Temp gauge goes to 120 and stops

Thanks! I will start there.

Use a temp jumper wire from the sender to ground. If the temp guage pegs over, the guage and wire is most likely ok. That leaves the sending unit and/or air pocket as mentioned earlier.

My guess is the sending unit. With the key on and with you being able to get at the sender, touch the end of the wire to a piece of metal and watch the gauge, if it goes to max temp the gauge and the wire is probably good, just get the correct sender for your gauge and I think it will be fixed.

I have had a hard time finding the correct sender. I have been searching the forum and always see the same part number mentioned, along with the note that it will be less accurate on the 230 gauges. Is there a sender for the lower temp gauge?

I did sent on the info about grounding to see if it maxes the gauge. He may have already known, but it never hurts (except maybe their pride).

Do you have a stock Veglia gauge or an aftermarket, like VDO?

Check the connector at the sender. You have to have a really good connection or you can get exactly what you describe. The wire to the sender could have been disturbed as the car was being worked on.

Just been through it after replacing the dipstick.

Stock Veglia.

Mechanic said the gauge only went to 160 (probably what I was calling 120) when grounded. He said he pulled the 10 amp (or whatever) resistor off, tested again, and it pegged.

He will fire up the car and expects the temp to go above the previous sticking point. He will check the temp on the gauge vs. the gun and see how we are doing.

Does that resister (is it a resistor?) even belong on the 230 gauges, or where they putting it on every car to bring the temp down back in the day?

Regardless, I should know more soon. Waiting for my new plug wires to be installed so we can fire it up.

TEMPERATURE SENDER:

From: SOBill@aol.com [mailto:SOBill@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2007 11:55 AM
Subject: Re: temp sender

Dave,

The Borg-Warner WT324 or the AutoZone TS#58 should do the job.

Have fun,

SOBill Taylor
sobill@aol.com


The 260 degree gauge requires:
The inline resistor is 10 ohms 1/2 watt. The OEM installation was in a plastic capsule (picture attached). Any electronics store will have the resistor you need. You can clip the wire going to the sensor, slip some shrink tubing on it, solder the resistor in series with the wire ends, and then shrink the tubing to protect the resistor.

Temperature sender fitting is 3/8 NPT male

Niehoff sender # TS-25621 from NAPA is equivalent to the Autozone TS 58


Courtesy of SOBill,

The boiling point for water will increase 3 deg F for every 1 psi increase in pressure.

A 15 psi cooling system will not boil until 257F

SOBill Taylor wrote a great article in Panter Place: http://www.panteraplace.com/page205.htm

Hope this helps!