Engine Temp Light

hesutton · Aug 25, 2011

'94IDITurbo7.3 said:
What is the difference between direct reading gauges and electric gauges?

Mechanical gauge puts hot coolant thru your firewall and into the cab with you. Great if they never leak or break. If they do (and they can) burst/leak, you now have very hot and toxic fluid spewing into you cab. I've seen it enough times to only run electrical gauges for coolant temp, fuel pressure, and oil pressure. Sure you can buy an "isolator" for them, but that adds significant cost and another point for failure.

Heath

gunz · Aug 25, 2011

No i was referring to the gauge that uses the probe and and heat to move the gauge , No coolant is ever routed in the cab. Vs the type with a sender you put in the coolant passage with wires running to a gauge.

'94IDITurbo7.3 · Aug 25, 2011

Just got back from ford and my new t-stat will be in later today around 3:00, to late to wok on the frickin' thing. i am going into town again and will stop by advance and see what they have as far as gauges.

'94IDITurbo7.3 · Aug 25, 2011

I just got my Sunpro 2 inch mechanical water temp gauge. ;Sweet

Only cost me $20 ;Sweet

.

I don't want to speak to soon but i think the install will be easier than i thought. since it is mechanical it just has the probe that screws into the block. then i just have to route the probe line into the cab and mount the gauge. i allready figured out were it will be mounted. the only electrical work i will have to do is wire the back light up. For now i am going to wait on that and just get the gauge functional and see what is going on with my temps.

I had a thought while i was out shopping. if i was to start the truck now, it has been sitting since last nite so it is plenty cool, and the engine temp light camr on right away, would that indicate an electrial problem with the engine temp light sender rather than a physical overheating problem?

'94IDITurbo7.3 · Aug 25, 2011

Here is what i got.

gunz · Aug 25, 2011

Thats the mechanical gauge i was referring to. They are very accurate and reliable.

BioFarmer93 · Aug 25, 2011

That'll do just fine, and you can pull power off of your dash dimmer/headlight switch so that the gauge backlight goes up or down along with the rest of your dash instrument lights. ;Sweet

RANOVRU · Aug 25, 2011

FWIW, not ever getting any heat sounds like a stuck open t-stat. If it was stuck closed you would definately get heat.

But youre replaceing it now so its a non issue.

As for the gauges, if you run the cheap plastic lines for mechanicals I could see the chance of a break, but you can run the brass/copper hard lines which Ive never heard of a break. Leaking at connection points rarely, but thats generally due to incorrect installation. Mechanicals are definately the way to go though...

'94IDITurbo7.3 · Aug 25, 2011

BioFarmer93 said:
That'll do just fine, and you can pull power off of your dash dimmer/headlight switch so that the gauge backlight goes up or down along with the rest of your dash instrument lights.

That's what i was thinking of doing.

'94IDITurbo7.3 · Aug 25, 2011

RANOVRU said:
FWIW, not ever getting any heat sounds like a stuck open t-stat. If it was stuck closed you would definately get heat. But youre replaceing it now so its a non issue.

As for the gauges, if you run the cheap plastic lines for mechanicals I could see the chance of a break, but you can run the brass/copper hard lines which Ive never heard of a break. Leaking at connection points rarely, but thats generally due to incorrect installation. Mechanicals are definately the way to go though...

Mine has the copper line.

That is what i thought about the stuck open t-stat. if it was stuck closed then the coolant could not circulate and then i would definatly be overheating.

gunz · Aug 25, 2011

RANOVRU said:
FWIW, not ever getting any heat sounds like a stuck open t-stat. If it was stuck closed you would definately get heat. But youre replaceing it now so its a non issue.

As for the gauges, if you run the cheap plastic lines for mechanicals I could see the chance of a break, but you can run the brass/copper hard lines which Ive never heard of a break. Leaking at connection points rarely, but thats generally due to incorrect installation. Mechanicals are definately the way to go though...

I wont use that cheap plastic oil line if its a permanant install. .But I use it on my test guage for easy of installation adn removal. but its never installed more then a couple days.

Great tip though, I hate when the plastic oil line breaks and soaks you with oil.

OLDBULL8 · Aug 25, 2011

You can use that guage to check any temp on the engine. Coolant, engine oil, trans. oil temp. any place you can screw it in and the probe touches the fluid. It reads temp, just labled, whatever.

gunz · Aug 25, 2011

Exactly i used one for transmission on a 700R4 behind a 6.2 many years ago. I cobbled together fittings to splice it into the pan. Kinda ghetto fab, but it worked.

subway · Aug 25, 2011

everyone should have one of these gages in there truck, saying it runs at N or O or Z douse not really mean much. the factory gages are not accurate, now with a real gage you can know what is going on.

another helpful tool is if you can get ahold of a handhelp IR temp gun. then you can track where the heat is and where it is going. you might have a clogger heater core.....

let us know what your REAL gage says.

hesutton · Aug 25, 2011

RANOVRU said:
FWIW, not ever getting any heat sounds like a stuck open t-stat. If it was stuck closed you would definately get heat. But youre replaceing it now so its a non issue.

As for the gauges, if you run the cheap plastic lines for mechanicals I could see the chance of a break, but you can run the brass/copper hard lines which Ive never heard of a break. Leaking at connection points rarely, but thats generally due to incorrect installation. Mechanicals are definately the way to go though...

I've seen hard lines crack/break as well. To each his own. Some like mustard, some like ketchup.

Heath

Engine Temp Light

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