Radiator question

[therris]

I've got an 88 lx standard transmission. Wrecked a couple of weeks ago and am replacing the radiator. Bought one off ebay for a penny, but turns out it's for an automatic. I'm sure I can just plug the lines for the transmission fluid and be ok, but my old radiator had a sensor or something that screwed into the bottom of the radiator that the new radiator doesn't have. I assume it's the thermostat but I'm not sure. Will I run ok without it connected, or do I need it for temp control? And what is it anyway?

[anomoly40]

You might be talking about the drain plug...

And yes you need it to run.

[therris]

Not the drain plug. This thing has two wires running from into it. Try again.

[festivaWES]

temp gauge

[therris]

That's what I'm thinking. Will it bother my car if it's not connected, other than my only overheat indicator being steam from under the hood?

[anomoly40]

I thought temp gages hooked up on the top radiator hose where it comes out of the engine. There should be two little black connectors that come out of the wire loom that hook up to the Thermostat cover.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7900&highlight=radiator

Look about 6-7 posts down.

[festivaWES]

there's 2 on carbed models: one where h20 neck is and the other on the radiator

[therris]

There doesn't seem to be a place for this temperature sensor to go on this one. Would that be right? But it also looks as though there are 2 drain plugs, one on the bottom and one on the side of the bottom piece of the radiator, on the battery side. Could that be where the temp sensor is supposed to go?

[mechanicaldj]

ok.... first thing , is you don't need to do anything with the trans cooler lines, you don't even need to plug them off. leave them alone

second of all that thermostatic switch in the bottom of the radiator does not apply to you, just leave it in there so the coolant doesn't just drain out

third of all ( which everyone missed)
your engine will run much cooler . as being the automatic trans radiator is a double row radiator

[therris]

But my car has that. I unscrewed a temperature sensor/thermostatic switch from the bottom of my old radiator. It has two wires running from it into the car (haven't traced it). I don't think my new one has the place to screw this in, so do you mean just tie it off somewhere and let it hang?

[mechanicaldj]

There doesn't seem to be a place for this temperature sensor to go on this one. Would that be right? But it also looks as though there are 2 drain plugs, one on the bottom and one on the side of the bottom piece of the radiator, on the battery side. Could that be where the temp sensor is supposed to go?

yes

and sorry i misread your post