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Thanks for the great advice on my previous thread. My 383 is being dyno -ed today up in Chaska MN. I want to mount a mechanical water temp gauge on the driver side pillar. I've read there is a water sensor at the pump for the computer and one in the head for the digital read-out. Is there another accurate location where I can stick a mechanical gauge feed tube?
I'm jacking the motor out of the car today.
Thought I might need some help here. Didn't want to do it myself last night.
One snag. I could not get the catalytic converters off the brackets. I think they are spot welded. I have the pipes cut. Maybe I can get the brackets loose from the back of the motor when I get a little clearance. Don't think that right one is coming out with the motor.
..... Go Girl ! ... ... I'm not positive on LTx motors , but on L98's the coolant temp gauge sending unit is in the passenger cylinder head between 6 & 8 ... there should be a pipe plug or possibly another sender in the drivers head 'tween 1 & 3 ... that's where I would go with a mechanical sender ..... if there is a sending unit on the drivers side its most likely a lower temp turn-on for the engine cooling fan and would be wired to the cooling fan relay ............
There are numerous places but the size of the sender really matters. If you get a 1/4 sender and have to use an adapter it blocks off most of the sender. I have tried drilling out adapters and cutting threads off, it works but is extra to do. Check the sender size then check the block, heads, and water pump. My water pump has a fitting at the top and that one works well.
This is a 94 convertible (LT1). I just received news of how my motor did on the dyno up at TPIS. Clay said it set a new record for a pump gas street car build. It shocked them so much they stopped and calibrated the equipment. I'm a little fuzzy on the HP #s because I was mostly listening for the torque numbers, waiting to get the sheet.
It made 525 hp and 500 lbs/ft of torque. The vacuum numbers were a little off so they swapped my 58mm BBK Throttle for the 58mm TPIS TB, it went up 20 HP torque was 511 lbs/ft. For some reason they could not get my LTCC (1 coil per cylinder) system working correctly, I understand that is worth another 15 or 20.
I should have told you guys this is an LT1, I know about the water pump and the passenger side head location for a sending unit. It there another place for the tiny water pipe of a mechanical gauge anywhere? The gauge I bought comes with capillary tubing with 5/8" NPT thread and 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" adapters.
Had troubles yesterday. Someone rear ended me going full speed. Body shop man says the 2013 Grand Sport is totaled. I'm pretty sore. But I'm going to disconnect the last few bolts and post some pictures of me jacking a motor out of a car for the first time in my life. A lady from my Bible study is helping.
Also Clay said it made 480 lb/ft of torque @ 3000 rpm. That sounded like a pretty flat curve to me, which is what I was shooting for when I bought all the stuff and sent it to MN.
I even bought a greazy intake off of a Caprice and ported it myself. It sort of looked like a beaver had chewed it since I was using a hand held drill. I wish I hadn't gone cheap on the Throttle Body now. I had never heard it would make that kind of difference. Now Ya know.
Your only interested in TQ and have Bible studies? This is quite a rarity on car forums! You and I are on the same page! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsepower and John 14:6
I'm not that familiar with SBC's w/reverse flow but here is what I suggest. (I was a OEM waterpump engineer back in the 90s) You can tap into the water jacket anywhere with the following rules of thumb.
1. Be on the hot side of the T-stat
2. Be as close to the t-stat as you reasonably can.
1st - I'd investigate making an adapter that would function for both the OEM sensor and your mechanical one. There is no flow or pressure needed for these sensors to work so an adapter will function. Although you'll get the most timely readings if the sensor is in a passage where the coolant is flowing. (just a small detail)
2nd - If push comes to shove you could drill & tap into a head or intake coolant passage that is fairly close to the stat. (on an old pontiac I tapped into the front corner of the head and it worked perfectly. (about 5" from the stat))
Last edited by wydopnthrtl; Jul 4, 2014 at 08:28 AM.
..... Somehow I'm not surprised that a TPIS throttle body would outperform anyone else's on their own dyno ... But , I'm not buying a 20hp increase ......
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Water Temp Sensor Alt Location?
... I'm not positive on LTx motors , but on L98's the coolant temp gauge sending unit is in the passenger cylinder head between 6 & 8 ... there should be a pipe plug or possibly another sender in the drivers head 'tween 1 & 3 ... that's where I would go with a mechanical sender ..... if there is a sending unit on the drivers side its most likely a lower temp turn-on for the engine cooling fan and would be wired to the cooling fan relay ............
