Hey all.  I am new to this NEW site, I was surprised that my old info from 17 years ago wasn't still in the system!

Anyway, I am back in the Y Block game and REALLY rusty.  I picked up my new to me 1930 Model A Coupe today, complete with what I am told is a 1959 Fairlane 292.  I got it home today and drove it around town and the DASHBOARD temp gauge kept climbing.  It got up around 220 and I got pretty nervous.  There is one of those Moon brand temp gauges that is threaded into the intake at the t-stat housing but you can only read it while looking at the gauge in the intake...well that one seemed to be showing around 190/200.  THAT is where  I always used to put my gauge sender...
LINK to the type of Moon gauge I mean:
https://www.mooneyesusa.com/product-p/mpg109lf.htm

WHERE else would you put one- i.e., where is the one that the dash gauge is screwed into?  I am thinking of putting that one into the intake so I have a better idea of what is going on.  

My temp sensor is located in the driver's side cylinder head.  There is a threaded insert screwed into the head to accommodate this fitting.  It's connected to a SW temp gauge.

... hmmph ...

Is that the OEM sender or one supplied by SW for the gauge?

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A lot has happened to the YBF site since its inception.  When forced to move to different servers, it’s not unusual to lose some of the old posts, pictures, signature information, etc.

The most accurate spot for the coolant temperature sending unit is at the thermostat.  The factory location at the rear of the cylinder head typically runs ~10°F cooler than what you’ll observe at the thermostat location.  If not using a heater, then the thermostat location works well for the temperature sending unit.  If using a heater, moving the sending unit to the front gets more complicated.  Here’s the picture of an intake where I added an additional bung for a mechanical temperature gauge so that the original sending unit could be retained in its original location.
  

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Thanks for all of the info...

10 degrees COOLER?  Yikes.  I'm guessing that the sender or gauge has an issue then (seems like electric gauges always are).  That was telling me 240 at one point yesterday! This is what's in the thermostat housing right now.  I didn't get the chance to drive it today to see if topping off the coolant made a difference.  Thanks again.   

I believe that is the stock location for a Tbird sender.  The SW fitting screws into the threaded OEM insert in the head. I installed my stock instrument cluster sender in the water pump fitting. Overheating is a common problem, especially in early TBirds. It's the most common complaint in our club. I solved mine with an aluminum radiator and electric fan.  Tbirds have spacers behind the water pump that makes this issue worse.  Casco has a kit that fixes it.

I believe that is the stock location for a Tbird sender.  The SW fitting screws into the threaded OEM insert in the head. I installed my stock instrument cluster sender in the water pump fitting.

Appreciate that. So the SW gauge sender is placed in the OEM bung on the LR cylinder head and the OEM sender is placed on the WP HSNG.

THANX for that!

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Note that the water pump will be about the coolest part of the cooling system.


Lawrenceville, GA

I am hearing good things about the new Thunderbird spacer that is cast with the area to properly turbulate the water flow. Pretty pricey, but does seem to solve some of the thunderbird cooling issues at idle and slow driving.

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

When I purchased my 55 TBird, it had the usual overheating problems associated with these cars.  I changed to an aluminum radiator and electric fan.  I purchased a wide gap 170 degree thermostat.  They helped, but it still crept up in traffic. After rebuilding the engine, the overheating problem remained an issue.  As long as the car was moving, the temp remained around 170-180.  If a traffic light was extra long, the needle on the gauge would flirt with 210-220.  This spring, I purchased the improved Casco water pump.  It's a quality piece.  It's amazing to me anyone can produce it for the money given prices these days.  This water pump made an immediate improvement.  My temp gauge needle sits at 170 all the time.  If the needle moves at all, it's 180.  The air temp right now in Central Florida is in the nineties.