The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post

**'68OrangeSunshine** · 07-12-2017, 11:10 PM

It was about 18 years ago that I put in another crate 350 in my '71 GMC, so my details might be fuzzy: I was told the elec water temp gauge on the ''new'' engine was different than the 1971 stock unit, and needed a couple of resistors [forgot the value] in-line to the gauge, but that was supposed to make the gauge read right. I tried the shadetree solution and it wouldn't work at all. Since I live in Arizona full time, not having a precise water temp indicator has cost me a couple of engines, so I gave up on the redneck avionics solution and went with an AutoMeter mechanical gauge. Very happy ever since.
I still have an elec temp sensor in my t-stat housing but voracious packrats love that green wire. Mech temp probe is in middle of Cyls 1 and 3.

07-12-2017, 11:10 PM	#10
'68OrangeSunshine Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Tucson, AZ USA Posts: 7,628	Re: Factory temp gauge problem It was about 18 years ago that I put in another crate 350 in my '71 GMC, so my details might be fuzzy: I was told the elec water temp gauge on the ''new'' engine was different than the 1971 stock unit, and needed a couple of resistors [forgot the value] in-line to the gauge, but that was supposed to make the gauge read right. I tried the shadetree solution and it wouldn't work at all. Since I live in Arizona full time, not having a precise water temp indicator has cost me a couple of engines, so I gave up on the redneck avionics solution and went with an AutoMeter mechanical gauge. Very happy ever since. I still have an elec temp sensor in my t-stat housing but voracious packrats love that green wire. Mech temp probe is in middle of Cyls 1 and 3. __________________ Every 25 years I like to rebuild that 292, whether it needs it or not.