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By MplsMike - 6 Years Ago
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Hi all,
On my newly rebuilt engine, is it worth putting the temp sending unit at the front of the engine? I see a hole in the Mummert intake. I understand temp reading may be better there than the stock location at the back of the engine.
If it is a good idea, how would I handle the vacuum controlled heater valve that is in that location on the current engine? Would I tee it off for both the sending unit and the valve?
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By charliemccraney - 6 Years Ago
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I don't think it's worth it. The factory location works well enough for a gauge.
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By MplsMike - 6 Years Ago
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Now that I am digging into it, the factory location may not be easily usable. It looks like there was a problem with the threads and it’s been sealed up in a way that makes me reluctant to mess with it.
If that is not usable, are there other options for temperature sensing? Teeing off where the heater control valve - I think I would end up with an unattractive situation. Alternatively, is there an option to replace to heater control valve?
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By charliemccraney - 6 Years Ago
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The threads are simply a bushing that presses into the coolant passage in the head - you will have a core plug on the other head. These bushings are available new or very easy for a machine shop to make if you can't get one for some reason.
They also came in two sizes, I think 1/4 and 3/8 pipe - confirm for yourself. If it's the smaller, you can drill and tap it larger but then you would need a reducing bushing, if using the original or stock replacement sender and gauge. Most aftermarket gauges come with an assortment of fittings for the sender and are pretty universal.
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By miker - 6 Years Ago
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They sell a little tool to pul those bushing, and to re install it. Most of the tbird suppliers list them. I did it with the engine in the car, might have had to undo some throttle linkage, I just don’t remember. That’s probably your best long term solution. I’ve drilled and tapped my Blue Thunder manifold on the drivers side of the t-stat housing, but the manifold was off the car.
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By MplsMike - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks Charlie and Miker,
Miker, I searched for a bushing removal tool at some of the Ford sites and came up empty. Do you have a more specific reference so I can track it down? Thanks,
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By miker - 6 Years Ago
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This one ca,e up at concours parts, I think most of the ‘bird suppliers carry it.
http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~partsort
Well that link didn’t work. Try http://concoursparts.com , click on 55-57 Thunderbird and search “temperature sender”. The tool came up bottom of the page, specific to the size you’re removing.
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By paul2748 - 6 Years Ago
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CASCO has the tool. You first have to determine what size you have. The 54-56 had the larger size, 57 and later the smaller.
I just changed one in my 312 54 Ford. Pretty much a piece of cake. I put a thin cot of sealer on the bushing before installing. I did have to undo some of the linkage and push it aside (didn't have to remove it).
The tool is just a removal tool. It's a press fit, you install by using a hammer and something to push it in.
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By MplsMike - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks for the tips, guys. Wish me luck!
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By MplsMike - 6 Years Ago
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One other question - when I dig into this, if it turns out the bushing is ok but is the smaller size used in a newer y-block...
My old engine had the 3/8” sending unit with the blade style electrical connection. It’s my understanding that newer y blocks used a 1/4” sending unit with a threaded post as its electrical connection.
Would the smaller, newer style sending unit work with the gauge in my ‘56, and is there an electrical connection available to splice onto the end of the existing wire that would work with the threaded post of the smaller sending unit?
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By dbird - 6 Years Ago
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I've never had any luck playing mix and match with senders and gauges, but it might work. Pulling the old bushing shouldn't be too hard, you might even be able to make your own tool with plumbing pipe. When I installed a second sender in my right head, a short, maybe 6 inch, pipe threaded in and it was easily tapped into place.
Don
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By KULTULZ - 6 Years Ago
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"Would the smaller, newer style sending unit work with the gauge in my ‘56"
Simple and honest answer is no.
1956 and 1957 production used different electrical circuitry for TEMP gauges. The sender has to match the gauge and harness.
If you have the 57/ smaller sending unit insert, it can be reamed and threaded for the 56 temp sender in the car.
Another thought why FORD put the sender location at the cyl head is that the actual coolant temp is going to be greater there (as a result of two center cylinders exhaust valve placement) than it will be at the front of the intake at the coolant crossover. Different placement may also mean the gauge will read differently (as gauge/sender may be calibrated to read the temp coming out of the head). Different sender placement would affect aftermarket gauges also.
SBC used the same basic idea.
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By paul2748 - 6 Years Ago
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You should use the sending unit that matches the gauge - therefore you need to use the 56 sender.
There is an adapter that goes from a ring terminal to a female spade terminal (I have on on my coil) but it would look odd because you will have to use a machine screw to hold the two together. If there is extra length on the wire, you can just cut off the ring terminal and attach a female spade terminal. I don't know where I found the adapter and have never seen one on any display in a store. Perhaps there is a seller of electrical supplies that may have them
{quote]MplsMike (8/29/2018)
Thanks for the tips, guys. Wish me luck!
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By MplsMike - 5 Years Ago
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I wonder why it takes so long to get back to this project? Just an update on yesterday’s work.
I bought the extractor tool to remove the bushing for the temperature sending unit and encountered two problems. First, there was a brass bushing inside the bushing. We carefully cut the threads and were able to finesse it out. Second, the Mummert intake manifold was in the way of the extraction tool - I “hollowed out” a portion of the tool so it would clear the manifold. At that point, the job became quite easy. The old bushing came out easily, the new one went in great and I now have the original temp unit installed and it is working.
We also installed an MSD box, a new coil and a Pertronix I unit. That job was only partially successful. The Pertronix unit didn’t work, so the system is still set up with points. I called the supplier today and went through what I have - they claim the coil I bought isn’t compatible with the Pertronix I unit. Oh well, an opportunity to upgrade to Pertronix II and buy an epoxy filled coil so I can install it horizontally (thanks to the recent post for that tip).
I drove it a bit last night and it runs like a scored rabbit!
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