i put a 267 small block in my 1951 3600 and ordered a new temperature gauge with the longer line from the host. tried to install it today and the probe is too long to mount in the front of the manifold. is there any adapter i need or any thermostat housing with a capillary shoulder in it to hold it tight to the nut?
I finally after all these years got an operable temp gauge. In the end I got a GMC Thermostat collar with Temp gauge opening cast into it. The longer line enabled me to use the larger/newer water temp sensors. Finding a workable old style narrow sensor proved frustrating. There was enough extra temp line to use tie-backs to neatly route it discretly.
That sounds like it should do the trick. Do you know where you ended up getting it? I've looked online but none of them seem to have a shoulder inside them to hold the probe against the nut.
I use the factory six cylinder capillary tube on V8's and just put it in the left rear water runner. Drill and tap so the sender bulb can go into the head which will accept a very long bulb. I keep both the 3/8 and 1/2 NPT fittings with the internal shoulder on hand which are the Imperial Fitting brand IIRC. Will get part # if needed. Picture shows aluminum intake but also works with cast iron.
Some of the GMC guys might be able to help a bit, they have their own used parts fishin' holes. Mine was bought at a swap meet. It seems while the Chevy's had the old ether tube set-up some late forties GMC's had an electric sender. I tried a 12V sender (electric, still available from NAPA and others) Maybe the GMC folks know where to find electric senders/gauges that fit in our gauge clusters.
