temp gauge

The "stock" sender location in the tank is useless as far as getting real temp info on your engine, as you seem to have found. Reroute the sender to the front of the engine block like every other OHV Ford engine ever built and start from there. There's a lot of turbulence in the remote surge tank (note the name of this part) as well as varying water levels and a huge reading-delay as the thermostat cycles open & closed. Once the sender is moved to a rational position, I suggest calibrating the new gauge, which should be much closer to correct than the myriad combinations of stock parts that are possible. Note- do NOT position the sender in the water pump either; this unused port has cavitation present and bubbles don't read true temperature. Place it in the block, horizonally, just under the thermostat. The removed block plug can be used to fill the hole in the surge tank, making this a zero-cost change.

I've got a Fluidyne aftermarket radiator in the Standard Upright position and it's got a plug with a sensor about 3/4" diameter with an Orange wire and a Blue wire. Temp is usually 180 to 210 unless I'm 'feeling some horsepower' then it goes to about 220. But the temp gauge does not go up and down fast.

Just got the '73 Pantera and trying to learn all this stuff. Does it sound like maybe this modification has been done already on my car, there is no other sending unit on it and I assumed these were the wires for the fan sensors. The installation looks professional and I have receipts provided from Precision Pro-Formance and PI Motorsports including new push fans. It's formerly a Southern California Car, Newport Beach, for 23 years.

Can I safely assume this was probably done already? Or at least, does it sound like the temp gauge is responding alright? Fluidyne, PI Motorsports, Precision Proformance, surely these guys, if they didn't do the installation, must have either engineered in a better sensor/sender location or had it as a recommendation in their installation sheets, right?

It would hurt to blow up the BEAST from overheating while I thought it was OK. What can I safely assume? Anybody? Surely many of us Fluidyne equipped Pantera owners must want to know the answer or at least a few clues.... Thanks.

thanx again jack, your advise on this bulletin board has helped me out MANY TIMES !......on a previous post you stated that the stock gauge also used a resistor in the stock wiring.,if installing an aftermarket gauge,do you use the stock wiring (as i did) or do you bypass this resistor? i'm using the new sender supplied with the gauge, (i will be moving the sender to the location you suggested)...you also suggested CALIBRATING the gauge,....how is this done ?...........THANX AGAIN........DAVE

[This message has been edited by Pcarlvr (edited 06-14-2003).]

The sensor in the radiator should be for your fans. The sensors referred to in the previous inquiry were for the temperature meter. To find the location of your sensor for this, gain access to the front of the engine and look at the locations mentioned by Jack. When I bought mine, I had sensors mounted in all 3 locations! I was told when I bought the car last year, that one of the additional gauges installed actually measured transaxle temp! (Turns out it was hooked up to the water pump discharge, I removed this one and am using it for oil temp). Good luck with your cat, I hope you enjoy it! You'll find this is a fantastic site for help, with some EXTREMELY knowledgable people.

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Originally posted by ron norman:
I've got a Fluidyne aftermarket radiator in the Standard Upright position and it's got a plug with a sensor about 3/4" diameter with an Orange wire and a Blue wire. Temp is usually 180 to 210 unless I'm 'feeling some horsepower' then it goes to about 220. But the temp gauge does not go up and down fast.

Just got the '73 Pantera and trying to learn all this stuff. Does it sound like maybe this modification has been done already on my car, there is no other sending unit on it and I assumed these were the wires for the fan sensors. The installation looks professional and I have receipts provided from Precision Pro-Formance and PI Motorsports including new push fans. It's formerly a Southern California Car, Newport Beach, for 23 years.

Can I safely assume this was probably done already? Or at least, does it sound like the temp gauge is responding alright? Fluidyne, PI Motorsports, Precision Proformance, surely these guys, if they didn't do the installation, must have either engineered in a better sensor/sender location or had it as a recommendation in their installation sheets, right?

It would hurt to blow up the BEAST from overheating while I thought it was OK. What can I safely assume? Anybody? Surely many of us Fluidyne equipped Pantera owners must want to know the answer or at least a few clues.... Thanks.

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Thanks, Husker. I found some loose, cut and disconnected wires under the skin of my cat and this is causing some concern... another project!!! May as well look at all the systems while underneath it.

So the guy told you it had a Transaxle temp sensor and had three sensors for temp? I had to laugh, maybe the same guy got ahold of my car and cut some wires!!!!

Ron, I hope it wasn't the same guy! He (or someone did this for him) installed an aftermarket coil and didn't use the current limiting resistor, consequently the insulation for the iginition wire from the switch all the way to the coil was melted! Lucky the cat didn't catch on fire. Surpisingly not too difficult to replace, plus have learned quite a bit about the in's and out's of the electrical system. If you need help, just ask.

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Originally posted by ron norman:
Thanks, Husker. I found some loose, cut and disconnected wires under the skin of my cat and this is causing some concern... another project!!! May as well look at all the systems while underneath it.

So the guy told you it had a Transaxle temp sensor and had three sensors for temp? I had to laugh, maybe the same guy got ahold of my car and cut some wires!!!!

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To calibrate a temp gauge, you'll need a glass thermometer that reads above 220 F. This is stuck in the surge tank with the cap off. Or, use an old cap with a hole drilled thru and RTV the thermometer in place, to allow you to read hotter as water pressure will build up.There are two stock gauges- one reads 0-230, the other, 0-260. This last one is most valuable. There are supposedly two temp senders- the old OEM and the new p/n TS-58. There's a 3rd one that is NOT intended for a gauge; its for an idiot light and does not work hooked to a gauge. Finally, Ford recommended using a 10watt 1/2 ohm resistor initially, then changed to a 5watt 1/2 ohm unit. I suggest using a variable resistor that can be tuned to 0-10 ohms, installed in the gauge line. OK; start the engine & let it idle, with both fans on and the variable resistor set at 5 ohms to start. Compare the dash gauge to the glass thermostat at temps from about 150 to 210 (higher if possible), adjusting the resistor until the gauge and glass thermometer agree.On my '72L, with a new sender and a 0-260 gauge, the most accuracy was NO RESISTOR at all. Finally, after doing all this, turn on your headlights: if the temp reading changes, you may need a 100-amp alternator or a better battery/ground cable, as the extra load for the headlights dropped voltage to your gauge, changing its response. Of course, this is happening at idle so things should be better on the road. Shut things down & let it cool, then solder in a 1%-precision resistor of the value you found to be best for YOUR Pantera, gauge & sender, and you're done.

The only way to tell if you need to calibrate your gauge is to follow Jack's procedure. I had trouble finding a glass thermometer, as Jack suggests, so I use an oven thermometer. The type that has the long metal probe you stick into meat or whatever... You need something that will read that high

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Charlie McCall
1985 DeTomaso Pantera GT5-S #9375
"Raising Pantera Awareness across Europe"
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/gt5s_1985

I have the fluidyne radiator and just pluged both holes up with a washer and correct M22 size plug from Napa, i believe it's M22. I used the fluidyne temp sensor that goes into one of the radiator hose hole and has an adjustable thermostat that turns on and off my fans. I adjust it so I can get a 180 degree reading on my temp gauge and just leave it there. This works perfect for me.

As for the temp sensor, autometer hasbeen pretty reliable for me as giving it a close to 100% matching sensor and gauge since they supply both. I just stuck the autometer temp sensor into the block in the same horizontal position, hooked up the wires directly to the gauge with no resistor. Double checked the temp and if it needed any clibration, but it didn't so I didn't add a resistor. The resistor is only if the sensor and gauge don't really match that well and it's to calibrate it and correct it. I didn't seem to need to. Got the carbon fiber gauges.. I wish I didn't though, the backlight is just as bad like stock since carbon fibre isn't see thru! I should have gotten the new white ones with blue back ground or the cobalt gauges from auto meter, but they seem so expensive... Good luck.

Larry