temp guage not working
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: West Jordan Utah
temp guage not working
Hey this is kind of a dumb question, but i wanted to get some opinions. I changed that thermostate and flushed out the radiator with no results. I was driving my 76 highboy that has a 390 with 20 grand on it since the rebuild. The temp guage in the dash stopped working and went to cold. I changed the thermostate and flushed the radiator the guage started to work for a minute then just feel back to cold again. When i flushed out the radiator the old fluid was brown from rust im guessing? could this be the problem? I appreciate any help i can get. Thanks
Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 14,333
Likes: 247
From: Stanley, VA
Sounds like the wire to the temp sending unit might be loose. Its located at the front of the intake manifold behind the distributor. If its not loose, ground the wire and see if the needle moves all the way to "H". If it does then probably the sending unit is bad.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 8,261
Likes: 15
From: Big Sky Country
That's the only way to get an accurate reading, the factory gauges don't really tell you much (even when they're working).
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
I was working on my 360 and had that problem with the water getting dirty even after i changed the radiator, turns out that I had a leaking freeze plug so I went to change that and found there is a ledge in the water port (behind the freeze plug, inside motor) below the hole for the freeze plug it was catching anything and everything going through the motor. There was sand and rust (farm truck) in the motor, I cleaned out about 9 cups of stuff with my fingers and then flushed it with water, it never happened again
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 32
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From: West Jordan Utah
Thanks for the advise. I'll go and see what i can figure out. How hard is it to put in a manual temp guage?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 8,261
Likes: 15
From: Big Sky Country
If you can change your own thermostat (as you did) you can install a manual temp. gauge, it's very easy, you can either a) install it where your factory sending unit was on the intake or b) install it in your thermostat housing and maintain the use of both gauges.
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: West Jordan Utah
Sending unit was the problem. I never thought that would be the problem with the engine having so few miles on it. I guess it had been eight or nine years since the rebuild. I bought the truck from an old man who only used the truck a few times a year to pull his camper up to the lake. The truck only has 81,000 original miles on it.
I do want to put a manual temp guage on the tuck. A manual oil pressure guage would be nice as well.
I do want to put a manual temp guage on the tuck. A manual oil pressure guage would be nice as well.