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2F head coolant fitting??

Cruisertrash

Rising Sun Member
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Aug 18, 2020
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1,950
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Denver
I’m looking to install an aftermarket water temp gauge IN ADDITION to the stock dummy gauge. Bourbon tube would be ok, but I’d prefer electric.

Looking at the top of the head, right next to the stock sender location (tapped into the head) is what looks like a plug. Does that access coolant flow underneath? Could that be a spot for another sender? (In the picture it’s the bolt-head looking thing left of the stock sender)

Barring that I‘m looking at an adapter (tee?) where the coolant leaves the head to the back of the stock temp sender (towards firewall) - coolant comes out of the head and goes into a hose. If I found a similar fitting to the existing one - with an extra tapped hole in it - I can screw the new sender in there. Or, last on my list, one of those adapters where you splice a hose and insert a fitting with a threaded tap on it.

thoughts from those who have done an aftermarket temp gauge? Thanks!
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Rzeppa

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2005
Messages
8,217
Location
Kittredge CO, USA
Looks like you have a 60? Stock and fully smogged?

There are actually 4 separate coolant temp sensors on a fully smogged 60. The actual senders are on the head, one near the firewall and another one forward from that. One (I forget which) goes to your cluster, the other goes to the "computer". Then there are two in the lower half of the t-stat housing, for BVSVs, which are also part of the whole setup. They kick in various stuff as far as timing advance and carb stuff I forget exactly, I had issues when I first got my 60 and basically troubleshot each smog subsystem chasing my gremlin. The PO on my rig had substituted an aftermarket temp gauge sender into one of those two spots on the t-stat housing. I put my rig back to stock but that is a decent spot for a sender, it catches the coolant temp as it is being expelled from the engine before being sent to the radiator.

Honestly, unless you don't trust your gauge cluster meter, I wouldn't bother with an aftermarket temp gauge.
 

Cruisertrash

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
1,950
Location
Denver
I don’t trust the new sender I put in (from Cruiser Outfitters, who has never done me wrong) or the gauge haha. I think some actual numbers on a dial would go a long way in dissuading my paranoia.
I also had a possible close-to-overheat incedent twice going to Salida last weekend. Completely new issue. Both times I pulled over to let the truck cool off and temp went right down. But the new sender seems to read higher than the old one so now I’m doubting the calibration of the whole system.

I’d like to keep the entire system stock but I know those BVSVs at the thermostat housing aren’t completely necessary. In fact one had a broken off nipple - I have the vac line looped around for now.

Where is that second fitting on the head? I don’t see any other wire running anywhere or any other sender/sensor looking device. It runs to the “computer” by the driver’s left foot, behind the kick panel? Or could it be that plug right next to the sender in my picture?
 

Cruisertrash

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
1,950
Location
Denver
FYI I just did my manifold gasket so I was all in that area, getting real familiar with that side of the engine. Didn’t see any 2nd sender on the head...
 

Rzeppa

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2005
Messages
8,217
Location
Kittredge CO, USA
I have a 2F on a stand in my garage that's stripped enough to show where the other temp sender is, I'll snap a photo and post it up. One's near the rear of the engine and the other one is around #4 or so going by memory.
 
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