Help with install of mechanical temp guage

jmuva44

Founding Member
Nov 25, 2000
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Richmond, VA
I'm about to install a mechanical water temperature guage. I need to know whether or not I can just replace the stock sending unit with the new sending unit? Or will removing the stock sending unit create problems?

If I can not do that, what are my options? Is there anywhere else, already drilled and threaded that I can place it? Or should I just purchase one of those tee adapters so that I can have both guages hooked up? In my instructions, it says not to use one of them cuz then the fluid can not circulate around the tip of the probe.

What do you guys suggest.
 
Yes you need to replace it with the new one....your stock gage will die..oh well...

I bought a FRPP thermo housing and put the stocker in there....stock gage comes back....i think the lower can be drilled/tapped to...

Here's the AM adapter..i didn't know i needed it til i tried it....you need it...

intake_adapter.jpg


sending_unit_tstat.jpg
 
RIO5.0 said:
Yes you need to replace it with the new one....your stock gage will die..oh well....

If I remove the stock sender and replace it with the mechanical sender do I HAVE to reinstall the stock sender? Eventually I will cuz I would really like to see how the two compare. But for now, I just want to see what the new mechanical guage reads. I'm not thinking it will be much different, but just to prove the others wrong (or myself) that think my overheating is all about my crappy stock guage I want to try it out.

RIO5.0 said:
I bought a FRPP thermo housing and put the stocker in there....stock gage comes back....i think the lower can be drilled/tapped to....

I dont want to drill or tap anything that I can not easily remove and reinstall. I wouldnt mind going the tstat housing way. Where did you get the housing from? Can you get it at a Ford dealership or anywhere else local? Alos, how did you extend the stock cable? DId you have to add on to it to get it to reach?

RIO5.0 said:
Here's the AM adapter..i didn't know i needed it til i tried it....you need it....

What is this adapter for? I have some adapters that came with my tach that look just like that. Will I still need this AM adapter? I just got a cheap Sunpro whiteface temp guage from Autozone and it came with three different adapters with different diameters threaded sections
 
Supposed to be more accurate but that is debatable. Also, I liked the large sweep dial. Seems to me it'd be more accurate and easier to read small temperature changes. Plus, i hate working with electrical stuff...mechanical makes more sense to me. :)