Temp sender socket worn.. sleeve?

[erikgreen]

Hey all -

My new rapido longblock is coming along fine, except for the temp sender... the socket for it is corroded moderately badly, the threads are half gone. The PO had secured the temp sender using plumbers' putty since the threads wouldn't mate properly. The sender has a 1/2" diameter.

What I'm thinking of doing is this:

1) Getting a 3/8" temp sender
2)Building a collar/adapter for it with my lathe
3)tap the center of the collar
4)jb weld the collar into the existing socket
5)install the sender into the threaded hole
6)run a ground wire from the collar to the intake

Problems with this include:
Durability?
Not sure I can make this in steel easily

Anyone have any ideas on what I can do to secure a temp sender in a corroded hole? The rest of the intake is ok...

Erik

 

[Bondo]

Re: Temp sender socket worn.. sleeve?

Problems with this include:

It's Got to be Metal to carry the Ground..........

The Most it might Ever see would be 15psi,.... Maybe.......

Can you drill it,+ Tap it to the next size,+ reduce it from there,..??..??.....

 

[newtoboats39]

Re: Temp sender socket worn.. sleeve?

I'm no expert but would a helicoil work in this application?

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Temp sender socket worn.. sleeve?

Okay, I went out and took some pics.... first off, I was way, way wrong on the size... it's a 3/4" plug.

My understanding is that they don't come much bigger? Otherwise I could drill the hole out and fit a 1" or whatever.. but I'd have to take the intake off, and I just finished assembling the engine

Here's a pic of the socket:

You can kind of see, but the threads at the top are more or less ok, it's the ones farther down that rusted out. I suppose I could run a tap through it and clean up what's there, then re-insert this 3/4" sender and seal with tape or putty like the PO did.

Here's the sender:

The threads look bad, but most of what's there is putty that I can clean off with some work. I'd lean toward replacing the whole thing in general since temp. monitoring is really important for an IO engine, but I could work with this too.

For a collar around a 3/8" or 1/2" sender I'd probably use aluminum and either JB weld it or maybe braze it in place. I couldn't count on the ground conducting through the collar so I'd run a ground strap to the block.

Long term the solution is either to weld the cast iron (possible, but not gonna try right now) or to replace the intake. The rest of the intake has surface rust, but is otherwise ok. Also, I'm out of $$ again :redface:

Thoughts?

Erik

 

[Bondo]

Re: Temp sender socket worn.. sleeve?

That don't look that bad,......

I'd get a New Sender from Napa,+ install it with a Paste sealer, No tape......

If you've got a 1/2" pipe tap, I'd Lightly clean the threads in the Manifold......
Don't run it in Too Far,.... They're tapered you know......

Then save your Coins for the Vortec Manifold you're going to be needing...............

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Temp sender socket worn.. sleeve?

Yeah, maybe running a pipe tap in would let me restore the threads enough to install the sender... just need to borrow/buy one.

Vortec? I'd be worried I'd go over 300HP... maybe when SEI releases their bravo drive replacement...

Erik