I've got a 46 ford coupe with a ford 302 carbureted engine. My problem is non of the gauges are hooked up. It's a 12 volt system. What would be the proper way to hook up the gauges. I have the original 46 gauges and dash wireing in the car. Or is there some written information that I can get that can help me do the job. Would appreciate any help I could get. Thanks all.
46 ford with 302
- Thread starter 46WINE
- Start date
waterboychuck
Well-known member
If a 302 in a 46 Ford is under powered, then what is a 46 Ford with a stock flathead?
46 wine, you need to fit voltage reducers on the oil, fuel and temp gauges. Amp gauge is fine as it is. The problem I believe your gonna have is the sender units for the temperate and oil pressure have to be compatible, the stock flathead ones need to be installed in the 302 for them to read anywhere near accurate. If you can't do this, you'll need to gut the gauges and fit 302 compatible guts in the gauges. This would be the nice way to do it. Other option is to fit an after market gauge setup.
Martin.
46 wine, you need to fit voltage reducers on the oil, fuel and temp gauges. Amp gauge is fine as it is. The problem I believe your gonna have is the sender units for the temperate and oil pressure have to be compatible, the stock flathead ones need to be installed in the 302 for them to read anywhere near accurate. If you can't do this, you'll need to gut the gauges and fit 302 compatible guts in the gauges. This would be the nice way to do it. Other option is to fit an after market gauge setup.
Martin.
JSeery
Member Emeritus
Diagrams of the original type gauges. Modern senders are resistance devices, the original Ford type senders are a pulse type of device (they use points that open and close). The Ford gauges and senders have the same current flowing through them and the heat in the gauge coil matches the heat in the sender (this is just a quick simple explanation). On the temp senders only the single wire sender would be used (the dual wire is basically an on/off switch). Some have claimed success with using later resistance senders but I would try and adapt the original senders.
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RalphG
Well-known member
My thoughts exactly. I still remember the first ride in my aunt's brand new 302 powered 69 Ford Falcon. After riding in the 52 Merc as a kid , this Falcon 302 seemed like an absolute rocket with unlimited power and acceleration. (Yes we tried it out
Worlds apart from the old 255 flathead.
19Fordy
Well-known member
The easiest way would be to install 12V under dash gauges compatible to the 302. This includes the fuel gauge and matching fuel sender unit in your gas tank. This is worth reading. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/ron-francis-voltage-reg-vr-88.936572/
I'm well aware that a 302 will produce more horse power than the stock 239. If you're going to go to the trouble of installing a "modern" engine in a big heavy 46', you may as well put in something stronger than a 302. Just my opinion.
JSeery
Member Emeritus
Don't think the polarity is an issue, but the voltage is. Voltage reducers are required.
Many years ago I put A GM engine in my 51 F-1. All I did was to switch the sending units to the GM engine and everything worked. No Voltage reducers and it was a 12 volt system. Drove the truck for about 15 years as a daily driver. I even used a GM heater blower resister to use the 6 volt heater. Picked out a coil with 7 volts reading with a VOM. The resister had to be in the air stream to keep it cool.
Marv
Well-known member
I put a 302 in a 47 coupe and went with 12 volt. If i remember correctly there is one wire from the ignition switch that feeds all the gauges. I put a resister in the wire between the ignition switch and the gauges and everything worked fine and never had any trouble. No junk gauges under the dash.