installed new numerical temp ga. and sender - tell me if this is normal

redcoupe86 · 10-20-2006, 03:20 PM

So I installed the upgraged numercial ga. and sender. My old guage had a fluctuation and I thought it was a good time to do this.

By the old guage, when I was fully warm I ran about 210-230F (lots of stop and go traffic). The most it ever got was the needle reading like it was 8:45pm, just under the 9:00 position, but typically it read like a mm or 2 just above the first white tick. It would take my car anywhere from 20 - 30 min. to warm up in the morning when it was about 75F. Took about 15min. on 90+ degree days.

With this new guage I ran the car for 15 minutes and the car only seems to get up to about 150F or 160F. The temp outside is about 65F. Mind you, I've only driven it for about 15min. since I installed the new set up, so It could be that it just takes a long time on the new gauage to show equivalent readings.

Also, the electrical connector clip to the old sender is a little bigger than the connection point for the new senders connection tab, but it does make contact. A question is can the physical connection between the sending unit and the wire cause a temperature loss reading at the guage? Or if its connected at all its enough to give a proper reading?

I hooked everything up correctly, so Im not sure how to tell if something is wrong with the new set up, but I want to test my old guage, the question is how? I have the old sender and guage. I suppose I need to run so wires from a 12V source but Im not sure how to go about doing this.

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

Did you install the new sender as well?

late senders w/ the older numeric guages read low

redcoupe86 · 10-20-2006, 03:37 PM

Yes. I installed the new sender that came with the guage. They are visually differenct. The old senders probe was about and inch long. The new temps probe is no more than 1/4" long.

redcoupe86 · 10-20-2006, 03:39 PM

I do need to add that I also replaced my 2 rear oil lines just before doing the work on the sender unit. However, these lines didnt have any dents nor did they seem clogged.

I don't think this would affect the temp. unless there was a clog or dent.

redcoupe86 · 10-20-2006, 03:42 PM

I just had another thought. I had to use MAPP gas torch to heat the nut to get the lines off the t-stat. This thing got hot. Could it get so hot as to damage the thermostat and cause it to stick open?

redcoupe86 · 10-20-2006, 07:03 PM

Also,

can anyone who has done this install verify that the sending units probe was shorter (like 1/4") verses the new senders probe thats about an inch long?

ianc · 10-20-2006, 08:19 PM

Reliable test: pull gauge and sender. Boil water. Hook up gauge to sender and dunk sender in boiling water. Read temp.

ianc

redcoupe86 · 10-21-2006, 05:11 AM

I figured it be something like that, but there are 3 prongs on the back of the gauge. Which one do you connect to and you don't need a 12v source?

Quote:

Originally posted by ianc
Reliable test: pull gauge and sender. Boil water. Hook up gauge to sender and dunk sender in boiling water. Read temp.

ianc

jbrinkley · 10-21-2006, 06:56 AM

if your stock gauge pegs at 392f with sender # 911.606.112.00 and the new one pegs at 300f then the speed of the sweep is slower as it gets warmer. I'm assuming your new gauge goes to 300f and your VDO sender is part number 323055
I have a point and shoot thermometer if you want to drive over hear and check

redcoupe86 · 10-21-2006, 08:13 AM

Hey Jerry,

Yes its the 300f but Im not sure what the senders number is. The sender came with the gauge. There is one number for both. Its PEL-911-TMP-KT1.

However, after doing a 20+ min. drive today, the needle almost got to 180. I felt my front lines and they were both cold. My guess is I just needed to drive the car more. If I would have driven it 10 more min. then I sure the T-stat would have opened up.

So everything is probably ok.

greg

VaSteve · 10-21-2006, 08:25 AM

I have this project waiting for me. Did you have to drain the oil to do it?

redcoupe86 · 10-21-2006, 11:37 AM

Nope! It will leak a little bit, but just get a shop towel under it and you shoud be fine. I would venture to say that if you jacked the back of the car up it would almost not leak at at all.

Quote:

Originally posted by VaSteve
I have this project waiting for me. Did you have to drain the oil to do it?

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 10-21-2006, 12:51 PM

If you've only driven the car for 15 minutes in 65-degree weather, these's no way short of parking it over a campfire that ytou're going to get it over 165. I don't understand what you're concerned about.

On a 65-degree day I can barely get 180 degrees on my numerical gauge at 80 mph for and hour or two.

redcoupe86 · 10-21-2006, 03:06 PM

You are absolutely correct. The reason I got concerned is because with the previouos gauge and sender I got up to temperature (according to the gauge) in 15 on a 65 degree day. So when my new gauge showed only 160F or so I thought sometning might be wrong. However, it seems what was wrong was the original gauge, NOT the new one.

I test drove today long enough for the new gauge to finally read correctly.

Quote:

Originally posted by Formerly Steve Wilkinson
If you've only driven the car for 15 minutes in 65-degree weather, these's no way short of parking it over a campfire that ytou're going to get it over 165. I don't understand what you're concerned about.

On a 65-degree day I can barely get 180 degrees on my numerical gauge at 80 mph for and hour or two.

NY65912 · 10-21-2006, 03:15 PM

I just completed the same upgrade of the temp gauge/sender.

It took about 20 min to do. It nice to have nubers to refer to when Yes, sender was shorter and I probably never went above 200 degrees.

Good upgrade

theiceman · 10-29-2006, 06:37 PM

Sorry to drag up this old post but looking for some clarification. I too did the upgrade and found the readings to be falsely lower, my dial barely read 120-130 ( I live in Canada ) and I felt the front trombone and it was warm. I think Pelican may be shipping the wrong kit sender so I am looking for clarification. The parts list says you need an older sender with the numerical gage ( the picture shows it to be about an inch long and has a round button contact. ) This is the OEM sender in my 78 as I just took it out to put the kit in.
The one that came with the kit ( and even shows on the pelican site with the kit ) is NOT this sender , it is shorter and has a square blade connector on it .
1. Should I go back to my original sender ?
2. Is Pelican shipping the wrong sender ?
3. Which statement is correct , the one for the old style sender or the picture on the kit ?

Thank you for clearing this up .

redcoupe86 · 10-29-2006, 07:12 PM

how long did you drivie it before feeling the oil cooler?

I drove mine around for about 30 minutes before it got to about 175 or so. I got out of my car and felt the front oil lines and didn't feel any heat. It is my understanding that the external thermostat opens at 176. I kept driving my car until the temp. read 182 or so. Got out again and felt my oil lines and this time they were warm. Now I know this isn't very scientific, but I figure that the sender MUST be the right one if the thermostat is opening around the same temp. that is on the gauge. To clarify, that's the short sender.

greg

theiceman · 10-30-2006, 02:57 PM

rscoupe. Not sure I undestand your question. May cooler was warm so Iknow the thermostat opened. But the guage stated I was at about 150. That coupled with my other comments about the sensor diagram in the parts section makes me wonder. I guess I iwll call them on the phone but hoping I could save the parts guys the bother.

hobieboy · 10-30-2006, 03:06 PM

I think (thought) the bottom white mark on the later gauge equates to 180F. So if your original setup takes you 30min to get up there, driving for 15min in similar weather and made it to 150-160F seems reasonable to me.

redcoupe86 · 10-30-2006, 07:37 PM

We'll that doesn't track exactly what I experienced. but I do know that a friend of mine with an '87 says his sender was the short one not the long one.

what I meant was if your cooler was cold and the temp in your car read 150 that would seem to make sense if the t-stat opens around 176. However, you are saying its warm at 150. I guess it is possible for the t-stat to only be partially open at lower temps but fully open at 176. That would explain the warm feeling. I know that when the car if fully warmed up the line should feel freakn' hot, not warm. So maybe your t-stat had just started to open up. Just a thought. Im not even sure if the stat can be in a partially open mode. Maybe someone can elaborate.

Quote:

Originally posted by theiceman
rscoupe. Not sure I undestand your question. May cooler was warm so Iknow the thermostat opened. But the guage stated I was at about 150. That coupled with my other comments about the sensor diagram in the parts section makes me wonder. I guess I iwll call them on the phone but hoping I could save the parts guys the bother.