I am installing the sensor for my water temp gauge (it's a VDO unit). I was just wondering where all you guys put the sending unit for your water temp gauges. I was thinking about teeing it into the hose that comes off behind the thermostat and goes to the turbo.

Also, if I teed it in there, would I need to partially drain the coolant, cut the line and tee in the sensor, then refill and bleed the system? Or can I just tee it in and go?

I put mine on the water outlet pass. side on the flat spot .I had to buy a plumbing tap same size as sending unit. and drill and tap the hole and put the senor in with no tape or silicone. no leaks. some one has a piture that helped me out. I think it was serban G

http://stefanmatulich.home.mindspring.com/temp/101-0180_IMG.JPG

http://stefanmatulich.home.mindspring.com/temp/101-0181_IMG.JPG

That's a nice looking setup ak555. So did both of you just drain your coolant, unbolt that outlet pipe, drill and tap it, than rebolt and refill the cooling system?

That *looks* like you are using an electric water temp gauge, correct? If so, there's an easier way to do that...

I have an Autometer electric water temp gauge. I simply tee'd into the exisiting wire coming out of the factory sender. Just spliced the wire going to the gauge into that wire, and soldered it up.

Works like a charm.

For a mechanical gauge, though, drilling, tapping and placing the sender there on the radiator neck is a great idea, though.

I have my water temp sender drilled in like ak555 does. Here are some pics of mine:

http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~sgg8661/PDRM0021.JPG

http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~sgg8661/PDRM0022.JPG

Works good this way too, but the temp will be a little on the high side since thats about the hottest the water will get before it goes into the radiator.

Ya, my gauge is electric. Greg, where did you tap into the factory gauge wire? (My factory gauge stopped working, so I hope that this works. Also, I have a VDO, so I hope it uses the same resistence as the Autometer and factory gauges.)

Good point about the VDO having the same resistance as the Autometer and/or factory sender...

I merely spliced into the *innermost* water-temp sender/sensor on my US DE engine. The red-colored one, IIRC. At the time, I wasn't sure if it would work well or not, and took the gamble.

So far, so good.

-GP-

Here is the proper way to plumb for a mechanical water temp gage.

http://home.att.net/~turbo91ser/wsb/html/view.cgi-photo.html--SiteID-377900.html

BTW, how do you'll get the picture to appear in the post?

I just looked at the pics of my splice into the water temp sender/sensor, and need to CLARIFY one point:

-- Splice into the *innermost* of the two sender/sensor units on the passenger side of the cylinder head. On my '93 highport, there are two units. One is bigger than the other, and it has a red plastic connector.

The second (inner one) is black in color, and much thinner than the red one. THAT is the sender/sensor I tapped into for my Autometer water temp gauge.

Hope this helps.

-GP-

That's the one that goes to the ECU, right?

So if I put it on the flat part of the water outlet, does it run a lot hotter, or just barely?
And lastly, Redman007, was there a particular reason you used a plumbing fitting? Because I was thinking I would just directly thread the sending unit into the outlet pipe. Thanks for your help guys.

To post a pic just put [ img] url of image[ /img] Just take out the spaces in between the brackets
http://home.att.net/~turbo91ser/wsb/media/123249/site1022.jpg

Here's what I did with my mechanical sender. This is TIG welded.

http://www.daveandliz.com/ftp/tempsens.jpg

One more question. If I put the sensor in the flat outlet pipe, will it read while the car is warming up, or only once it is up to operating temperature (as the coolant doesn't flow to the radiator until, the thermostat is opened, which is when the car is warmed up?)