Michael,
I looked at a bunch of the housings on the Jegs site. Someone that has done this probably has a super clean way to pull it off, but I think by using a 1/2" X 3/8" brass reducing bushing in the housing you are looking at, your sending unit wouldn't interfere with the thermostat. This would mean buying a temperature sender with a 3/8" thread configuration.
Just a thought!
Stuart
