Coolant Temp Sender/Stock Gauge

I am doing a complete rewire and went back to the stock speedo with temp/fuel gauge. The PO had an aftermarket temp gauge that has a copper wire wrapped in coiled metal going to and from the gauge. I thought there was a wire in there so I clipped it to try to wire it to the stock gauge. Realized it was just a copper wire with a hole in the middle and it looks like the stock gauge just takes a wire and I assume it just checks the resistance. I also looked up the part from my auto store and it shows the temp sender sensor that I currently have with the bare wire wrapped copper. Is there a PN for a new sender or am I overlooking how to hook this up? I have a 74 CJ5.

 

Sounds like you had a mechanical temp gauge not electric. You just cut the conduit that carries temp sensing medium which pushes on the diaphragm in the gauge to read the temp. It is done

 

Yup. Sorry. The tube is filled with ether that expands when the coolant heats up. You killed it when you clipped it.

Buy the right sender for your factory temp gauge at the parts store. There should be a wire in the factory harness that connects to it. I don't recall where the factory location for the temp sender is for the 6s, but the V8 is at the front of the intake manifold, near the water outlet.

 

Yeah I realized once there was a hole it was some type of mechanical gauge didnt realize it had ether. Regardless no problem since I am going back to the stock speedo gauge/temp/fuel unit. Unfortunately went to the auto parts store today bought one they said was for a 74 and the threads are too small so I need some sort of adapter or this was for the wrong jeep.

 

Maybe someone can look under their hood for you, and get you a picture. Mine is under cover now, and about 6" of snow.

You need to post your year, model and drivetrain in every post. Best to make a signature and put the info there. I could give you some part numbers if I had that information. The right part will just screw in, and needs to be right to work with your factory gauge.

 

All 74-on use the same part, Jeep PN 3177594. Crosses to a Wells 1T1161 or a Standard TS37 http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=40539

Fits in the front top of the intake manifold on a V8 or the front face of the block on a 6. Should not need a bushing, IIRC.

 

Thanks Tim for the help. Its odd I found pictures showing where it should be and I do not have the tapped hole in that location. I only have the location on the driver side towards the back lower end of the block where it looks like the CTO switch goes where the PO had the mechanical temp sender. The temp sender I bought at the auto parts store has threads that are too small for this location. I am wondering if I can pick up an adapter or a temp sender that has the correct thread and resistance for temps.

Also updated my profile I have a 74 CJ5 258 I6.

 

Maybe someone here can point you to the proper location. The CTO ports would work, but they usually contain CTOs.

A hardware store (or Home Depot or Lowes) will have fittings to adapt the sender, if you want to go that route. Look at the brass pipe fittings for a reducing bushing.

On the user control panel, there is a place to put a signature that will appear at the bottom of every post.

 

You have to use the CTO hole when you install the mechanical temp sensing bulb as it wont fit through the temp sender hole's 1/8 NPT diameter. Thats why you found it there from the P.O.
The correct location for the sender for an electrical gauge is at the front of the head on the 74 I6.
It's the brass plug at the thermostat housing's 4 o'clock position just above the water pump

 

Thanks for the pic that is what I was seeing online....now with that confirmation I am assuming the I6 must not have been from a 74 since it does not have that threaded hole at that location. I will just get an adapter for the CTO port for the temp sender but I am curious now why my block doesn't have it there.