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Coolant sending unit

Kiefer316

NAXJA Forum User
So I just did a motor swap on my 96 with a motor from a 99. what im trying to figure out is that the gauge isn't reading thus i cannot get what temp its running. So i tried running the wire straight to the coolant temp sensor on the thermostat housing, from the wire where the temp sending unit was on my old head (which was one wire). That makes the sensor work but it has a really hard time starting if at all. So my question is Which i really don't wanna have to use an aftermarket gauge, But what do i do to make the gauge work? other then relocating the old style temp sensor? I heard there was a write up on this but I have searched with absolutly no luck.
 
On the 96 the temp gauge (factory)gets it reading from the sensor on the back of the head.
On a 99 the temp gauge(factory) gets its reading from the ECM through the sensor in the thermostat housing.
You can drill&tap the head for the old style sensor and reattach your old wire, or drill&tap the T-stat housing for your old sensor and extend the wire..
 
Like I said, I'd rather not have to drill and tap anything. I'd rather just get a new gauge and call it good. Maybe put the gauge in the stock location.... Then I run into the problem of a cel wouldn't I?
 
You're going to have to do something to fit a sender for a separate gauge, aren't you?

The sender that is in the head only drives the temp gauge. The PCM only monitors the sensor in the thermostat housing. You shouldn't get a CEL from simply disconnecting the gauge sender.
 
Well I was connecting the connector at he back of the head to the positive wire for the thermostat housing and it would have terrible time starting and run like crap like the computer thought it was over heated. Since I broke the temp sending unit I'll have to go buy a new one and since I have an extra thermostat housing I'll get that drilled and tapped to relocate the sensor. Since that seems like the only option
 
Thanks for the help guys! Decided to just throw a hole in the thermo housing and tap it. Worked like a charm! and was a lot less of a pain then i thought it would be!
 
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