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Temperature Sending Unit

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Old Jul 26, 2011 | 06:21 PM
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Default Temperature Sending Unit

My water temp gauage is not connected from what I can see and not working in the dash...1969/350 small block ..wondering if the sending unit screws in on the bottom side of the motor right where the headers are covering....or hopefully on top there is a plug location where the top rad hose runs...looked at the manual very vague as to location...any help..Codi
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Old Jul 26, 2011 | 07:25 PM
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The water temperature sending unit is located between the #1 & #3 sparkplugs...... they're located below the valve cover...........
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Old Jul 26, 2011 | 09:12 PM
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thanks I guess... just kidding not to shoot the messenger LOL...that means the retard I bought the car from did not notch the headers for the sending unit......great that should be fun with the hookers and all...Codi
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Old Jul 26, 2011 | 11:31 PM
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Feel around the flange- just about all SBC headers are notched for the sender- that's the standard location. Won't hurt anything to put it in the intake next to the t'stat either.
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Old Jul 26, 2011 | 11:33 PM
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Look for the green wire too.. Once you find the wire remove it from the sender and if the dash unit is working it should go to cool. Then ground the green wire to the block and the dash unit should peg. If it does this then the dash unit is working fine and replace the sender.

If the gauge fails to move then you'll need to get behind it and do some testing.

Willcox
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Old Jul 27, 2011 | 07:54 AM
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Thanks for all the help guy's will be trying everything today hopefully..Codi
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Old Jul 27, 2011 | 11:02 AM
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Default temp sender

Originally Posted by codimcleod
thanks I guess... just kidding not to shoot the messenger LOL...that means the retard I bought the car from did not notch the headers for the sending unit......great that should be fun with the hookers and all...Codi
The temp sender can also be on the intake manifold. As Wilcox said, look for the green wire across your driver side valve cover or intake manifold. If there is none present, then you can always mount the temp sender in a tube, and splice it in the upper radiator hose. Lots of racers do this.

The PO was likely not the guilty party. Header manufacturer was.
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Old Jul 27, 2011 | 11:43 AM
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If the temperature sender is where it's supposed to be it will be right here on the drivers side and look like this.
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Old Jul 27, 2011 | 11:55 AM
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sounds alot like the previous owner of mine. He bought the wrond sending unit so that the connectiopns didnt match up and instead of exchanging it for the right one he left it in the block unconnnected. same with the oil pressure unit. Hard to believe what goes through some people heads sometimes.
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Old Jul 27, 2011 | 06:11 PM
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Great help everyone...especially the pic.......I opened up the dash cause I could not find the green wire from the harness inside the engine compartment...the green wire leaves the dash gauge and then goes to uganda.....Could not find it so I will run a new wire from the sending unit to the dash gauge GRRR...would it be a big deal to put the sending unit up on top the motor beside the thermostat housing? Thanks Codi
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Old Jul 27, 2011 | 06:18 PM
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Originally Posted by codimcleod
Great help everyone...especially the pic.......I opened up the dash cause I could not find the green wire from the harness inside the engine compartment...the green wire leaves the dash gauge and then goes to uganda.....Could not find it so I will run a new wire from the sending unit to the dash gauge GRRR...would it be a big deal to put the sending unit up on top the motor beside the thermostat housing? Thanks Codi
You don't need to do that... go to the firewall bulk head connector... You should be able to split the tape there and find the green wire. It is on the inner side connector (there are two halves), on the starter harness.

If you find the wire here.. then see if you can find where it runs to. If it is cut then you can extend it out and then test as I said above. No sense in tearing the dash apart just yet...
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Old Jul 27, 2011 | 06:24 PM
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Here is a schematic.. you'll see where the wire runs.


Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Jul 27, 2011 at 06:27 PM.
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