aftermarket water temp gauge?

[Hoodooman]

I'd like to add two aftermarket temp gauges, one for each head. My stock gauge also works. Is there a way to keep the stock gauge working If I add aftermarket too? I assume I can't get the stock gauge to work on an aftermarket sender or vice versa.

I'll be adding voltmeter and oil pressure too. stock 6 volt system.

Thanks for any help.

52 customline 8ba

 

[mcgarrett]

My understanding is that the stock temp gauge is proprietary and works using an electromechanical process. It has a small set of contact points that open and close sending a signal to the gauge. I don't think it would be synchronized to work with the modern gauges available today. Most of the mechanical temp gauges currently available use a capillary tube filled with ether and are calibrated to work the gauge through expansion and contraction of the gas in the tube. Electrically operated gauges would need to use the sender that comes with them and wouldn't work with the stock gauge.

Give us some feedback if you have any success to the contrary.

 

[kurt v]

Just put the new gauge senders in each of the heads, mechanical gauges not electrical. That's the way i have it all three gauges read the temp and no wiring problems.

 

[Brendan]

Just put the new gauge senders in each of the heads, mechanical gauges not electrical. That's the way i have it all three gauges read the temp and no wiring problems.

may be eaiser said then done if its not an 8BA

 

[tubman]

Even with an 8BA, it's not an easy task unless you don't want a heater. Even then, you would probably only use the one-terminal Ford sender in the right head. There would then be one aperture on each head to accept the senders for the aftermarket gauges. The temperature senders are all quite bulky, and I have never seen a "T" fitting large enough to accept them. I'm sure you could "monkey" something up that would work, but I'm betting it wouldn't look very good. I think you are taking this "belt and suspenders" approach a little too far.

Better to do what I and several others have done. Remove the dual post Ford sensor from the left head and move the one post sensor to the to that empty port and hook it up to the lead from the Ford gauge. Put the sensor from an aftermarket gauge in the now empty port in the right head, run the capillary and mount the gauge. It works fine. Even though the Ford cooling system is separated in the engine, everything mixes in the radiator, so the overall temperature in the engine stays pretty consistent. And you get to keep your heater, which should be nice in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

[Drbrown]

I added one mechanical sensor/gauge. To keep the stock electrical dash gauge working I transferred the passenger side sensor to the driver's side head, removing the one there, and installed my mechanical sensor on passenger side. One can install a "Tee" fitting on the driver's side head to add a mechanical gauge sensor, and then the second mechanical sensor in the passenger side head. However, tee fittings inhibit water flow and their gauge may show an inaccurate reading. Optionally one could add a connection (such as used for the heater connection) on the driver's side main hose or some have even gone to extent of adding a connection at the top or bottom of the radiator. Regardless, if two mechanical sensors/gauges are installed, they are likely to show slightly different readings since coolant temperatures vary in the system. I disassembled my dash gauge and adjusted it to more accurately show the temp's displayed by the mechanical temp gauge(s) ..... (any of the stock dash gauges are adjustable if handled with care).

 

[tubman]

I added one mechanical sensor/gauge. To keep the stock electrical dash gauge working I transferred the passenger side sensor to the driver's side head, removing the one there, and installed my mechanical sensor on passenger side. One can install a "Tee" fitting on the driver's side head to add a mechanical gauge sensor, and then the second mechanical sensor in the passenger side head. However, tee fittings inhibit water flow and their gauge may show an inaccurate reading. Optionally one could add a connection (such as used for the heater connection) on the driver's side main hose or some have even gone to extent of adding a connection at the top or bottom of the radiator. Regardless, if two mechanical sensors/gauges are installed, they are likely to show slightly different readings since coolant temperatures vary in the system. I disassembled my dash gauge and adjusted it to more accurately show the temp's displayed by the mechanical temp gauge(s) ..... (any of the stock dash gauges are adjustable if handled with care).

Another country heard from. I don't know about adjusting a stock Ford temperature gauge to match a new mechanical one (which was most likely made in China). First of all, how do you actually do it since the Ford temperature gauge has "C"/"H", while every aftermarket gauge I've seen has numerical fahrenheit markings? Plus, when I checked the readings against what I got on my infrared thermometer, they were off several degrees from the aftermarket gauge, while I thought they were quite in line with the implied readings on the Ford gauge. Ford use the King-Seeley gauges for a long time, for probably very good reasons. If you put a setup like this together and are satisfied with the readings, I would leave the Ford gauge alone. I've been into them, and in this case, it's an "if it's not broke, don't fix it" situation.

 

[1948F-1Pickup]

I’ve got a “Y” in the back port on the passenger side head with a mechanical sender in it. Only tells me what the one side is doing though.
Factory gauge in the dash is still operational as well.

 

[Hoodooman]

Looks like I'll likely go with just one aftermarket and keep my stock unit working too. Thanks guys! I have the ol girl running pretty good now!