Tuesday, January 03, 2012 - 06:08 pm, by: Ben Lipman(Ben12a)
I have swapped the busted old top radiator hose in the track car with a stainless steel hard pipe. The problem I now have is I need to put the water temp sensor for my gauge somewhere. Previously I used one of the cut and shut adaptors you placed in the radiator hose. This will no longer work.
I have a 1/8 NPT 27 tap, which is the same as the thread on the sensor. I am considering drilling and tapping the cast alloy water pipe that goes from the radiator hose into the water pump (in front of the front turbo). Can anyone see a problem, or have a better suggestion? It needs to be easy to reach and work on.
Ben
Dan McColl Goo Roo Victoria (The Nazi State) Pretty Red Thing and The Black Rattler
Tuesday, January 03, 2012 - 06:56 pm, by: David Ward(Djwtoyota)
I doubt that the alloy pipe would be thick enough to hold a thread, particularly in aluminium. You may need to get a matching nut or a small block of aluminium TIG'ed onto the pipe to hold the thread when you drill and tap it. You really don't want to run the risk of the small amount of thread letting go and popping the sensor out and hence cooking the motor.
Ben Lipman Goo Roo SA Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car
Tuesday, January 03, 2012 - 07:54 pm, by: Ben Lipman(Ben12a)
The cast ally is pretty thick- as thick as the alloy adaptor I have been using. I did a test drill and tap in the front reo bar (was the only aluminium I had of similar thickness) and it is pretty snug. It has about four full threads, and a half thread at each end. I get what you mean, but really go not want to have to pull the pipe out of the car to get it TIGed.
I am going to stuff a rag down the pipe and then drill in front of the rag and pull all the filings etc out that way.
My original plan was to get a stainless bung welded to the new pipe, but the two problems were: I cannot find a stainless bung anywhere; and I would need to earth the sensor, meaning a second wire etc. (the pipe is insulated by the rubber join at each end)
The factory sensors are down further, but I cannot see a practical place to position the additional sensor- hold the fort! What size is the sender unit for the factory temp gauge? My factory dash is next to useless (blinky bastard of a thing!) and is likely to be turfed in the near future.
Dan McColl Goo Roo Victoria (The Nazi State) Pretty Red Thing and The Black Rattler
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