Engine and Transmission Tech

Just hypothetically...

If you wanted to install a knock sensor on a really old V8 engine (e.g. Buick 215), how would you go about it?

General tips?

Advice about sourcing the sensor?

I would just copy the Rover engines.
Outside center of the block. About 1.5" down from the deck. Just above the center frost plugs.
Seems to be a pretty consistent location for most OHV V8s
OHC V8s seem to favour mounting under the intake manifold.
The typical Bosch center bolt two wire sensor would be my choice. The alternative would probably be the GM style single lead unit, but they take up a lot of room.
Suitable electronics would be the hardest part. Unless you're using an aftermarket FI ECU. Megasquirt, Motec, Electromotive etc.
There are some older systems around that work but not that well. They don't filter the signal well enough and only control timing. You can have a noisy lifter put your engine into a full retard meltdown.
If you are just using them for tuning then a scope will work. Watching the output of the sensors is pretty interesting.
Cheers
Fred

I mounted two of them on my Olds 215 and used the stud type, Rover I believe. On the driver's side towards the front of the block is a tooling lug with a hole through it. I tapped that hole and screwed the sensor in there. For the other one I made a thread adapter from metric to 3/8"-NC and screwed it into an accessory boss on the back end of the head. Used the signal to run Phil Ringwood's KS detector circuit built on the prototype area of my MegaSquirt control board and put a lens in the side of the case so I could see the LED from the driver's seat. Did not use it to automatically control timing but as a visual indicator when tuning.

Jim