The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Use both factory temp sending unit and after market gauge?

Howdy, folks.. in my 64 with a V8... I am wanting to wire up my dash lights and also hookup an after market temp gauge(Auto-Meter). Only thing is my 327 does not have a place in the head for a temp sending unit. I have only one place on the intake that I see where I can connect up a sending unit. Well, I sort of wanted to put my factory sending unit there because my wires fit perfectly. I have looked all over the block, I only see the drain plugs down near the motor mount and can't see where that would be a good idea. I see a water neck out on Jeggs that has what looks to be a 1/2 inch hole in the top that may work, but I am thinking my sending unit would poke down into where my thermostat goes.. so that may not be a good idea. Have any of you guys ran into this?

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

There should be a tapped hole in the intake manifold right in the area of the thermo housing where the factory sending unit goes.

The hole in the top of the Jeggs unit is for a vacuum switch and is on the wrong side of the thermostat for a sending unit.

Yes, Sir, waldo53, I found one on the intake, But I want to use it for my warning light on the dash. I am looking for a place to hook up a gauge. I think my gauge has an 1/2" conn. I will have to check it... So a new goose neck with a 1/2" threads may work. Too bad there is no smarter sending unit out there that could do both. There may be, i have not found it yet.

Screw an all-thread nipple into the manifold, and put a "T" fitting onto that. Then screw both sending units into the T, one on each side. Problem solved! You can also use a nipple and a coupling at the thermostat housing to adapt one sender there- - - -once the engine warms up, there won't be enough temp drop across the thermostat to matter!
Jerry

HotRod Lincoln took the T right outa my cup. That's what I used (a T connector) to run me idiot light and my oil pressure gauge off of one outlet. With a little creativity you should be able to run your Temp. gauge and dash light off the same outlet in your manifold. Good Luck, plummer.