Install new water temperature gauge with old sending unit

[intofire1]

Sent: 1/29/2004

I would like to install a water temp. gauge. I have room on my dash and the old gauge is working but would like to know the true temp. of the engine. Can I install a new gauge without removing the old sending unit and where can I do this on the engine. I have a 1973 Brave with the 440. Thanks for the help! Gil

[denisondc]

Sent: 1/29/2004
I dont have the 440, and my 413 water pump housing is different, but somewhere on that 440 water pump housing there might be an extra pipe thread plug fitting - which you could replace with the sensor for your own temp gauge. Make sure it isn't a spot that will only tell you the coolant temperature coming back from the radiator. The mechanical gauges need a fairly large pipe thread, maybe 1/2" for the adapter to hold the sensor bulb. But lots of the electrical gauges only need a 1/8" pipe threaded hole. If you ever have the water pump housing off, you would be able to see where to drill and tap a hole into the block, going through it into the water-exit ports from the head to the w.p. housing, assuming you could get a drill to fit in there. Please let us know if you have success. denison

[Sea Hag]

Sent: 1/30/2004

My 76 440 has two water Temp sending units in the front of the engine - one for the temp gauge in the cluster  and one for an idiot light on a panel of many idiot lights for various system to the left side of my dash - I think there is also another port pluged off - I plan to remove the light sending unit and replace it with a gauge sending unit if the port is deep enough - The same is true for my oil pressure system on the rear of the engine . you can pipe a T fitting in for the oil sending units and double them up . --- Sea Hag