Temp senders & gauges (Suby)

ElusiveStranger Officially Full-On Dubber

330 posts · joined May 2006 · 5 Oct 2006, 7:17 pm

#541381

Hi guys,

Now I'm actually on the road, all MOT'd (regoed?) etc I've noticed the Subaru H2O temp sender and VDO 40-120°C gauge are telling fibs (I suspect).

What senders/gauges do you guys use when doing your Scooby conversions?

Engine is an EJ20 & the van's a 78 Bay (ex panel van).
Van goes well but the fan's coming on - I haven't boxed in the rear as yet so air is going over rather than through.

Cheers.

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 5 Oct 2006, 11:08 pm

#541527

you need the VDO senders that go with the guages. they should just screw into the motor in the right places to replace the factory senders.

"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 5 Oct 2006, 11:12 pm

#541530

you need the VDO senders that go with the guages. they should just screw into the motor in the right places to replace the factory senders.

"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 5 Oct 2006, 11:19 pm

#541534

Hi

Theres an echo here. My 2003 motor only has 3 wire terminal for the ECU and suby gauge. Im going to drill & tap a hole for a VDO sender in the water log.

Steve

ElusiveStranger Officially Full-On Dubber

330 posts · joined May 2006 · 6 Oct 2006, 12:57 am

#541563

pete wood wrote:you need the VDO senders that go with the guages. they should just screw into the motor in the right places to replace the factory senders.

Thanks for the reply Pete.
Are the VDO senders the same thread as the Scooby ie 1/8th BSPT? If not do you know what the thread size is please?

I did look at an early T25 sender and it wasn't a taper thread, also it didn't jut out into the manifold ie would sense the water manifold temp not the water. (I'm thinking this would take a while to get to water temp)

Steve, my manifold is already in the van. It might be a bugger to do that now! Grrrr!

GeorgeL Officially Full-On Dubber

231 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 7 Oct 2006, 9:04 am

#541908

ElusiveStranger wrote:I did look at an early T25 sender and it wasn't a taper thread, also it didn't jut out into the manifold ie would sense the water manifold temp not the water. (I'm thinking this would take a while to get to water temp)

Actually, since aluminum has a relatively low heat capacity (900 J/kg/C versus 4186 J/kg/C for water), the manifold itself will closely reflect the temperature of the coolant circulating within. The heat transfer from coolant to aluminum is much better than that from aluminum to air.

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 7 Oct 2006, 1:12 pm

#541974

ElusiveStranger wrote:Thanks for the reply Pete.
Are the VDO senders the same thread as the Scooby ie 1/8th BSPT? If not do you know what the thread size is please?

I did look at an early T25 sender and it wasn't a taper thread, also it didn't jut out into the manifold ie would sense the water manifold temp not the water. (I'm thinking this would take a while to get to water temp)

Steve, my manifold is already in the van. It might be a bugger to do that now! Grrrr!

Sorry I don't know or can't remember. From memory we got a fitting from pirtek or something, but I can't remember whether it was tapered or not. Take the sender down to a fitting shop like enzed or pirtek and they could tell you.

"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

baybuscamperkid prince of insufficient light, ruler of heck

4,316 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 10 Oct 2006, 5:07 pm

#542920

yep, match switch to guage, if they dont have a switch the right dimensiond they will have an adapter to make it right.

Reimagined/Recycled/Upcycled Cool

ElusiveStranger Officially Full-On Dubber

330 posts · joined May 2006 · 10 Oct 2006, 7:05 pm

#542953

Thanks guys. I ordered a VDO one. The dealer said a 1/8 NPT would be ok in a 1/8 BSPT thread.
Apparently the bikers do it all the time one thread is 27 TPI the other's 28 TPI

vwpete Commited Dubber

61 posts · joined Jun 2005 · 15 Dec 2006, 11:03 am

#557874

Hi i c you have the same issue as me, i have the 150deg vdo temp gauge with original EJ sender and like you i am getting incorrect readings. I was just wondering if the
1/8 NPT sender fitted ok?.

Was the VDO part number 323 420? or did you use the universal sender 323 900? or am i way off, any help much appriciated

cheers

VwPete

ElusiveStranger Officially Full-On Dubber

330 posts · joined May 2006 · 16 Dec 2006, 1:54 am

#558105

vwpete wrote:Hi i c you have the same issue as me, i have the 150deg vdo temp gauge with original EJ sender and like you i am getting incorrect readings. I was just wondering if the
1/8 NPT sender fitted ok?.

Was the VDO part number 323 420? or did you use the universal sender 323 900? or am i way off, any help much appriciated

cheers

(part no 47 001 060, 120°C) fitted just fine, nip it up

Runs approx 4-6° out on my VDO 120°C gauge (I borrowed a lab standard temp sensor, attached to the heater outlet on the water manifold)

The sensor may just foul the I/D of the manifold, just open out the manifold *slightly* at the bottom of the treads. Seemed more like a case of removing the scale from the coolant.

You can see what happens if you try to reduce the sensor dia here:
http://www.vwkd.co.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?t=368

I'm in Pommy land so ETB aren't gonna be much help to you 😉