Sorry about this~ somethings up with my 'puter and when I click on the "search button", it just gives me the upper left corner of the search box. Likewise, when I try to reply, I have to hit "refresh" before it will post. Grrrrrr. Anyway, here's what info I am wanting to find. Has anyone had problems with the capillary type temperature unit not sending correct readings~ especially after removal/replacement? My new thermostat is set to be fully open at 180 degrees, (just like it should) but my temp gauge will run up to 220 after only a few minutes of operation. Not sure if I'm getting erroneous readings because of the removal/replacement, or if the problem lies elsewhere. Thanks for any ideas!
You could try a simple home calibration with some boiling water and a home thermometer in a cup to see how far you are off. IMO these capillary units are a pain. I am looking to switch over to an electric sender. When I have enough spare time to pull the gauges again! Flashlight
Mechanical Temperature Gauges Unless you twisted or kinked the capillary tube , it should work as well now as it did before removal . Candy thermometers , cheap @ Wally-Mart or Thrift Stores , will tell the whole story ,just drop it in the open radiator when you start the engine . Or , buy a cheap infra red digital thermometer from Harbor Freight , I did and it's Uber handy , you'll soon be playing with it , seeing how much difference in temp each exhaust port is and fretting because the right read axle bearing runs 25° warmer than the left one does and so on... Wait ~ you never heated the gauge's bulb with a match or other flame , didja ? that'll instantly wreck it and is why that junkyard gauge you paid $45 for after watching the junkie ' test ' it thusly , doesn't work .
I have had several problems with heat guages. The gennie one in the 53 quit working after a long sleep. I was extremely careful when moving it around, but it still soiled the matress. The new one I tested and installed, it then shot to 220 and never dropped below 180 even after sitting for 2 days. The new, new one seems to be working fine. In my truck, I had one that slowly stopped reading, over a month or 2. The next one worked fine until I popped a hose and ran hot, then it was off a bit. I run a temp guage in the radiator cap, so I bent the needle to closely match the reading on the cap, not shure how accurate it is as the guage shows about a 40 degree difference at the manifold from the cap.
Temp Readings Well ; The whole reason the temperature gauge sender is in the very back of the cylinder head , is because that's the hottest place in the cooling system . Other brands put the sender right below the thermostat .
That is where mine is in my 350..right below the t stat. I still don't know if 40 degrees difference is right.
Inline Vs. V Engine Cooling There's a big difference in the effiency of V-8 engines cooling systems . As long as it runs below boiling point , it's good to go IMO .
