Engine temp sender for 1966 Charger

[696pack]

I am wondering if there is there something special about the engine mounted sender for this car? We used the sender that was on the 523 stroker I had in another car and it always ran cool on the guage. Now that the engine is installed in the Charger the factory gauge is reading in the top of the normal range but the engine is not actually getting that hot. The original 383 I removed from the car ran VERY cool on the factory gauge. Anyone know if I am missing something special here?

 

[court9155]

I am wondering if there is there something special about the engine mounted sender for this car? We used the sender that was on the 523 stroker I had in another car and it always ran cool on the guage. Now that the engine is installed in the Charger the factory gauge is reading in the top of the normal range but the engine is not actually getting that hot. The original 383 I removed from the car ran VERY cool on the factory gauge. Anyone know if I am missing something special here?

Id swap em and see......

 

[Meep-Meep]

I have the small OEM replacement sender (1/8" NPT) and it works just fine. If you have a "hot" reading it's possible the sender that is causing that has a lower resistance than what you had before. Court has the right idea, or just go get a new OEM replacement.

 

[440roadrunner]

You can easily check gauge accuracy by buying some resistors at Radio Shack. Here are the rough figures for gauge resistors:

L = 73.7 Ohms (empty)
M = 23.0 Ohms (1/2)
H = 10.2 Ohms (full)

You can use these for either fuel or temp, or in Rally dashes, the oil, too. Buy 4 - 100 ohm 1/2 watt resistors at Radio Shack, wire all four in parallel. This will give you 25 ohms, close to 1/2 scale. Putting that combination from the sender wire to ground, then turn on the key to "run" for about a minute should result in a 1/2 scale reading at the gauge. You an also do this on your fuel gauge. If both gauges are a "ways off" I would first suspect the gauge voltage limiter, and or problems in the wiring/ cluster.

My 67 Dart had SEVERAL problems which prevented proper gauge operation. Poor connections at the harness connector, damaged pins at the board, poor socket connections at the VR, a poorly working (factory) VR, and the gauge studs were corroded at the fake speed nuts supposed to tighten them to the PC board.