Ok I have a 76 with 85,000 on it and I would like to put a head temp sensor on it but I don’t know which is the best one so any and all ideas would be welcome, I have a taco plate temp gauge on it but by the time it would read hot it would be to late
Thanks Fred

one style has a large ring terminal that fits under the spark plug (like the gasket )
simple to install, however I find I need to clearance the head (cut part of the spark plug counter bore away0 to allow space for the crimps part of the ring terminal to sit (else you crush the crimp when putting in the spark plug.

other methode is to mount a termal couple to a tapped hole on the head, much like the stock D-jet sendor is mounted. no hassle with spark plug getting in the way 9it is a tight fit around the spark plug hole.

the non-spark plug hole method I think it best, but might take a bit more work to install the first time, but then you wont be messing with it each time you have to deal with the spark plugs.


some folks run four TC's and use a four way swtich to select which one is read on a single gage.


yes oil temp is a bit slow responce, oil pressure however is very valuable, tells you of a mnechanical defect, that effects oil pressure, warns of low oil level, warns of high G force oil starvation, and is a lagging indicator of over all engien temps (if oil pressure drastically drops, it can be becuase oil has gotten too hot)


if I had only one gage, it would bne oil pressure. since too hihg oil temp can be infered from oil pressure, the second next impoartant gage would be head temp.


at anyrate, you have basically two options for head temp sendors, I run a VDO gage in my Kelmark car.

If I was only going to put in one gauge, it would be the VDO cyl head temp gauge.

I added a modern head temp gauge (Dakota Digital) and 2 1/16 inch VDO gauges for oil pressure and oil temp.

I like the spark plug type of sender over the stock location for the head temp sender. Cylinder 3 is usually the hottest cylinder, so that is where you want the sender to go.

You do need to remove a little metal on the head to get the sender to work, but that was 10 minutes with a die grinder. Not hard, just make sure you don't have any hard corners.

Zach

I went with a CHT from Aircraft Spruce. About the same price as a VDO, but its temperature compensating. They also have a rather sexy dual CHT gauge.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/in/cht..._micro1000.html

Making my own
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOUeEh11eg

I like the looks of the dual CHT. I like it a lot. Not enough to change what I have, though.

I wish that my CHT looked more like the other VDO gauges that I am using. That said, I love how easy to read it is. No guessing or estimating. If the engine is running 359 degrees, a quick glance lets me know I am running at 359 - not somewhere between 350 and 375.

Zach

Yeah, part of me is kicking myself for cheaping out.

I figured Head temp would be more indicative of issues, as any oil temp issues would show up in the heads rather rapidly.

Install BOTH.
Oil temp isn't head temp.
Heads can overheat and crack and the oil never gets hot...

Thanks everyone I ordered from Dakota Digital today,I plan on keeping the oil temp gauge it works fine,
Thanks Fred

Would never have figured. Well, guess when I do my first real oilchange, i am going to be sticking an oil temp gauge sensor in my taco plate.

That sounds so dirty.