The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 55 mechanical temp guage

Got my New 55 mechanical Temp guage tonight from Danchuck. It is for the Chevy Car. Talked to their tech and decided to see if I could adapt it to the truck cluster. I have Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/Haylee...echanical?authkey=Gv1sRgCMDZtqPQnvyfFg#. Note the side profiles as compared to a 56 electric. Needed the mechanical as I have an older head with 3/8" npt. The face is bigger and mounting is different. It's too expensive to just cut up, so it will probably go back. Thought the pictures might be interesting to someone.

Posted in the electrical because I am trying to replace an eltrical guage with a mechanical could have been in the interior forum.

I think you may be wrong as to why you must keep your gauge mechanical other than you may want to, which is fine. I didn't like all the copper tubes runing through my engine deck so I convereted to electric.

I have older head with 3/8" npt and the electrical sending units are 1/2". If I could find a 3/8" tape sending unit compatable to my electric guage, I would go that way in a second.

I have older head with 3/8" npt and the electrical sending units are 1/2". If I could find a 3/8" tape sending unit compatable to my electric guage, I would go that way in a second.

I just went to "Speedway Motors" on the web. Found item #665280ED, which is a standard range temp. electric sender. It is 1/8" but come with several bushings, of which one is 3/8". Looked quickly so there are most likly others. Don't know if something like that will work for you but give it a lookie. Good luck.

The problem has been not only the tap size but to match the sending unit with the proper size tap and the proper output(ohms). Last night, I was reading a post on the highperformance pontiac page. There was a discussion and a fellow had information on sending unit outputs. He did have a recomendation on a unit. I ordered one today from NAPA. I will get it tommorrow, test it and report back. It has 3/8" base and the ohms are faily close at low temp and very very close at the 200-220.

It has taken a while but I did install the ford 3/8" npt sending unit. It work at first then as the temperature rose and the thermo opened the guage was a 1/3 of the way up, when the themostat open, the guage would peg to hot (water was 175 at the sending by ir meter). Measured the ohms and tried some resisters, after many tries I settled with 47 ohm 5 watt resister. After 5o min drive home from a show, I shot the manifold with the ir gun and it said 179 - guage read on the e of temp. Decided to settle here.
When testing, I was Idling the engine and a lower ohm look ok. But I forgot about the voltage change on reving with a generator. Measure 12.6 v at idle and 14.8 on reving.
Well tooks me a month to finally get here and it works ok. Have some one coming to look at buying the 56 3200 next week because I got a 1950 chevy show truck and really need the storage ( don't want to part with it but I store everything indoor in the winter here). I hope this helps someone, as this site has been very helpful to me and I have recomended it many times at shows. Thanks to everyone again.