Temperature Sensor Question ?
Discussion
Today I changed the temperature sensor on my 400SE. I was given a new one when I bought the car and told that it just needed fitting. The job went quite smoothly and I changed it without much difficulty, but here is the question. The new temperature sensor came with no washer, so I used a rubber washer of the correct size I had in the garage. Is this adequate? or is it meant to be fitted with something special. The one that came off had some kind of aluminium washer that seems to be seized on the old sensor. Here is a picture of the old sensor. Advice please gentlemen would be most welcome.
I am now thinking maybe the alloy washer is to help the earthing, as I can't imagine it making a better seal than rubber. I haven't tested it yet as it was raining by the time I finished and so I didn't want to take the car out the garage. I'll give it a test tomorrow and work it up to temperature and see what happens.
Tony. TCB.
Tony. TCB.
adam quantrill said:
It will earth itself fine through the thread.
Yes, maybe it will earth through the thread. If it works ok I might just leave the rubber washer in place but buy a an alloy washer of the right size in case it leaks in the future if the rubber parishes, then I'll change it.Tony. TCB.
would be interested to know which sensor you are fitting and how you get on with it.
I have a 350i and have changed the sensor twice for new ones and still cant find the right one that is calibrated correctly for my gauge. Was thinking of starting a thread about it.
Mine came with a fibre washer though not aklloy and sealed up fine.
I have a 350i and have changed the sensor twice for new ones and still cant find the right one that is calibrated correctly for my gauge. Was thinking of starting a thread about it.
Mine came with a fibre washer though not aklloy and sealed up fine.
Looking at the edges of your item I think its an aluminium crush washer (also commonly available in copper), the softer materials sometimes used for long term seals between the harder brass, cast iron, forged aluminium and steel, variously used for sensor bodies and manifold components.
This looks similar:
From what I've read, you need a proper sealing washer.
This looks similar:
From what I've read, you need a proper sealing washer.
Edited by honestjohntoo on Thursday 27th June 22:24
ferlin said:
would be interested to know which sensor you are fitting and how you get on with it.
I have a 350i and have changed the sensor twice for new ones and still cant find the right one that is calibrated correctly for my gauge. Was thinking of starting a thread about it.
Mine came with a fibre washer though not aklloy and sealed up fine.
Well I'll join the thread as I too would like the correct sensor for my 390.I have a 350i and have changed the sensor twice for new ones and still cant find the right one that is calibrated correctly for my gauge. Was thinking of starting a thread about it.
Mine came with a fibre washer though not aklloy and sealed up fine.
My temp gauge sits between 40 and 80 all the time, clearly incorrect especially as the fan seems to now be on permanently !
honestjohntoo said:
Looking at the edges of your item I think its an aluminium crush washer (also commonly available in copper), the softer materials sometimes used for long term seals between the harder brass, cast iron, forged aluminium and steel, variously used for sensor bodies and manifold components.
This looks similar:
From what I've read, you need a proper sealing washer.
+1..I had a right battle with the ones on the fuel filter banjo and thats not as much pressure as water getting up to temperature..And remember if there are any leaks in the cooling system then the water will boil then it will definitely leak..You can get copper washers from various motor parts shops or even plumbers but as said they ideally need to be soft or they will need annealing to seal properly...ZigaThis looks similar:
From what I've read, you need a proper sealing washer.
Well, I'll know tomorrow when I test it. Pressure and temperature wise, I think the rubber washer should cope. After all, the rubber hoses with jubilee clips seem to do fine. What worries me is the earthing and the long term perishing of the rubber washer. The sensor has only one live wire, so it needs a good earth to work. It may earth sufficiently through the thread and it would take months, maybe years for the rubber washer to perish, so I may just be worrying needlessly. I can understand that a crush alloy washer would be a long term solution both for sealing and lasting, but only if I can get hold of the correct washer. I think the wrong type of hard washer could damage the housing it screws into. I feel a rubber or even a fiber washer is a safer option.
I don't know if the sensor I have fitted is the correct one, as I was given the sensor with the car. It was however bought from a TVR
David Gerald, so I am assuming it's the correct one. It certainly looks identical to the one I removed but whether it's correctly calibrated to the gauge, only time will show. I will report tomorrow after a long drive.
Tony. TCB.
I don't know if the sensor I have fitted is the correct one, as I was given the sensor with the car. It was however bought from a TVR
David Gerald, so I am assuming it's the correct one. It certainly looks identical to the one I removed but whether it's correctly calibrated to the gauge, only time will show. I will report tomorrow after a long drive.
Tony. TCB.
As regards to gauges and sensors/senders i learnt the hard way..I decided to change my temperature sensor/sender..Why i dont know..It was in the early days of delilah mis-behaving and i thought it might of been worth changing..Lack of knowledge im affraid..Anyway i removed the old one whilst the water was tepid and after fitting the new sensor i ended up panicking as my temperature was reading off the scale!..This was due to the gauge reading the last point of temperature prior to me removing the sensor/sender..Cold registered where normal should read..I have tried earthing it out but a resistor or proper sender would probably sort it..I then learnt that its best to match the sensor/sender with the gauge as the resistances correspond with each other..Needless to say it still read well over normal as i simply cant find a sender that is compatible with stewart warner gauges..I put my mind at rest with a digital probe thermometer and a laser pointer thermometer..Still on the "TO DO LIST"...
I took the car out today for a long run. I let the engine idle to normal running temperature. Everything seems fine. No leaks, gauge working as it should be, and the fan going on and off at the right time. The needle on the gauge remains a few centimetres below the red and when the gauge approaches the red the fan kicks in and brings it down again. I know this is normal because I had three V8 wedges in that past and that is exactly how the gauge on those behaved. How long the rubber washer I have fitted will last is anybody's guess but I will leave it on there until it gives problems, which may be never.
I cannot get the numbers off the one I fitted as they are not visible once fitted but I have put the one I took off in vinegar to get the lime scale off so as I can read the numbers on there. Once I have done this I will post the numbers. The new one was bought from David Gerald because that's what's written on the packet it came in. So, if you need one you know who to contact. There was no washer in the packet and hence why I used a rubber one to be on the safe side and not cause damage to the engine block. Also I will try and remove the alloy washer off the old one. Once taken out of vinegar it should come off easily as the lime scale will be gone. I showed the washer on the sensor to my local parts shop as he knows a great deal about these things. He said, the washer on there is alloy but not the soft crush type and he reckons that the alloy washer should come off the old one and can be reused. However, he says rubber washer can be used on water temperature sensors as they use them on high pressure hot central heating pipes and he said some water temperature sensors come with rubber washers.
I will be keeping an eye on it for a while, but at least now I know if the car has overheated by looking at the temperature gauge on the dash.
Tony. TCB.
I cannot get the numbers off the one I fitted as they are not visible once fitted but I have put the one I took off in vinegar to get the lime scale off so as I can read the numbers on there. Once I have done this I will post the numbers. The new one was bought from David Gerald because that's what's written on the packet it came in. So, if you need one you know who to contact. There was no washer in the packet and hence why I used a rubber one to be on the safe side and not cause damage to the engine block. Also I will try and remove the alloy washer off the old one. Once taken out of vinegar it should come off easily as the lime scale will be gone. I showed the washer on the sensor to my local parts shop as he knows a great deal about these things. He said, the washer on there is alloy but not the soft crush type and he reckons that the alloy washer should come off the old one and can be reused. However, he says rubber washer can be used on water temperature sensors as they use them on high pressure hot central heating pipes and he said some water temperature sensors come with rubber washers.
I will be keeping an eye on it for a while, but at least now I know if the car has overheated by looking at the temperature gauge on the dash.
Tony. TCB.
maston said:
Well I'll join the thread as I too would like the correct sensor for my 390.
My temp gauge sits between 40 and 80 all the time, clearly incorrect especially as the fan seems to now be on permanently !
If it is a 390 then you need to check that the oil cooler feed is temostatically controlled. Mine came from the factory as uncontrolled and it overcooled the engine, causing the oil to be thicker and wrecking the oil pump/distributor drive.My temp gauge sits between 40 and 80 all the time, clearly incorrect especially as the fan seems to now be on permanently !
Russ
PHJayV8 said:
Hi, anyone know for sure what the part number is for the coolant temperature sensor for a 400SE?
I have three options thus far:-
EO376
SNB802
STC2299 (Genuine land rover for 3.9 V8)
Any pointers?
Jay
The reason I want to ask is my pinking tends to appear when the engine is hot, and sometimes when pulling up at junctions the revs are at 1200 or so then gradually settle back down to about 750? I have three options thus far:-
EO376
SNB802
STC2299 (Genuine land rover for 3.9 V8)
Any pointers?
Jay
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