Temp sensor questions

[ccautoupholstery]

I bought a new temp sensor from napa, was told not to use teflon tape or thread lock...now i cant get the new sensor to seal. Now i overtightened and ruined threads on new sensor. Any help would be appreciated. The motor is a 350 out of a 78 camaro.

[slowcpe]

My sensor came with Teflon tape. I took it off though. Haven’t fired it up yet.

[NorCalC20LWB]

Pretty sure I used Permatex hi temp thread sealant on mine. Seems to work fine and no leaks.

[dmjlambert]

I believe it is Ok to use a small amount of tape, perhaps 2 inches. You do want it to bite through the tape and make metal contact, or the sensor won't work. So don't go wrapping it around and around and around. Work the threads a little bit without tape by tightening, loosening, tightening, loosening, a few times. It should seal with light final torque, about 15 ft lbs. Add just a little bit of tape, one wrap, if needed.

[stsalvage]

That's why i'm a factory guy.So many of these kids with there Honda or rice rockets think they have a better idea then the factory guys do.I keep asking them how much money do you have in my R&D department.First thing that come out is FU and I don't have a R&D department That's right.Things that have worked for over 50 years an the new kid on the block wants to change it.That's why this would is going where it is today.

Here are some pics to show you want you need

the last pic is the Factory Re pop Harness From M&H you can buy it from Carandtruckshop.com i think the harness is 48-68.00

it comes with the temp wire,HEI wire or The old style wires for your old distributor.And the starter wires

[truckster]

I use aviation gasket sealer on the threads. It seals it without creating an insulating barrier between the sensor and the head.

[ccautoupholstery]

Im really not sure where you are going with this? the factory sensor goes in the block not the intake and i am doing the same

Originally Posted by stsalvage

That's why i'm a factory guy.So many of these kids with there Honda or rice rockets think they have a better idea then the factory guys do.I keep asking them how much money do you have in my R&D department.First thing that come out is FU and I don't have a R&D department That's right.Things that have worked for over 50 years an the new kid on the block wants to change it.That's why this would is going where it is today.

Here are some pics to show you want you need

the last pic is the Factory Re pop Harness From M&H you can buy it from Carandtruckshop.com i think the harness is 48-68.00

it comes with the temp wire,HEI wire or The old style wires for your old distributor.And the starter wires

[ccautoupholstery]

Originally Posted by NorCalC20LWB

Pretty sure I used Permatex hi temp thread sealant on mine. Seems to work fine and no leaks.

Thank you, grabbed some along with the new sensor and worked perfect.

[stsalvage]

You know your right But the factory one had its draw backs.One it never lasted wire got burned up so they started putting them on the intake.I like using the 1967-68 327 thermostat housing that gose straight out and Use this upper radiator 3898556TH-GM/AU hose.Now in

1967-68 they had them on the intake cast iron

Then in 1969-72 they moved it to the side of the head witch was a big mistake.Most people use it this way cus the wire is not getting burned

then they went back to the 1967-68 straight out housing with the hose i i said to use and it works perfect.It looks factory it acts factory and it looks clean.Have a look

Or you show my a better way to put the sending unit and the hose routing system MY WAY WORKS BETTER IF YOU USE THE ALUM INTAKE

I have always used this system sense i swapped over to the Boat anker cast iron intake to the Alum one I wanted the temp sending unit on the one place i can get a true reading.

Then I found out that the curved inlet would not let me use the sending unit i wanted.

Now this is where 27 years of driving and working these trucks come in to play something that most guys have not got a clue.But that OK I take all the hard work out of you learning it.I have the experience and the hard knots of testing it and it works.

My way is by cheating and using old parts for new systems have a look.

Reason why people do not use the one on the side of the head.Most of you use headers.

Can any one tell me why you don't want to run anything with Rubber next to Headers Any one

[stsalvage]

ccautoupholstery.

How many trucks have you owned in your life how many 3 ton bob tails or dump trucks have you driven in the last 18 years.I got stuck with a 1965 3 ton Bob tail as the beater trucks for a housing trust company it had a newer 366 big block with the 4 speed with a split rear end my boss was a cheap pile of crap.This trucks was for newbies new to the company.I was 17 when i got behind the wheel of this truck.It ran like crap and it always over headed in traffic.He never wanted any one fixing or working on his trucks.


Now my grand father Was a manic.His 5 rules where to check a truck out ever time you drove it.Oil water brake fluid and check for leaks.

Most of the things that are young drivers never do.He always told me being oil water and brake fluid and tools with me and a extra set of points.I bet you don't know what those are.

I was 20 mins early out of the yard so i stopped by my Grand fathers shop.He poped the hood and man that man new every cuss word in the book.He told me he be back in 5 mins.

He came back with a set of used spark plug wires new plugs and new points a 3 new belts.He had me drain the oil it came out in chunks and black as midnight.We put deisol gas in the engine with 2 pints of oil.20 mins later the truck was running better then ever filled up the radiator back up found 2 holes in the radiator drained the water out and sealed them up and put the coolant back in it.

Drained the oil one last time after we let it fun for 15 mins and filled it Up with oil.That truck i drover it for 8 months had 1 radiator hose go bad.But had a spare.

I've been baptized throw battle for driving these old trucks.I know tricks that i try to pass on an i try to take picture to show what i mean.A picture can say more then a 1000 words just by looking at it

[stsalvage]

I;m a factory guy There are thing I see that can be improved.You can see that in my pics .I want a longevity running truck.

My 1965 3/4ton truck i drove for 15 years with 1 motor putting over 750,000 miles on.I did something that only the old timers have ever seen.Me whereing out the cam Lobe on the fuel pump.I ware that thing down so low it would barley strike it every 4th time the engine turned over.

We pulled the cam out the whole cam is flat.

But i was in the junk and scrap business sense 1997 got this truck in 2003 ran a 307 for 2 years then i stopped using it.When to work for a trust company.Got a new rebuilt 355 with my old 2 speed Power Glide and 4.10 rear end.From 2005 -2015 and i still have the truck.

How many of you still have your work truck from 15 year ago.

So i learned a lot about how to make things last new tricks on how to make them go the distance

[davepl]

I'm a factory-stock kind of guy and having just finished a complete nut and bolt restoration, here are the things I upgraded.

- Stainless exhaust so it doesn't rust out
- Disc brakes on the front from a factory '71
- Overdrive for the freeway
- Three point seatbelts

That's it, I think. Everything else I left just like the factory did it.

[HO455]

Originally Posted by ccautoupholstery

I bought a new temp sensor from napa, was told not to use teflon tape or thread lock...now i cant get the new sensor to seal. Now i overtightened and ruined threads on new sensor. Any help would be appreciated. The motor is a 350 out of a 78 camaro.

It is fine to use tefon tape or other pipe thread sealants. They are mostly a lubricant for the threads to allow the tapered threads to seat. They are correct about not using thread locker. Somewhere I have a PDF from a Corvette forum about senders and they did a test with 20 wraps of Teflon tape with no affect on the readings. A bigger concern is making sure the Teflon tape is not on the first couple of threads so it won't end up with strings of tape flowing in your radiator.

[VetteVet]

If the OP has ruined his sender threads I doubt that it's going to seal. The threads have
to make contact with the block to allow the sender wire to ground the gauge to get a reading.
I am not sure if the sealers are needed in most cases and I think that most of them will conduct electricity.