AMC Eagle Den Forum

The Shop => Question and Answer => Topic started by: DaemonForce on October 12, 2012, 07:56:48 PM

Title: Red sensor on intake
Post by: DaemonForce on October 12, 2012, 07:56:48 PM
Near the front facing the top...What is this and what does it do? More importantly, if I wanted to replace it with a newer one, where would I get it?
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: eagleman on October 12, 2012, 08:45:59 PM
Don't know either but sure am interested in finding out also! When I had my intake and exhaust manifolds off to replace the two busted off studs I removed it and cleaned it on the wire wheel and reinstalled it I wondered what it was and what it did in the skeem of things. Hopefully know we'll both find out. Glad you ask.
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: AMC of Houston on October 12, 2012, 09:57:33 PM
Like Dave said; a pic would help.   If its a 1984 or newer, it could be the knock sensor (according to my parts manual).
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: DaemonForce on October 12, 2012, 10:06:36 PM
Quote from: AMC of Houston on October 12, 2012, 09:57:33 PM
If its a 1984 or newer, it could be the knock sensor (according to my parts manual).
Red thingy between 2 and 3.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img27/3549/dscf4358u.jpg)
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: ammachine390 on October 12, 2012, 10:40:50 PM
Yep, its the knock sensor.

Quote from: casper on October 12, 2012, 10:28:09 PM
looks like a temp sensor. either air or water. never heard of a none efi car to have an air temp sensor tho...

Actually, Eagles have an air temp sensor in the back of the air cleaner box.
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: DaemonForce on October 13, 2012, 01:25:22 AM
Quote from: casper on October 12, 2012, 10:28:09 PM
looks like a temp sensor. either air or water. never heard of a none efi car to have an air temp sensor tho...
Stock air cleaner had at least one. Gave me at least one reason to get rid of it too.
Quote from: ammachine390 on October 12, 2012, 10:40:50 PM
Actually, Eagles have an air temp sensor in the back of the air cleaner box.
It doesn't relate to vacuum and it has a probe. It's definitely temperature related but because all the wires to the manifolds are shielded I can't trace what goes where. It would be useful to at least know WHAT they are rather than to just tear everything out while hoping I can replace stuff. Oddly, I've been getting weird ideas for fuel injection lately so there's a good chance a lot of this matters a great deal. Would a 4.0 intake bolt straight up to the 258 head without remachining? Does it have some evolution of these sensors?
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: BenM on October 13, 2012, 11:45:09 AM
It's the knock sensor. It actually detects sound with a tuned crystal.
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: carnuck on October 13, 2012, 12:36:39 PM
My knock sensor is on the block. I recall that is the IAT (intake air temp) sensor that turns on the manifold heater.
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: ammachine390 on October 13, 2012, 02:14:31 PM
Quote from: carnuck on October 13, 2012, 12:36:39 PM
My knock sensor is on the block. I recall that is the IAT (intake air temp) sensor that turns on the manifold heater.

Isn't your Eagle an 82? They didn't put knock sensors on Eagles until 1983. Are you sure you are not thinking of the temperature sensor for the temp gauge located on the back of the engine block? The manifold heater temperature sensor is located on the side of the of intake manifold, not on the top.
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: amcinstaller on October 13, 2012, 06:15:47 PM
i would think a knock sensor would be quite useless in an intake. block makes more sense. and iat makes more sense for that
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: BenM on October 15, 2012, 11:47:18 AM
I'm pretty sure it's the knock sensor. (http://home.sprynet.com/~dale02/knock.htm) It wasn't used on every engine. The temperature sensors (some may be three-wire) go in to the coolant passages at the bottom of the manifold, and early cars without aluminum intakes will have vacuum switches in the coolant jacket in the side of the block.

(http://home.sprynet.com/~dale02/wire-big.png)
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: Eagle1985 on October 15, 2012, 01:00:43 PM
The AMC parts catalog shows the knock sensor here: http://www.amceaglenest.com/~iowaeagl/guide/index.php?title=Section_12%2C_Manifolds_and_Carburetors (http://www.amceaglenest.com/~iowaeagl/guide/index.php?title=Section_12%2C_Manifolds_and_Carburetors)

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Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: DaemonForce on October 15, 2012, 05:56:38 PM
Quote from: BenM on October 13, 2012, 11:45:09 AM
It's the knock sensor. It actually detects sound with a tuned crystal.
I'm not sure what's worse, the diagram proving this or the fact that when I read "tuned crystal" that the old crystal radios come to mind. God that's old! O_o
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: eagleman on October 15, 2012, 06:20:45 PM
Don't know bout you but now I'm really corn fused! Crystal tuned, say what? Haven;t been able to get any radio stations on it yet but I won't give up either lol. Seriously would just like to know what it is and what it does besides confuse most of us.
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: BenM on October 15, 2012, 08:26:44 PM
It's just a tiny microphone-like device to let the ECU know it needs to retard the engine timing to prevent knock.

It detects a high-frequency sound by direct contact with the intake manifold. I'm not sure why it's there and not somewhere else, but it must have worked well enough.

If you want to know how it works:
http://www.engineblox.com/?p=65
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectric_sensor
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: eagleman on October 16, 2012, 08:44:34 AM
Thanks Ben! Sent you an egg for your explanation. At least it makes some sense now.
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: carnuck on October 25, 2012, 12:23:02 PM
Quote from: ammachine390 on October 13, 2012, 02:14:31 PM
Quote from: carnuck on October 13, 2012, 12:36:39 PM
My knock sensor is on the block. I recall that is the IAT (intake air temp) sensor that turns on the manifold heater.

Isn't your Eagle an 82? They didn't put knock sensors on Eagles until 1983. Are you sure you are not thinking of the temperature sensor for the temp gauge located on the back of the engine block? The manifold heater temperature sensor is located on the side of the of intake manifold, not on the top.

I was thinking of my '83 or '84 J10's motor (knock sensor was screwed into the hole next to left motor mount because it was a Renix 4.0L block). Knock sensor it is. (none on mine) I do have some weird idle control box that may be causing the occasional stall out.

It sort of makes sense to have the sensor on the intake because it's hollow and reaches all the cyls and the noise generally comes from the top of the motor.
Title: Re: Red sensor on intake
Post by: carnuck on October 29, 2012, 10:59:54 PM
My other intake has this sensor and I'll be taking it off and grinding the intake to a polished look before installing it (and fixing the last of my oil leak from the Clifford valve cover)