temp sensor

[geezerstiva]

this is rediculous. has anyone ever changed the head on their car, only to find that the hole for the temp sensor was different from head to head? i'm changing the head on my 89, and putting a 90 head on it. everything else has gone in fine, but the hole for the temp sensor is bigger on the 90 model than on the 89! and, as an added bonus, you apparently cant get the one for the 90 model head. all parts places list one kind of temp sensor, and its the small one. anyone else had this problem?
btw, its the temp sensor on the front of the head, the one that controls the temp guage.
would appreciate the help, i'm really sick of driving a ford ranger. :lol:

[KrayZFrameRate]

I have been messing around with this for a few days. I have a bad temp sensor and I just so happen to work at a auto parts store. I would bet that someone has tapped out the head you just put on for a cheaper or aftermarket temperature sending unit. And you can get the one for the 90 model. It is like 16 bucks or so at autozone. Little bugger.

[geezerstiva]

no, this head was on my dads car and we've owned it since then. hasnt been messed with from the dealer.

[freshtiva]

"btw, its the temp sensor on the front of the head, the one that controls the temp guage"
Its the one on the front. Why not use a reducer?

[geezerstiva]

it needs a very very small reducer. we ended up wrapping it with a piece of some cotton sheet and getting it to screw in there. its pretty tight, so i think we're going to go with it for now. just wondering if anyone else has had this problem.

[freshtiva]

"it needs a very very small reducer. "

Out about an adapter then ?


Maybe several wraps of teflon tape would work in place of the cotton.

[CharlieZ]

Maybe by chance the 90 head had a helicoil repair thread insert installed in the past and it that came out with and is attached to the sensor? Can you measure the threads of each sensor?

[edudu77]

When I changed my head, I had the same issue, but in reverse. My 92 head had a larger sensor, the 93 head had a small one. Luckily, it was still in the head and I was able to use it. The larger sensor head would not even fit through the hole...so it is quite a difference. If/when I get a chance I'll see if I can find it in my pile-o-parts and get some measurements.

Donovan