JameyZ28

Anybody got a part number for the correct temperature sending unit to fit Vortec heads? They sold me the one for an idiot light instead of a gauge. It stays at the bottom of the gauge at all times. When I try to explain it to the parts counter people, they get lost as soon as I tell them it's not the stock cylinder heads. Help me out guys.

Thanks,

Jamey

jdmick

Good luck on this one. I assume your problem is like mine was for my 75. The vortec head is only a 3/8 hole when the sending unit is 1/2". I heard once about a sending unit from some model of Volvo might work. I ended up putting my old sending unit in a 1/2" hole right under where the upper hose comes out. It sucks there since it rubs on the hose. I put an extra piece of rubber in between to buy some time but there has to be a better way.

LFZ

82 corvette temp sender..works for 3/8" hole in the heads. Make sure you look at the connection type before buying..there are different ones...some take a plug, some take just an easy connector.

Frankenvette

You do not want to use a temp sending unit from any other year. Your gauge is calibrated to a specific sending unit's resistance. If you use a different year sending unit you will get false readings. Before I added vortec heads, someone had installed an incorrect sending unit on my vette. I chased what I thought was an overheating problem until I changed the temp sending unit to the correct year. Gauge then read perfect.

The 1980 sending unit I used did not fit my vortec heads either. I went to the local hardware store and picked my way thru his box of brass pipe fittings until I made my own adapter. Actually it required two fittings (one slightly modified) to make an adapter. The end result was that I was able to use the correct year sending unit with my vortec heads.

GDaina

you can go to an industial tool supply and purchase the pipe thread tap and drill....had to do this to my heads to accept the 3/4" sending unit...just be careful not to run the tap too deep, else it won't seal.

mandm1200

That's not the case. The sending unit will work across a broad range of years and cars, such as corvette, camaro, nova. GM, like other manufactures, would have no reason to make them all different. Most electrical gauges, whether is temp, oil pressure, voltage, air/fuel, are a voltage gauge. The work in a certain range and they change the bezel accordingly.

Since certain model trucks were equipped with vortec heads, have you tried a sending unit from one of them? You might be able to temporarily mount the original sending unit in the intake as well as a new smaller one in the head and compare the reading of them.