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Water temp sensor for cylinder head

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Old Oct 9, 2017 | 09:11 AM
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Default Water temp sensor for cylinder head

I would like to have the temp sensor on my new blueprint engine in the head, but the old sensor is to big for that, is there a one that is smaller that fits the gauge in the car?
The hole in the head is 15-16 mm, I'm bad at inches when living in Sweden
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Old Oct 9, 2017 | 09:51 AM
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https://willcoxcorvette.com/corvette...79-3-8-npt-new
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Old Oct 9, 2017 | 01:03 PM
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Great!
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Old Oct 10, 2017 | 08:59 AM
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To keep my original sending unit with my Blueprint stroker motor, I drilled out the hole and re-tapped it with the proper 1/2" pipe threads. Easy peasey.
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Old Oct 10, 2017 | 09:28 AM
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C69 is correct about drilling the hole out. But I took my alum head to a machinist and he charged me $20 to drill and tap. I was thinking it was a 3/8 NPT? Maybe not.

Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Oct 10, 2017 at 09:29 AM.
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Old Oct 10, 2017 | 11:30 AM
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The original iron heads have a 1/2" pipe thread for the temp sender. The aftermarket aluminum heads have the 3/8" pipe thread.
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Old Oct 11, 2017 | 01:34 AM
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Mine is assembled so I don't want to take the head of.
But if you drill and tap I would be worried to get metal shavings inside the water channels, maybe could take the vacuum cleaner?
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Old Oct 11, 2017 | 02:57 AM
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Originally Posted by stingraymaniac
Mine is assembled so I don't want to take the head of.
But if you drill and tap I would be worried to get metal shavings inside the water channels, maybe could take the vacuum cleaner?

The few drill chips that would get into the water jackets would just find their way to the bottom of the block and stay there. Or you could use a little pocket magnet and fish them out. Better to use the 3/8" NPT sender that Wilcox sells.
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Old Oct 11, 2017 | 07:42 AM
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Originally Posted by HeadsU.P.
C69 is correct about drilling the hole out. But I took my alum head to a machinist and he charged me $20 to drill and tap. I was thinking it was a 3/8 NPT? Maybe not.
This is what I did with my AFR's before the engine was assembled by me and reinstalled...I don't think I would drill and tap the heads with them already on the block...I would go with the Wilcox solution....
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Old Oct 12, 2017 | 04:58 PM
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Yeah gonna buy a new sensor, feels risky drilling the engine in the car
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Old Oct 12, 2017 | 09:04 PM
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If your old sender is working properly, you could take it to a machine shop and have them turn it down and rethread with 3/8 pipe thread.
Here's how I did the sender from my '66. Took about 20 minutes.













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Old Oct 12, 2017 | 10:19 PM
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Originally Posted by buns
If your old sender is working properly, you could take it to a machine shop and have them turn it down and rethread with 3/8 pipe thread.
Here's how I did the sender from my '66. Took about 20 minutes.













...and that's what Wilcox is doing as well...
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Old Oct 13, 2017 | 12:50 AM
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Yeah I thought about that to, maybe it's cheaper than have it chipped here to Sweden
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