34 Pickup Temp Sensor and Gauge

J

jhswolf

Member
I would like to install a temperature sensor, hard wire, and gauge in my '34 Ford pickup, 21 bolt head engine. It looks like a previous owner put in the 35 - 36 LH water pumps since they have a screw in plug in them.

Does anyone know of a source for a bulb sensor, hard wire, and gauge that would fit these water pumps?

Does anyone know the thread size and if it is NPT?

I am not looking for anything original, just new and reliable. This pickup is a long way from original so I would mount the gauge probably under the dash on the left side. If I get really lucky, I might be able to swap out the ammeter.

(For some unknown reason, I can't attach pictures).

Thanks,
John
 
After logging out and back in, I was able to upload the following pictures showing the water pump and gauges.
The third picture is from Amazon, they had the complete setup, (for only $17), but I don't know if the bulb would fit and I'm very skeptical of the quality.

Any other solutions out there?
Thanks,
John
 

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jhswolf said:
After logging out and back in, I was able to upload the following pictures showing the water pump and gauges.
The third picture is from Amazon, they had the complete setup, (for only $17), but I don't know if the bulb would fit and I'm very skeptical of the quality.

Any other solutions out there?
Thanks,
John
Click to expand...
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NOT NPT.5/8 18.You will need an adapter for a modern Temp sender


Look at Ebay #298194803077.The 5th pic shows the bulb and fitting. Its actually a 37-39 gauge . On those there is a NPT fitting that goes in the head to accept the gauge.The bulb on the original 35,36 gauge actually seats in the waterpump housing port.
 
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Thank you for the info on the thread sizes (5/8 18 for the waterpump port).
I've looked at mechanical gauges and I will most likely have to get an aftermarket gauge (which is ok) and an adapter.

The other issue is the modern aftermarket gauges are for 12v systems. I don't know if they need the 12v for just the light or for the working of the gauge needle. I don't know how to overcome the dilemma. Maybe someone makes a 6v gauge. I'll have to do more searching, I'm just looking in the wrong places.
 
I tested the Amazon gauges. I bought two. One was good one was 15 degrees low the whole time. So that's a 50% chance of getting one that reads correctly. I requested a return of both. Got my credit but the seller never sent the return label in the 5 day window so they are mine. Not sure if I'll use the accurate one or not. Most all temp gauges come with a fitting plus an adapter fitting so do not worry about that. These did not require the adapter for the water pumps i have which are the same as yours. The 12v is for the light only. These were led, did not test if it will work on 6v positive ground or not yet.
 
Thank you for the info. You just made my job a whole lot easier! It's nice to know that someone has already done this. I'll try either the Amazon gauge or other aftermarket. I have an IR gun so I'll be sure to check the calibration.
I greatly appreciate it,
John
 
John, noticed the dash pic, you have the original hydrostatic fuel gauge too, those are high maintenance for trying to be accurate. Plenty of kits out there and it's a challenge to have it operate as original. I replaced mine with later style mechanical gauge (but had a real mechanic do the surgery, not me) to give me some comfort knowing when the tank is close to empty. Your truck, your rules. just my two cents.
 
Yes, it is the original fuel gauge (as far as I can tell). I hadn't thought much about doing something with the fuel gauge yet. However, I have a new fuel tank to install and I'm going to have to figure out how to get a fuel gauge to work. I will start a new thread for that.
I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I ordered a temp gauge and sender on eBay (before I saw your last post about the Amazon gauge). It is for a Case tractor and I ordered it because I liked the temperature marks on it. The price was right, but I failed to notice that the seller is in India and it's shipping from there! That was a week ago and delivery is estimated to be July 13th. Definitely a slow boat arrival. I gotta check the fine print next time I order.
 
regarding fuel gauges you'll need to also make certain it's for 6-volt or 12-volt setup and the tank sending unit + dash gauge needs to be calibrated with correct OHM readings ---- all things to consider and things I learned when purchasing random parts to marry together if not all from the same suppliers.
 
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