I know some guys use these to check for dry track pins,what other areas have you seen them used for?.could they be used for idlers, final drives?? has long has you have two or more to check temp differences.
I use mine on exhaust manifolds to check for weak firing cylinders.
Yep, you can find hot finals, or simply a hot bearing, hydraulic bypassing in a valve, swivel, or cylinder will create a hot spot, etc....
Engine cooling systems is #1 for me. How well the rad is cooling and thermostat operating Comparing gauges in the cab to actual temp at the sensor if you suspect a false reading
Use one to check brakes to find one that's not working correctly. Cooling systems and air conditioning.
nowing75 how did you use it in the air conditioning application?
I carry one in my lunchbox when i am running a finish roller for checking asphalt temperature.
I use one to check tire and wheel bearings on my tag trailer when loaded. I have also used one to check for proper tire inflation or alignment problems. Shoot the inside, center, and outsideof the tread. Edges hot and center cool is under inflated. Edges cool andcenter hotter is over inflated. Progressively hotter from one edge to the other indicates an alignment issue. Comparing side to side canhelp track it down. Sidewall temp also shows under inflation. I have saved many towing problems by checking this way, especially in the desert of the Southwest. Other good ideas above, and hopefully more to come.
We use them to check weld and rail temps.
Cooling System Checks : Top & Bottom Rad hoses, for differentiation of temps to make sure the Radiator has or is flowing properly …… and to check before & after the Thermostat housing, to see when/if the Thermostat is opening ……. Etc …. Etc …. Etc …...
What no one uses them to make sure your favorite adult beverage is at the proper temperature?:drinkup:drinkup
Nope, I just try it, if it's not right I chug it down and order another.....
You can check inlet and outlet temp of the evaporator and condensor to make sure they are not pluged. Some manuals give some temp specs.
It should always start out so cold that it hurts your throat going down and if it warms up very much - that's just operator error!
Back when I was plowing snow I carried one to check the pavement temperature, although I found it wasn't particularly well suited to that. You need to keep the device itself at somewhere close to the ambient temperature to get an accurate reading, and when you're trying to see whether the pavement is below or above freezing, a few degrees of difference can be critical. Leaving it in back with the salt wasn't really an acceptable compromise.
Another common use is to check tire temp, especially in a dual tire scenario if the 2 tires side by each are drastically different there is usually an inflation pressure issue ….. the hotter tire will have a higher pressure (possibly the correct pressure) and the other has a leak and going flat ??? …. when you've got a bunch of tires it's faster than a tire gauge, especially the PITA inside dually tire …. LOL While you're checking Tires check the wheel bearings and hubs ….. high temps ??? maybe a bad bearing or a dragging Brake …. speaking of brakes checking the brake drum temps …. the hotter ones doing all the work and the cooler one maybe out of adjustment ….. Our lists for uses go on and on and on ………..
I like the brake adjustment idea seems like one is always working more then the others.
Point it in the house door when you come home way to late. Lets you know wether you can walk in or have to go for flowers.
i use it for driving the neighbors cat nuts.
+1...
just ran the d8 for a few hours, one final was 120 deg the other was 138 is that something you would worry about, or is that normal?
No me, but it's not mine either. In 60 degree weather that doesn't seem bad. What do the experts say?
I was finding all kinds of uses for mine, then the wife took it and started using it in the kitchen!~ I guess I will just have to get another one!
Welding pre-heat and inter-pass temps. Sometimes still use the Tempil sticks I still have, but the gun is handier, if not necessarily as accurate. Avoiding excessive head build-up when building up and hardfacing manganese steels is an essential use.
How much does a decent one cost ? I see them for sale on ebay for anywhere from about $7.00 to $427.00.
I've bought nice ones off ebay for $20 used and shipped. They work great for what I need, and you don't mind losing it that much.
I use one to check the floor heating system in my shop.
I just retro fitted a rockland deere blade to a cat machine and rockland recommended all welds preheated to 300 deg with short passes to keep the heat down must be something with the steel in rockland blades but it was very handy for temp checking, thru out the process.