16 replies to this topic

[minicooperr]

Looking to put a water temp gauge on my car but not wanting to tap the block as worried of it going wrong, it’s an spi motor running a carb so I have a sandwich plate I’ve seen some of these have sensors on so would I be able to drill it out and run a tap down it and which sensor could I use?

[panky]

There should be a temperature sender already in the head just below the thermostat housing. I'm surprised there isn't already a gauge fitted.

[minicooperr]

There should be a temperature sender already in the head just below the thermostat housing. I'm surprised there isn't already a gauge fitted.

It is not drilled or taped out, which is what I am trying to avoid doing

[panky]

Very strange, what year is the car?

Not sure of the thread in the sandwich plate, they usually have the electric fan switch in there and were fitted to the 90's carb Cooper and MG Metro, but I'm sure you will find one to fit. I got a cheap gauge/sender kit off ebay for my Commer camper and sender 10mm thread looked similar to the sandwich plate one.

Edited by panky, 09 February 2020 - 11:54 AM.

[minicooperr]

I think I will just have to get the head drilled out and taped

[panky]

Is it definitely a blank casting? I've seen the sender hole blanked off with a hexagon headed plug on some A series engines (Morris Minor)

You can see the plug in this pic to the right under the thermostat housing

 

position  20141118_114311.jpg   61.17K   3 downloads

 

[JVA10L]

I have seen a thermostat housing with a temperature take off but I can't find it now.

 

(edit) found it, the part number is 12A408. Try a google search.

 

Specialist Component make a nice billet one with an M12 tapped hole.

 

MiniSport have a sandwich plate to fit under the standard housing.

Edited by JVA10L, 09 February 2020 - 01:53 PM.

[rossul.burn]

I've done just this on my spi

I didn't want to drill the head like you said, I had a spare thermostat sandwich plate. I drilled and tapped a 1/8th npt temp sender £5 off eBay and ran a cable through the firewall to water temp gauge in the dash. Retained all the OEM sensors for the ECU etc. The radiator sender which is in the bottom of the rad so this shouldn't affect anything.

Hope this helps

[panky]

Doesn't the SPI have a gauge as standard?

[rossul.burn]

Doesn't the SPI have a gauge as standard?

Yeah it does, not sure the reason behind OP wanting to fit one, but I had a spare one and thought it would be more accurate as the standard gauge indicator is quite thick and not the easiest to read

[panky]

I guess it takes it's signal from the ECU

[rossul.burn]

I imagine it does, my sensor was faulty and causing the car to run rich all the time as the ECU thought it was cold

[minicooperr]

I've done just this on my spi

I didn't want to drill the head like you said, I had a spare thermostat sandwich plate. I drilled and tapped a 1/8th npt temp sender £5 off eBay and ran a cable through the firewall to water temp gauge in the dash. Retained all the OEM sensors for the ECU etc. The radiator sender which is in the bottom of the rad so this shouldn't affect anything.

Hope this helps

Do you know what sender you used?

And for everyone else it’s a spi engine but running a hif44 carb in an older car, it’s doesn’t have the hexagonal bolt in it, just a hole but isn’t all the way through

[minicooperr]

Car has no ECU so I have no temp gauge currently anywhere which is why I was trying to get one fitted

[rossul.burn]

I've done just this on my spi

I didn't want to drill the head like you said, I had a spare thermostat sandwich plate. I drilled and tapped a 1/8th npt temp sender £5 off eBay and ran a cable through the firewall to water temp gauge in the dash. Retained all the OEM sensors for the ECU etc. The radiator sender which is in the bottom of the rad so this shouldn't affect anything.

Hope this helps

Do you know what sender you used?

And for everyone else it’s a spi engine but running a hif44 carb in an older car, it’s doesn’t have the hexagonal bolt in it, just a hole but isn’t all the way through

eBay listing 183770071531,I used a crimp to connect 18 gauge wire to it, routed it into the cabin then wired it up to a stack electric water temp gauge in place of the clock in the dashboard

My head was the same and I thought if it all goes wrong a sandwich plate is easier and cheaper to replace than a head!