mcm95403

This weekend I'll be replacing the cooling system and thought this would be the best time to add an old-school mechanical water temp gauge - yes, one with the capillary tube attached to the gauge.
I've been searching online and don't see anything other than some posts on the ls1tech forum where guys drilled out the passenger side rear of the head to install a sensor. I don't want to pull a head to do this.

This would be in conjunction with the stock electric gauges, I'd just like to have mechanical oil pressure and water temp because I'm old school.

ClothSeats

I was looking at this universal cooling fan control kit the other day. It has a capillary tube like you mentioned for the temperature gauge. Anyway, they instruct you to slip the capillary tube into the upper radiator hose. Hi temp sealer is probably needed around the capillary tube line to ensure a good seal. It seems an easy way to make this work without doing something more invasive.

mcm95403

Those tubes are very small, about 1/8" the ones for a temp sender are a lot bigger. The sender itself is also much longer and about double the diameter.

3X2

No need to drill. There is a plug that can be screwed out. Look for where the oem sensor is on the left head, it is in the same place on the right head except next to #8 exhaust port.

mcm95403

Great, I'll look there. Thanks!

Glenn Bland

I ordered these off eBay awhile back with same intentions but never got around to it

mcm95403

That goes to pipe thread, not to the straight threads used in a mechanical temp sensor.

Bottom line is, the head will have to be pulled and drilled for the Autometer 16x1.5 adapter. So, that's going to wait till I either do an LS3 top end conversion or go with aftermarket Cathedral port heads. Either way, it's a year or more down the road.

skydaman

No idea why someone would want a mechanical gauge, but why not just use an adapter?

mcm95403

Because a mechanical gauge is more accurate, responds quicker and is always "on". Using a stack of adapters gets the sender out of the water flow and reduces accuracy - plus you'd have a really tall stack of adapters. Also, that adapter is too short for the sender.

skydaman

The sensor sticks thru the adapter into the water flow.



Dont need a stack of adapters, the sensor threads into the adapter. Ive used adapters and sensor reads same as a laser temp gun.

madmatt9471

What about something like this - you will just need to select the correct ID/OD sizes for our upper radiator hose -


Thanks,Matt

mcm95403

Thanks, but that's for 1/8" pipe, not a mechanical sender.