temp and oil gauge install question

[ctrain22]

I have a 68 400 and am thinking about installing a set of aftermarket temp and oil gauges. Not that I don't trust idiot lights, but.....I don't. I would like to keep the factory light setup and the mechanical set up. The oil pressure gauge is no prblem to install with a splitter for the sender and hose kit, but what about the temp sender? I have the factory sender in the passenger side manifold hole and the distibutor vacuum switch in the drivers side hole. Is there another place I could put an aftermarket sender for water temp? What suggestions do you all have?

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by ctrain22

I have a 68 400 and am thinking about installing a set of aftermarket temp and oil gauges. Not that I don't trust idiot lights, but.....I don't. I would like to keep the factory light setup and the mechanical set up. The oil pressure gauge is no prblem to install with a splitter for the sender and hose kit, but what about the temp sender? I have the factory sender in the passenger side manifold hole and the distibutor vacuum switch in the drivers side hole. Is there another place I could put an aftermarket sender for water temp? What suggestions do you all have?

Unfortunately, the temp sender needs to be in the coolant flow. You can get an aftermarket sleeve that goes in the upper radiator hose and provides a bung for the temp gauge.

[68conv455]

I'm confused. Doesn't the coolant flow split at the front of the engine? A quick look at the lumps on the intake manifold suggest that the left side would be coolant too because the intake runners can be identified with 4 per side coming from the carb.
What am I missing?

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by 68conv455

I'm confused. Doesn't the coolant flow split at the front of the engine? A quick look at the lumps on the intake manifold suggest that the left side would be coolant too because the intake runners can be identified with 4 per side coming from the carb.
What am I missing?

Not sure what you mean by "split", but the intake has a coolant crossover at the very front of the manifold. This is actually the coolant OUTLET, since the water flows into the block at the water pump and flows out to the radiator from the thermostat housing.

The problem in the original post is that there are not enough threaded bungs in that crossover to accommodate the TVS, the existing coolant sender, and the new one for the gauge. Oil pressure senders can be connected with a tee, but this does not work for coolant senders, which must be in the actual flow of coolant.