I need to make the sierra temperature gauge, in my mates
kit work with a zetec thermostat housing.

My question is this, will a zetec sender unit work if i wire the
signal to the dash and ground the otherside of the plug?

Alternatively will it work if i can ground the body on the pinto
sender unit?

As always,i am indebted to the help of the masses.

Andy

Sender and gauge have to be matched so both would work electrically but using the sierra sender will give an accurate reading whereas the zetec one probably will not.

Cheers Dusty,That has confirmed what i thought.
So being that the zetec thermostat housing is plastic and
the sender isnt screwed into an earth,can i just earth the
pinto sender to get a signal to the gauge?

Andy

compatibility for senders is largely just about getting the senders resistance right, there is too much store put in temp gauges to be honest. They are useful as guides only. so long as it gives a reading then see where it settles down in normal running and judge from there IT DOES NOT have to read in the middle of the scale to show "normal" running temp;
I had a customer come into the garage where i worked with a "car that is always over heating" a quick check with a thermometer showed it was running perfectly, he absolutely insisted that we "Sort out " the overheating even when we showed him that his car was not over heating at all. he was convinced that because the gauge said it was running hot that it therefore meant it was over heating!
We just bought a selection of senders for various cars and tried them one by one until the gauge read "normal" he was absolutely convinced we had changed something like a radiator to cure the problem and wouldn't charge him because we were embarrassed about our inability to find the problem.....Doughnut.

Thanks Snowy,i will give the senders i have a go
And see if i can get it to read 'normal'

Tbh i am pretty sure that it is running at normal temperature as the engine
runs and the fan cuts in and out as normal.
Plus the engine and all the gubbins were in my car and it
all worked perfectly in there.

Andy.

Andy, the sender in the top of the thermo housing isnt for the gauge its a sender for the ECU.....

I used the existing zetec sender on a smiths 2" gauge and it works a treat. As said it is located in the side of the housing not on top.

Aye lads,its the one under the 32mm hose i am using.
1/8 npt thread,the pinto sender is the same thread but
it isnt earthed with the housing being plastic.
That is my main question,if i earth the sensor
i should then get a signal output to the
gauge?

Andy