Guage question and then something fun to look at

[32 Chevy]

The original 56 ford temperature guage is a rare type and is not compatible with the factory sending unit in the 5.0 H.O engine. I cobbled a sending unit togther that sorta works occasionally but is not trustworthy. Somewhere I recall hearing about a company that can take an old style guage and modify it to work with a modern sender. But I have looked in the Rod mags and online search without finding who does it. Do any of you know the mystery guage modifier?

Segway to a different subject; You might remember my bragging about my son-in-law's first car project. He had never touched a tool in his life before meeting my daughter and sure did not know anything about cars except for where to put the gas. Imagine my surprise when I found out about his website. Check this out, and please sign his guestbook.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/803178

Cheers,

Dave R

[enjenjo]

United Speedomter are the people you are looking for. A man with your talent could do it himself though. Ford used basically the same gauges up to about 1980.

[Scrap Fe]

Dave,

Your son-in-law's car turned out far better than my first project and can probably be attributed to your guidance.  I have been helping a young man that works with my wife on a 1965 Mustang.  He is learning how to replace 1/4 panels over the Christmas holidays.

How is Kyle's truck coming along?  I haven't seen an update lately.

[blksheep]

Another place to check is Nichols Speedometer and Instrument Co. in Greensboro, NC.
Their web addy is www.speedchk.com      ph. 336-273-2881
Charlie Nichols and his crew are good people.

blksheep words of wisdom..."Don't use a 75mph violent wheel shake as a speed indicator"...
in Charlotte

[48builder]

Segway to a different subject; You might remember my bragging about my son-in-law's first car project. He had never touched a tool in his life before meeting my daughter and sure did not know anything about cars except for where to put the gas. Imagine my surprise when I found out about his website. Check this out, and please sign his guestbook.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/803178

Cheers,

Dave R

Don't have time to log in there to sign the guestbook, but tell your SOL that he has a great car. Now he has me thinking about using a tunnel ram in my '39 when I get ready to rebuild that. That's a really cool car.

[paul2748]

Do you have the 56 Ford sending unit?  You should be able to use it in the hole that the 5.0 uses, may need an adapter or bushing. As far as modifying the guage, try  www.williamsons

[Mr Cool]

Check this out, and please sign his guestbook.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/803178

I get the following message when I click on that link. Ive tried several times to no avail. I'll try again a bit later.

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[32 Chevy]

Do you have the 56 Ford sending unit?  You should be able to use it in the hole that the 5.0 uses, may need an adapter or bushing. As far as modifying the guage, try  www.williamsons

That is what I have been doing. The problem is that the original sensor is so long that it hits the interior of the intake manifold before the threaded part of the sensor contacts the female threads of the intake. So I made an adaptor with more threads to sleeve over the sender but again made another problem which is that the ground was not secure and gave a poor reading. I then tried the same thing and soldered the new threaded brass sleeve ove the sender which ruined the internal contacts. I have researched all the aftermarket sources for a shorter sender and there is nothing available. And the repop original length senders are $60 each.

Dave R

[paul2748]

Call up Williamson's and ask them about your problem.  They were  nice when I talked to them and if there is a solution I sure they can help.  All its gonna cost you is the price of the telephone call.

The 56 gauges were oddballs in that they were the only full 12 volt gauge Ford made until well up in the 1980's.  55, 57 and later were all 6 volt and used a voltage reducer.