What is needed for a set?

I'm interested to know exactly what the knocklink does and doesn't pick up so I'd like to listen with some det cans to compare.

Can I make my own or are they specialised?

PE had a setup with some copper pipe with the end squashed flat and drilled so that you could screw it onto the engine- well at least near the intercooler brackets. This was then coupled to some thick walled hose and a cheap stethoscope. I tried this and I could not get good coupling from the pipe to the tube.

I can always hear when the knocklink picks anything up unless on track with a helmet on or on the rolling road just by listening from inside the car.

I did try to link the factory knock sensor to the laptop audio in but just got a lot of alternator and ground loop noise. However, I might try it with the knocklink sensor - could also record the .wav files. Just plug the sensor into the microphone input. Just not got round to doing it with the knocklink sensor yet.

BTW the acoustics on cheap stethoscopes are fine don't need an expensive one. just the coupling was an issue for me.

See on Autospeed as well there is an article for putting a microphone on the block. If I do the knocklink sensor to the mic input on the laptop I'll let you know the results. Please keep me updated as well- trying to find a good system at the moment.

The microphone method really does have a lot of background noise, and picks up all sorts of engine noises. It can be hard to pick up the det unless you know what you are listening for. The det can does work better, as there is a lot less noise in the background, but again, the det you are listening for sounds way different than you would normally hear by ear in the cabin.

John,

where can I get a cheap stethoscope from?

I think I'll try and rig it up a little like PEs set; I'm not worried about recording the results (for now) I just want to be able to hear exactly whats going on. I know the knocklink will let me know when there is severe det but I'd like to know exactly what det I am getting and when.

A drug company representative!

Either that or medical equipment shops usually have £10 examples, sometimes rather insultingly called nurse's stethoscopes.

[Edited by john banks - 8/27/2002 5:53:28 PM]