Water Temp Gauge

[Mavrick]

Can you remove the line from a mechanical water temp gauge, or will that permanently wreck the gauge?

I see it has a nut and a fitting in the back of the gauge, can it be removed, and later reinstalled or what?

Thanks

 

[stangbear427]

What'r you trying to do Mav? It can be disconnected, because that's how it was sold. you may want to remove the line at the sender location under the hood first and plug it though...

 

[Mavrick]

Hey stangbear,

I'm trying to install the gauges, i have the gauge w/ line connected, and spooled up in a box. I want to remove the line, so i don't have to drill a huge hole in the firewall to allow the fitting to go through, i can drill a hole that is just as big as the line itself. Im putting the gauges in the dash with a gauge cage (central vents).

I heard that without the line on a mechanical temp gauge, the whole thing is screwed so i just wanted to be sure.

Thanks man

 

[89MustangGX]

That line doesn't come off -- it's a capillary (?) tube, and it permanently connected. It's one of the obstacles of mechanical gauges.

 

[stangbear427]

Huh... I did mine a long time ago, maybe not remembering right. You're saying it came out of the box that way? Hmmm... might want to double check it with Autometer. I don't see why it would matter, but better safe than sorry. You should have extra fittings anyway, so worst case you could cut off the other end and re-do it with a new crush sleeve after it's run. I've been doing so many oil pressure ones I've maybe forgotton how the temp ones go... I know that's how it works on the oil press.

 

[HISSIN50]

SB, i think the oil pressure and water temp are different. as adam said (and i know you know - it is late), the capillary tube does have a nut on the gauge end. however, even if pressed apart, it is very hard to get the thing back in there WITH the gauge calibrated. it should be permanently affixed to the gauge.

 

[stangbear427]

Do not ANYBODY listen to ANYTHING I said in this thread... seriously backpeddling now. Going to do some homework...

 

[HISSIN50]

Do not ANYBODY listen to ANYTHING I said in this thread... seriously backpeddling now. Going to do some homework...

LMAO. dont sweat it. im not sure you totally understood the question - a problem i am very well acquanted with (i do it often - be glad you dont). LOL.

i would not know, but i wondered the same thing when i did mine. i ended up creatively runnin the bulbous (sp) sender through the rubber gasket deal for the steering shaft - being very careful to zip tie and route things to not be a problem. i did not want to have a huge hole in the firewall, like Mav.

SB, you have forgotten more than i will ever know.

 

[89MustangGX]

I think there MAY be a way to fix it, but it involves a specific mix of antifreeze and it's just would be a huge mess and PITA -- if you can even get it working right again. I think it's similar to when they used to sell mechanical fuel pressure gauge isolators and you had to fill the lines and bleed them, etc. Better off just working around it by using that steering shaft grommet or buying electrical.

 

[stangbear427]

Damn, I hope Mavrick didn't log off and go right to work before Adam showed up; he'll never forgive me

 

[89MustangGX]

Damn, I hope Mavrick didn't log off and go right to work before Adam showed up; he'll never forgive me

Nah -- he's probably ok. It doesn't really 'look' like it should come apart there, I bet even if he did go look at it he's having second thoughts. No worries.

 

[stangbear427]

Easy for you to say. It's waayyy past my bedtime, I better quit while I'm behind. Night guys

 

[HISSIN50]

SB, dont worry. im with Adam - i think it would be hard to take it apart (one of those things where you say to yourself: i know i can take this apart, but i dont think it SHOULD come apart).

 

[Mavrick]

Damn, I hope Mavrick didn't log off and go right to work before Adam showed up; he'll never forgive me

Hey, don't worry man. My last post was at 2am, i went to bed after that!

Usually i wate for a few responses for this very reason No pun intended stangbear, you usually help me out with all sorts of stuff.

Guess i'll have to find a different route to go through the firewall. Anybody have any suggestions? I have to find a hole big enough for the fitting, which is almost an inch wide/tall. Somebody was telling me the rubber grommet for the steering column, i might try that.

Thanks guys, i woulda been pissed if i had messed up my gauge before i even got it installed!!

 

[HISSIN50]

i think i mentioned the part about goin through the steering plate (rubber). worked for me - my sender was huge. i was not about to try to take a 1" hole saw to the firewall.

good luck.

 

[Mavrick]

Sorry hissing i must have skipped over that, thanks dude. That's where i'll put mine.

 

[HISSIN50]

im sure there are better ways to do it, but that was the easiest i saw. i just tied it up real nice so it was not near the shaft or pedals (that rubber deal is huge, so you can get pretty far away from the shaft).
good luck.

 

[stangbear427]

OK, I finally have something productive to add to this thread. Upon looking under my hood today, I see that I ran it through a hole about 5" left from the clutch cable grommet where my FW adjuster is, far away from all moving parts. All you have to do is pop out the grommet to run it through the firewall and put a slice in the grommet to slide the tube in with the other crap that goes through there, push it back into the hole and you're set. Sorry, shoulda looked last night and not trusted my memory. Glad you didn't do anything I'd regret...

 

[Mavrick]

I just used the grommet for the steering column, works great.