1badls1bird

I am going to be installing this guage along with a tranny temp guage in my AC guage circles. I need to knwo what else is needed and how to hook it up so that the factory guage STAYS functional? Thanks in advance! I am a dummy with electronics and this is the first set of guages I will install with a car vlub buddy, thanks! <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[Burnout]" />

John B

iTrader: (10)

I pulled out the factory brass plug located on the passenger side cylinder head near the back of the head (by #8 cyl), drilled it up and tapped it for an adapter to use a standard size GM water temp sending unit. Works great!

UPDATE!
Now that I found my pic I guess that I decided against an adapter and drilled it oversize and tapped the head directly for the temp sender unit. This pic shows the plug location, compareds it to the sender & then the actual installed fitment clearly:

It may be easier to try the freeze plug location for your application though, good luck!

[ December 30, 2001: Message edited by: John B ]</p>

Dope

iTrader: (2)

I made a post about this the last time someone asked. Do a search for 'freeze plug' or something, that's where I did mine. I can't remember where the post is though.

Dope

Dope

iTrader: (2)

Oh well. You can either use the 'factory' sender location in the rear of the passenger side head (if you can reach it). You'll need a M12x1.5 adapter to fit the 1/8th sending unit that comes with the gauge. I bought mine from Equus at autobarn.com.

If you can reach it, then that's perfect. There is a factory sender in the driver's side head (same location) so as long as you don't touch that, the factory gauge will still work (as poorly as it does).

If you can't reach it, do what I did - freeze plug above the starter. 2 bolts to take the starter out, yank the freeze plug and use the adapter to install the sending unit. Run the wire and voila <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

Dope

Superman

I couldn`t even reach the plug by #8.
The freeze plug above the starter works great. Worked with the adapters that came with my gauges too.

1badls1bird

Cool, thanks guys. I will try the other cylinder head first. Any tips on reaching it? Whic extensions to use or soemthing. Thanks!

Dope

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, have really long, skinny arms <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

You can see it readily from below, but from the top, you're going to have to remove at least the last 2 coilpacks and possibly the AIR setup on the manifold. I still dunno how you'd get to it...ever done a plug change? It's actually further back and lower than the #8 plug.

Plus, those suckers are in there TIGHT (the factory location OR the freeze plug).

To get the freeze plug out, I used an allen wrench with a ton of extensions on it (so I could get leverage). I had about 3-4' of breaker bar on it and alls I managed to do what snap the allen wrench in half!

I would highly recommend an impact wrench or large muscles. The car only had about 15k miles on it at the time too.

Definitely a huge PITA. The first time I tried it, I actually gave up and put everything back together. This was the freeze plug, nevermind the location in the passenger side head!

Oh yeah, and make sure ya got ~4-5 quarts of water/coolant mix. And make sure to move fast once you got the plug out, because antifreeze in your eyes burns!

Just some advice <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

Dope

Phil99TA

Let me just warn you guys about the Equus adapter. Mine broke off inside the head when I was installing it. It wasn't even that tight yet when it snapped. So be careful if you use that, I don't know what the hell was up with that.

Let me bring up another scenario. First of all, I'm assuming that we are using Autometer gauges here. What about taking the sender wire and just tapping into one of the wires that comes out of the factory temperature sensor on the drivers side head. Is there any chance of that working? It almost sounds too easy. I would think somebody would have done that already. The question is identifying exactly what each wire is doing.

1badls1bird

That is also what I was wondering. Is using a wire just not accurate and will it make the stock guage not work well iether? Any ideas? THanks!

BYBYC5

Well if u think about it, the stock temp "sensor" is good to use,because the "pcm" is programed to "suck",not the sensor. i would be 90% sure you could tap into the factory sensor with succsess, if you splice into the wire the stock gauge will still work. just my thoughts.. <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0">

John B

iTrader: (10)

DON NOT ATTEMPT TO SPLICE INTO THE OEM TEMP SENDING UNIT! This will create an "open circuit" condition and the PCM will default to operating at a -40° condition which will greatly richen your fuel mixture and cause the car to run like absolute crap by fouling the plugs. How do I know this.....I received an e-mail from another LS1 retrofitter who tried this and it took John Spears at Speartech to diagnosis his problem. Once he disconnected his water temp wire that he spliced into the stock sensor the car ran just fine! You can try it for yourself but this testimonial was enough for me.

02 'Hawk

i was just going to splice into a PCM wire and run that to the gauge. guess that wont work, glad i read this.

QUASAR

iTrader: (6)

[quote]Originally posted by Dan99Hawk:
<strong>I couldn`t even reach the plug by #8.
The freeze plug above the starter works great. Worked with the adapters that came with my gauges too.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Autometer guages? So if i were to get an autometer water guage, the adapters that come with it will fit into the hole where the plug was on the passenger side head, right? I just want to get that clarified that because i plan on doing it.

<img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

Phil99TA

What about the water temperature difference between the head and the block (using freeze plug location)? Is there enough of a difference to make one a better location than the other in terms of an accurate reading?

1badls1bird

Wow, hmmm...Thanks a lot fot hte warning man! Looks like I will have to try one ofthe other two ways then, either the freeze plug or the passenger head.

1badls1bird

So, is the passenger head part easily reached while the car is on a lift??? Would that make it easier to each the plug in the pass. side head? Thanks!

Dope

iTrader: (2)

As far as temp differences, my readings on AutoTap (which uses the driver's side head) and my AutoMeter gauge are pretty much exactly dead on. The only difference I noticed was once in a while one of the two would be 1-2 degrees 'slower' than the other. Nothing to worry about, that's for sure.

Everything is easier on a lift. But it would still be hard. The difficulty is that it is buried within the car. You'd need some long skinny arms to reach it, plus the availability of room to be able to swing the ratchet is non-existant. It's not exactly an easy part to get out too, like I said. If you've got access to a lift, do the freeze plug for sure. It would be simple and very easy to do. It's right at the bottom of the block and so you have plenty of room (using an extension) to swing the ratchet (with breaker bar). Plus everything is in plain view.

Dope

1badls1bird

Awesome,thanks man! I cannot imagine trying to reach behind the head, lol, it is hard enough to get to, hehe. So, can someone give me a little more detailed instructions for using the frezeplug way and maybe some pics? That would be great. Thanks!

02 'Hawk

still looking too, about ready to just pay someone to do it...12-hour shifts (that end up being more like ~14 suck)

Chris

SS125

iTrader: (1)

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by John B:
<strong>DON NOT ATTEMPT TO SPLICE INTO THE OEM TEMP SENDING UNIT! This will create an "open circuit" condition and the PCM will default to operating at a -40° condition which will greatly richen your fuel mixture and cause the car to run like absolute crap by fouling the plugs. How do I know this.....I received an e-mail from another LS1 retrofitter who tried this and it took John Spears at Speartech to diagnosis his problem. Once he disconnected his water temp wire that he spliced into the stock sensor the car ran just fine! You can try it for yourself but this testimonial was enough for me.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">By splicing, I assume you mean cutting the wire and connecting with a butt connector. What if you didn't have to cut the wire? What if you used those crimp connectors. Would that result in the same problem? Also, if that results in the same problem, is there any other place besides the passenger side plug and the freeze plug on the block that this could be done. What about splicing with a piece of aluminum or copper or whatever in a heater hose, or a radiator hose or someplace else? What about tapping the sensor in a splice in the radiator hose coming off the thermostat. Your getting the water immemdiately after the thermostat and if you think about it, some cars have the water gauge sensor in the thermostat housing itself.

I think this would be kind of jury rigged, but on the sensor electrical plug, there are two wires, what if you somehow connected a wire in the plug itself and soldered the wire going to the guage to that wire. Is it the increase in the voltage that causes the problem you described above?

Another post had the problem you described above after he replaced the sensor and the plug. But, he fixed it cause he had it wired wrong. Here is that post.

https://ls1tech.com/ubb/ultimatebb.p...=001451#000000


There has got to be an easier way.

<small>[ July 28, 2002, 10:54 PM: Message edited by: SS125 ]</small>