The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Water temp sensor/small block?

Can someone please tell me where a water temp sensor (mechanical or electric) goes on a chevy small block?? (older one)
Thanks alot... :confused:

Russntustin: 350 driver side right above front 2 sparkplugs. popcorn The Truth is Out There (Yes it is)

I feel like such an idiot with this....
The small block is a 327. I don't see anywhere above the front spark plugs...
There's a large 'plug' on top of the water pump...??

Temp sender on a 327 is on top of the intake manifold, passenger side beside or in front of the radiator hose.

On the driver's side Cyl. head, there will be a plug (not a spark plug) in between the two front cylinders. If you have headers, it will be below the mounting plate; there might even be a cut-out for it. This is a good a place as any for temp sender.

some early small blocks had the temp sender in the water "goose neck" where the top rad hose attaches - not sure which

Bill

WOW! It's none of those places! The only place I see is a small (3/8") square plug on the intake just below the heater hose inlet...
Jeezlahweez...I didn't know they would change-up the location of this so many times...I'll go searching around.
Thank you guys.

Russntustin, what cylinder heads do you have? Do they have a "staggered" bolt pattern on the valve covers? If so, they are 265 heads; which don't have water jacketing around the spark plugs. They may/may not have the plug above/between the front two cylinders.
There should also be ports for your sender on either side of the thermostat housing, since this is the only coolant connection between the two banks of cylinders.

Russ - looked at 5 of my 283's today - they all had the sender here - is that where ya mean you've got a plug? use it!!

Bill

I want to thank you guys...
GMC: No the valve cover bolts are not staggered,they are inline with each other.
Squeeze...thanks for the picture...This engine doesnt have that "place" for the sender.
I wish I knew more about the engine..the engine was put in by someone I'm not able to talk with.
The intake is a stock looking cast iron part.
So the area for the sending unit SHOULD BE on the INTAKE somewhere? I'll try and post a few pictures today.
THANKS ALOT FOR THE HELP!

Hey I posted a few pictures of the engine HERE . I don't know how to post individual pictures. (and boy does the engine look bad with flash!!)

Russ, the sender was in the first runner on the manifold, that is the water passage on a small block, was also on the heads on later models, check the head on other side in between rear two cyl. the therm. housing also, you can probably get one of those housings from napa, or you could put the heater hose on the pump outlet and use the other one for the sender.

Tommy

what Tommy said - just switch the heater hose around - that's a 4barrel intake? a 327 w/ 4 barrel manifold is where I've seen the temp sender in the thermostst housing, but that's also why that plug is on the pump.

Bill

So...I can put the heater hose where that plug is on top of the pump...and the sending unit where the hose is now..AHA!
Yes it is a four barrel manifold.
There's nothing on either head...
Would the sending unit work on top of the pump??
Is this a common water pump with that plug on top?? (I don't remember seeing that on others)
THANKS!!!

Russ - don't think I've ever gotten a pump for a 283 that didn't have that plug, but if the sender is hangin in there it might interfere w/ the impeller or w/ water flow - also that'd put the sender on the incoming water, needs to be on the outgoing . . . .
a buck will get ya a street el from the plumbing store, which will put that location close enuff to the current one so heater hose fits ok, and the sender is same pipe thread as the rest - don't worry about the details, just do it!!

Bill

THANKS for the instruction. I am switching things around now.
Gotta go out and find a decent temp gauge now...
Thank you all for the help!