Carbureted LSX forum - LSx ~ old school gauges??

Namely oil pressure, water temp, and I think I can figure out the volt gauge. Just wondering who's got the secrets to making the stock gauges work. I'll be running electric fans too, if that makes any difference. (1978 Pontiac)

Using a MSD box. Assuming the tach wire will run my tach.

I'll be firing up the engine for the first time in the next week or so, and I need to tie up these loose ends. Any other suggestions, advice, or comments welcome. Links to good build threads also very welcome.

Thanks

You need to find a set of adapters to fit your stock senders to the LS motor. Oil pressure is usually easy, water can be a bit more work depending upon the size of the sensor.

Here is one set of adapters

http://www.autobarn.net/eqoilpreselt.html

^That's what I'm talkin about. I don't have any of the stock senders, so I can go out and buy whatever will work, say a 1985 Caprice or whatever. I'll maybe give Eqqus a call see what they say.

I wonder if OBD1 cars had senders that fit the metric threads on the LS? I suppose I could take them off my '94 Buick and see... But then again, they are not going to communicate with my gauges I wouldn't think.

Thanks for the link

I run mechanical guages, easy to do with 1 exception - water temp
my autometer water temp guage has a MASSIVE sender which forced me to drill and tap a hole in the waterpump to install it on the oem waterpump. Now I have an electric w/p and I had to drill out and tap theo em sensor hole on the cylinder head to fit the sender. I only did this because I had the heads off, I wouldnt really consider it otherwise.

Oreillys carries that Equus 9848 for $11.99 so I'm just gonna stop by and grab it. I'll have them grab a water sender out of a '80's car and see if it threads in

I used the cheap autogauge water and oil, made the oil work fine and ended up drilling out a stock Ls sensor for water temp, then placing the aftermarket sensor in the OE sensor I modded, secured with JB weld in the sensor, screwed it in like OE, I used to drill and tap the waterpumps.

Oh and for your fans Derale makes a $40 adjustable controller that uses a radiator fin probe. The ones that use temp sensor are usually too big to screw into the M12x1.5 temp sensor hole in the heads.

There are lots of other similar controllers, some ranging up into the hundreds of bucks.

just run an electric water temp gauge and you won't have any issues

just run an electric water temp gauge and you won't have any issues

X2 speedway motors makes fittings for ls motors

Yeah I saw that at Speedway, and I am a big fan, but $10/ea plus shipping. I got a bag of 5 different ones for $12

I ended drilling and tapping out the brass block plug on the driver side of the block for the water temp. This is where the block heater would screw in normally. As for the oil pressure I ended up getting a bolt the same size as the factory o/p switch. All u have to do then is drill a hole in the center of it and tap it to 1/8 npt. Also FYI the old school water temp probes will not fit in the side of the head even with the autometer adapters the probes are too long.

Thanks for the info...this will be a lot of help here real soon :)

I ended drilling and tapping out the brass block plug on the driver side of the block for the water temp.

I guess I have a block heater then. I have a big ass 3-pin thing sitting there. I might have to go find a plug and drill and tap it for the coolant temp sender.

The equus adapters only had one piece that was of use. The oil pressure sender switch adapter works perfectly. I'm assuming the Speedway piece is the same. But yeah, the coolant sender adapter they sell must be for some other era of engine cuz my sender is so big you'd have to take a lot of metal out of the head to get it to fit.

I wonder what sender that Speedway 1822277 adapter is supposed to work with?

There's also a coolant drain plug on the passenger side. I'm going to look into drilling that out and welding a 3/8" NPT nut on it. I'll let you guys know

Lots of guys drill and tap the heads to 3/8 npt. Others have put a mechanical temp sender into the water pump by drilling and tapping. You can also buy fittings that splice into a heater/radiator hose.

If you drill the brass block heater plug you need to tap it at 1/2 npt and use adapters from there.

http://ls1tech.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=16828&pictureid=55426

A few pictures or atleast arrows on a picture or two may help some too ???

Here's an interesting bit of info from a Ebay seller that I asked about a drain plug he has for sale:

From: joemama2
To: moxie123456
Subject: Re: Details about item: moxie123456 sent a message about LS1 LS2 LS6 External Coolant Drain Plug #120814055003
Sent Date: Mar-04-12 10:10:36 PST

Dear moxie123456,

As far as I know, these are the same on all LS motors. The one listed here is 27mm +/-. This is brass.

We have contracted a company to make a bushing to convert the block drain hole to 3/8" NPT, but they will not be available for probably 90 more days.

BTW, and easier method is to install a freeze plug in the head with a bung (the stock GM ones are stainless, so if you cannot weld with stainless, Dorman makes a steel freeze plug), and weld on a 3/8" NPT bung to it, then install your sender on it. You need to install your sender on the plug 1st, then hammer the freeze plug in with a deep socket to avoid a leak. We suggest the back on the driver's side, as that head is offset so there is more clearance vs the fireall.

If the motor is in the car, you need to do the method you suggest on the drain plug, as you cannot access the freeze plug very well.

Another option is to use the 3-wire CTS in the head, that works with most GM production gauges for the gauge. You only need the center (green) wire for it to function, I have that in my 81 T/A.

- joemama2

I got a 3/8 steel coupling at Home Depot so I'm still going to weld that to my pass side coolant drain plug (steel). Might get to it today yet.

I just answered this yesterday in my build thread, so figured I'd post it here too incase it can help someone else out:

I am running Autometer gauges. The oil pressure is manual and is connected to the factory oil pressure sending unit location at the rear/top of the block. I just needed a metric adapter to go from the factory metric size to npt. This is what I used:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ATM-2268/

For water temp I went with an electric gauge to avoid the large temperature probe on most mechanical set ups. I have the electric sending unit installed in the pasenger cylinder head. This required two things; a metric to npt adapter and a shortened electric sending unit due to the small I.d. of the adapter.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ATM-2277/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ATM-2259/

So basically $30.00 in extra parts to get you up and running with a mechanical oil pressure and electric water temp gauge. Not too bad since it all just bolts together from there.

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I am running Autometer gauges.

^^ OK so if you're running aftermarket gauges, there's your solution.
If you're running factory gauges, here's the solution (supposedly):

Standard motor products TX111 (12551708) is a 3-wire coolant sender. Here's a photo:
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk223/MnJShuey/Links%20for%20websites/3wire.jpg
It threads into the head in the same spot. A 3-wire pigtail is also needed, and you can get them both from guy on Ebay who has a ton of LSx swap stuff for sale. Just look up his name:
joemama2

He's a few bucks higher than Rock Auto on the sender, but the pigtail is only $11.00, and I've seen them listed for $30+ elsewhere. I say buy it from the guy who has an LSx powered 81 Trans Am. Problem solved for $43.00 shipped/both parts and no drilling required.

Ok, my car has an Autometer mechanical oil pressure gauge, as stated above, can I buy the metric to npt adapter and screw it in the location at the top rear of the block? Anyone have any pics? I tend to double up on dumbass a lot.

Ok, my car has an Autometer mechanical oil pressure gauge, as stated above, can I buy the metric to npt adapter and screw it in the location at the top rear of the block? Anyone have any pics? I tend to double up on dumbass a lot.

I used the oem oil sender from the top rear of the block. I just smashed all the plastic off of the aluminum, and drilled and tapped it for 1/8th NPT - Voila - oil pressure port to run a mechanical oil pressure guage.
Barrett

I used this adapter from speedway:

Item Details:
16mm-1.5 Male to 1/8" Female

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/LS-Series-Oil-Pressure-Sender-Adapter,20928.html

I know there are other business that offer these, that have been placed on this site.

any of you that put the electric water temp sender in the head have any pics?

I removed the factory oil sender, broke of the plastic cover, removed the guts and tapped it for pipe thread. This allowed me to use it as an a adapter for my Auto Meter gauges:

http://px6.streetfire.net/0002/01/38/2051083_600.jpg

Here are two shots of the finished product:

http://px6.streetfire.net/0002/01/48/2051084_600.jpg
http://px6.streetfire.net/0002/01/58/2051085_600.jpg

I drilled and tapped the water pump for my Auto Meter temperature gauge sender:

http://px6.streetfire.net/0002/01/68/2051086_600.jpg

I used the oem oil sender from the top rear of the block. I just smashed all the plastic off of the aluminum, and drilled and tapped it for 1/8th NPT - Voila - oil pressure port to run a mechanical oil pressure guage.
Barrett

They say great minds think alike. I gutted my stock oil sender and discovered the hole in it seemed just smaller than the little clear plastic tube on my old-school mechanical oil gauge. It was a tight fit (which is good) and then I put a blob of JB Weld on there for good measure.

sender in water pump

http://www.vettemod.com/forum/imagehosting/24f809757783cd.jpg

Good info here!