Need 1/8" Pipe thread temp sender compatible with stock gauge

[ls1nova71]

Originally Posted by chuckmc8

Looking to update this thread with new info- Anyone using the autometer sender and factory gauge that has access to diagnostic equipment to post the actual temp (degree #) that corresponds with the gauge? (see where mine runs normally in post #42) It would be nice to have a number that corresponds with this sender and factory gauge.

I have Autometer gauges in my '33, and the sender looks to be the same one you posted the link to. It's really small with a small adapter. I hooked up the gauge cluster out of my Blazer and ran the car until it was warm (195*), and it looks to be where your gauge is running. The factory gauge is supposed to be around 190* straight up, but I guess if you know you're at 195* when the needle is at 1/4 of the gauge it doesn't really matter. You might have to zoom in to read the scanner, but it's at 195*.

[solidaxel]

5 months later I am using your information!
Thanks guys #2259 is what I am after.

[chuckmc8]

Sweet.i just installed another LS in a 67 and used this same setup and it works great
Posted via Mobile Device

[BigRed76]

I just finished installing a 5.3 in my '71, I also used the Autometer 2259 sending unit and my factory temp gauge sits at 1/4 with my engine coolant temp at 195*.

Is there a way to find out how much resistance the factory gauge needs for the needle to sit in the middle? To possibly add a resistor in the temp sender wire to make my gauge more accurate?

[chuckmc8]

Originally Posted by BigRed76

I just finished installing a 5.3 in my '71, I also used the Autometer 2259 sending unit and my factory temp gauge sits at 1/4 with my engine coolant temp at 195*.

Is there a way to find out how much resistance the factory gauge needs for the needle to sit in the middle? To possibly add a resistor in the temp sender wire to make my gauge more accurate?

Zach, a resistor may get it where the needle is in the middle of the gauge at Operating Temp- That would be nice, but it wouldnt make it more accurate since the gauge has no numbers anyway. Can you post a pic of your gauge at normal oper temp please?

[68c10airstream]

Hi Chuck, when i finished my 2001 5.3 4l65e install my factory sensor (installed in the water pump) and obviously factory dash gauge the water temp read 3/4 scale. I checked with my scanner and ir gun and confirmed 195 degree temp. So i got out my variable resistor pot and put it inline and dialed the factory gauge to read 1/2 scale warmed up. I believe it was 4 ohms resistance. I went to radio shack and got a 1/4 amp resistor and soldered it in, and it works great. When i tow my airstream in hot temps it goes to about 5/8 scale and that is about 205 degrees. I'm using the 2001 donor radiator, 68 fan shroud, 2001 clutch fan with no troubles. Good luck, Brian F.

[BigRed76]

Originally Posted by 68c10airstream

Hi Chuck, when i finished my 2001 5.3 4l65e install my factory sensor (installed in the water pump) and obviously factory dash gauge the water temp read 3/4 scale. I checked with my scanner and ir gun and confirmed 195 degree temp. So i got out my variable resistor pot and put it inline and dialed the factory gauge to read 1/2 scale warmed up. I believe it was 4 ohms resistance. I went to radio shack and got a 1/4 amp resistor and soldered it in, and it works great. When i tow my airstream in hot temps it goes to about 5/8 scale and that is about 205 degrees. I'm using the 2001 donor radiator, 68 fan shroud, 2001 clutch fan with no troubles. Good luck, Brian F.

So you had to add resistance to the circuit to make your temp gauge read lower?

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by Daaaanz67

This is great info thinking of converting to this setup. I'm currently using one of street and performance adaptors and the original sending unit my tuner says its not reading correctly because the adaptor is so long and the water is not constantly moving cross the sender.
Posted via Mobile Device

This is what Bruce at Hawk's has told me also.




http://www.harborfreight.com/non-con...ing-60725.html

[68c10airstream]

Hi zach and chuck, yes i added resistance in-line to the sender to skew the gauge back to a normal (1968) indication. I didn't care if it was reading a little inaccurate during warm up but i wanted mid scale for about 200 degrees. Remember that the more resistance, the colder the dash gauge reads. As an older dealer mechanic i fixed many temp gauges in the 70-80's for reading colder than normal. Usual fix was to clean off the corrosion from the factory sender exposed terminal (looks like a nail head) and clean the wire terminal that touched the sender. I live up north in the salt belt and until gm went to a pigtail lead and a weatherpac terminal end this was very typical. Good luck, Brian F.

[67-72freak]

Pardon my ignorance, so in order to get a higher reading on your stock temp gauge you have to increase the resistance such as using a 4ohm inline resistor?

[68c10airstream]

hi 67-72freak, Your thinking is just the opposite of what i was saying. My 1968 307 v8 would read about 1/2 scale fully warmed up. Probably about 180 degrees. After the ls swap with it fully warmed up, just shy of 200 degrees the gauge would read about a full 5/8 almost 3/4 scale. Remember that this would be pretty warm for 1968 but not late models. So by installing an in-line resistor i forced the gauge to move a little colder, back to 1/2 scale. When i think of situations that make you scratch your head, a trick that i have used for a long time is this; whatever direction you are going take it to an extreme! Case in point is this sender issue, if you disconnect the sender lead the dash gauge reads all the way cold. This is max resistance (open circuit). And the opposite is if you take the lead and touch it to the bare block (ground) the gauge reads full hot. With electricity this max open circuit/fully grounded helpful hint won't work in all situations, but some help none the less. Good luck Brian F.

[67-72freak]

Thanks for the description Brian, I get what you are saying, I guess I want to perform the opposite thing you did, I want my temp gauge to read around 1/2 scale when the engine's temp is around 190, any advise on how to accomplish this?

[BigRed76]

It seems that using the auto meter temp sender does the opposite of using the original temp sender on the ls motors. So in order to get the temp gauge to read in the middle using the auto meter temp sender we would have to decrease resistance in the circuit

[BigRed76]

Originally Posted by chuckmc8

Zach, a resistor may get it where the needle is in the middle of the gauge at Operating Temp- That would be nice, but it wouldnt make it more accurate since the gauge has no numbers anyway. Can you post a pic of your gauge at normal oper temp please?

At normal operating temp my gauge reads the same as the picture you posted in post #42.

[chuckmc8]

Update on this thread: I saw one of the cool radiator caps at the national street rod show in So Cal and thought this would be cool for LS swap-

http://shop.mr-gasket.com/cooling-sy...6-psi-red.html

I bought one at Amazon with free shipping thru prime for $15 and some change. I haven't installed it on the Blazer yet--I set it on my desk and it reads air temp spot on. I bumped the thermostat in the house 2 degrees and it read a 2 degree drop on the radiator cap. Neat!

Of course, this shouldn't be your only means of monitoring engine (or house ;-) temp. But you can get the eng to oper temp and open the hood and check the radiator cap gauge and see how it measures against the factory dash gauge

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

5 months later I am using your information!
Thanks guys #2259 is what I am after.

Well it is in and finished, the temp. gauge reads like the above picture an the very cold side of center when the actual temp is 197*
I guess if I ever saw it in the mid point of the gauge it would be VERY hot!

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Well it is in and finished, the temp. gauge reads like the above picture an the very cold side of center when the actual temp is 197*
I guess if I ever saw it in the mid point of the gauge it would be VERY hot!

I found a pic !

[chuckmc8]

In the donor vehicle, does anyone know how the signal is sent to the temp gauge? I have a spare cluster and the temp gauge is about the right size to fit in the 67-72 cluster. It would be neat if that could be made to work. Does the signal come from the pcm or just from the sender on the drivers side head?

[BigRed76]

The PCM sends a reference to the engine coolant temp. sensor, the sensor changes that reference voltage and sends it back to the PCM. The PCM then sends that signal through the Class 2 data line to the Instrument Panel Cluster, and then the IPC controls the gauge.

Here's a diagram that shows the gauge...

[chuckmc8]

Zach, Can you dumb that down for me? If I could adapt just the engine coolant gauge to the 67-72 cluster, is there a way to get it to work?

[BigRed76]

Originally Posted by chuckmc8

Zach, Can you dumb that down for me? If I could adapt just the engine coolant gauge to the 67-72 cluster, is there a way to get it to work?

Based on that wiring diagram I don't believe it would work since the cluster in these newer trucks have a module built into them and that module is what controls the gauge.

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by ls1nova71

I have Autometer gauges in my '33, and the sender looks to be the same one you posted the link to. It's really small with a small adapter. I hooked up the gauge cluster out of my Blazer and ran the car until it was warm (195*), and it looks to be where your gauge is running. The factory gauge is supposed to be around 190* straight up, but I guess if you know you're at 195* when the needle is at 1/4 of the gauge it doesn't really matter. You might have to zoom in to read the scanner, but it's at 195*.

ls 1 nova where did you get the 180* pipe for your intake to MAF to air cleaner" and can I get a better pic of your air cleaner set up
Thanks

[ls1nova71]

Originally Posted by chuckmc8

In the donor vehicle, does anyone know how the signal is sent to the temp gauge? I have a spare cluster and the temp gauge is about the right size to fit in the 67-72 cluster. It would be neat if that could be made to work. Does the signal come from the pcm or just from the sender on the drivers side head?

If you want to run a newer gauge, you can get one out of a mid to late 90's truck that don't run off of a serial data line. They are similar to the newer gauges and will work with a '98 F body 3 wire temp sender. Member dayj1 used one from a '96 S-10 in a '57 Chevy that turned out real nice and didn't appear too difficult to mount. You may try asking him about it.

Originally Posted by solidaxel

ls 1 nova where did you get the 180* pipe for your intake to MAF to air cleaner" and can I get a better pic of your air cleaner set up
Thanks

That 180* pipe is a piece of 4" exhaust tubing pie cut into a lot of pieces and welded back together and smoothed over. Doesn't look the best but has worked flawlessly for 80k miles. I can get you another pic, but you can see most of it in that pic. What is it you want to see exactly?

[Daaaanz67]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

I found a pic !

How did you get that to work with your android system. I like it.

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by Daaaanz67

How did you get that to work with your android system. I like it.

That is the neatest toy I have found for this project!!!
I found the info on here somewhere, I don`t know to thank but it is a lot of fun and I have 5 or 6 pages of PID`s............. but I can not get oil oressure to come up and a few other things. I am using it for a Speedo and Tach half and half of my tablet.
If I had a smaller Android I would velcro it to the dash!!

Look up Torque Pro, the 5 dollar one, I have also foune Ulysses Speedometer to be a lot of fun also and it is +free+ but I am sure there are some snooping going on with FREE STUFF!!!!!