I have seen radiator caps with temperture gauge in it. Has anyone tried them and if so are they worth getting

 

Just my opinion, I had one and thought it was a cheaply made piece of junk.

I also had a voltmeter that was the positive terminal of the battery. Kind of cool but like the temperature cap, what good is it really if you can't see it while you are driving. JMO

 

Have to agree. I spent $22 on the damn thin and it's not worth it. It's made by ThermoCap, and while it looks nice at a show if my hood is open, it's always at least 20 degrees colder than the actual coolant temp, as the little needle doesn't sit directly in the coolant.

 

In the '30s Morris motors in England had an indicator on the radiator cap, most cars had exposed radiators then. It wasn't much use as it couldn't be seen from the driving seat, in those days steam coming from the radiator was the best indicator of overheating, not unusual for the time if the car had been climbing a steep hill or had been driven hard.

Not only was it practically useless, it cost the company a lot of money fighting a patent lawsuit with another manufacturer who claimed to have invented it first.

Roger.

 

Not being able to read it is the obvious drawback. I just thought it would be another line of defence before the idiot light comes on. I have replaced the temp sending unit and know the idiot light is functional and I am very confident about all aspects of my cooling system. Glad to save 20 bucks. Thanks for the opinions

 

Good for troubleshooting, but an IR thermometer is better - you can read the temp from anywhere on the engine or anything really.
Forget the cap, get the IRT.

 

If you are concerned about the cooling system why not fit a quality aftermarket gauge & sender. One of my few gripes about American cars is a lot of them don't come a temperature gauge from the factory, I regard the idiot lights as something that lights up to tell you your engine has just been cooked. A gauge will give you some warning that all is not well.

Roger.

 

I have been thinking of putting a gauge in the car. I have been searching for a small design that I can easily install somewhere in the dash. My dash has a small removable panel that was designed to hold a clock in it. If I can get an LED type gauge and make it look professional I will do it.

 

If you find something suitable let me know please, I want to do the same in my '87 Delta 88 Royale.

Roger.

 

http://www.cartype.com/pages/347/boyce_motometer

Nothing new under the sun...

 

Great detail on those motormeters. I have seen others and the care they put into them was pure art. If you find one in a junk yard or an old farm they bring in a pretty penny.
Roger if I find something I will give you a shout. There is a shop near me that will mount any type of gauge in a small enclosure for dash boards. Most of his clients take out the old original dash and interior lighting and modernize it with LED...in other words pimp out the car. NOT my style but he may have the skills to do what I want.

 

Pimping out isn't for me either, I like any mods on my car to look like it left the factory that way.

Roger.

 

If the dash on your '87 looks anything at all like an '80-'84 Regency or Delta, then they have a gauge option that is in the panel surrounding the lower part of the steering column on both sides...

 

I have the full gauge assembly from a '79 Delta diesel, it won't fit without cutting up the dash which I want to avoid if possible.
Roger.

 

I am searching for a small water temp guage that I can make fit ( and look like it belongs) in the clock cut out on my dash. I have found so many companies out there...just a matter of time before I find one that I like. But again if I find a clock
for a 64 88 I might just install it instead. Funny thing, when we didn't have gauges
we didn't think much about them. After driving cars that tell you everything from water temp to a low tire you get a bit spoiled.
QUICK NOTE: I laugh everytime I start my car and the idiot light reads "COLD" !!