 npt sendor, tap the upper vent hole, put the sendor in, run the sendor wire and a ground through the transom to the gauge???

Absolutely. I inquired about this approach with Livorsi. The potential problem is that of surviveability or lack thereof. The drive oil sensor cable kit was a heavily armored design for the environment at the external drive/transum area. See attached picture of the kit. The engine oil sensor is designed for the protected engine environment including exposed electrical terminations. Life expectancy and reading reliability of the engine oil sensor approach could be a problem over time. One could do their best to seal it up and armor it better.
This approach could still work very well for temporary installations to evaluate drive temperature versus operating conditions and test drive shower performance baselines.

I was first considering re-threading the oil sensor to mate with the drive vent threads and gasket surface if the sensor had sufficient metal available which I had not yet confirmed.

With a little help from a friend I learned that the fill / vent plug threads for the Bravo Drive are 3/8-16 which are tapped using a 8mm drill or 0.3149" dia. The Livorsi GSOT1/8 oil temp sensor is 0.321" dia. That is 0.006" diameter interference or 0.003" thickness/side so the probe should fit...tight but wit a little emery paper just right. The threaded shank of that sensor (1/8 NPTM) has a 0.25" unthreaded length and a 0.375 hex head height part of which could be machined away to provide the needed thread length. The only problem is that the 3/8-16 external threads root diameter is 0.2983" dia which would cut into the sensor probe by 0.0229" on the diameter or 0.0115" debth /thickness. I do not know what the sensor probe wall thickness is so that remains the question as to if it will work.

Something on the horizon guys...patience!!

Something on the horizon guys...patience!! :rolleyes:

Well as far as Gaffrig and Livorsi is concerned they no longer offer the noted sensor cable system. The individual (a one man operation) that used to make them and supplied both has gone on to his reward. So you have no competition that I can find.

Sensor...
 

It is forthcoming, prototype has come and a revised report has gone back to the manufacturer. A new prototype is due back post haste. Keep watching this post if you're interested in this product.

Any idea on price for the sensor?

Livorsi checked with their supplier for the GSOT1/8 oil temperature sensor per my question below regarding sensor body wall thickness. The supplier would not provide dimensions but did advise that there was sufficient sensor body thickness to allow cutting a 3/8-16 thread. Livorsi also advised that the sensor internals are completely potted so the unit is water proof as well. At $19 per sensor this is just too tempting to not give it a try. However I will not be drilling any holes in the transum just yet.

PS The Livorsi oil temp sensor for drive oil temp use idea is only plauseable for fresh water use because of the brass body and electrical termination configuration that will need to be sealed from the elements to maintain electrical continuity.

See attached picture. The lower sensor is the stock Livorsi GSOT1/8 oil temperature sensor with 1/8 NPTM threads. The lower sensor is the same sensor except with 3/8-16 straight threads applied with a simple thread die.

Next time I get to the lake I will try the threaded sensor in the Bravo dirve and see how it fits.

[QUOTE=Rage;2762014]Livorsi checked with their supplier for the GSOT1/8 oil temperature sensor per my question below regarding sensor body wall thickness. The supplier would not provide dimensions but did advise

hey DJ im back online...Damn teenagers....I talked to Kirk at Elite today....we should get our package by early next week....