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Temperature sender

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longbridgehealey

longbridgehealey

Obi Wan
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I recently purchased a radiator for my Longbridge built BN4. It does not have the opening or fitting for the temperature sender. What are my options other than the two obvious ones, sending it back or going without....
 
Do you still have the gallery head? If so, changing to the later head is a third option.

Installing a tap into the thermostat housing might be a fourth option.

Installing a fitting into the upper radiator hose would be a fifth option. I have a temperature switch in my upper hose for the electric fan. Available from Amazon, but you would probably have to retap for the bulb threads.

I don't recommend going without.
 
I do have the gallery head. I’ll take a look at that possibility. Thanks, John
 
John, take a look at this...
 

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I suggest returning it and have your original one re-cored. Unless it was in an accident, the tanks are usually re-useable (and will have the correct original tags and temp gauge bung in the right location) and the modern core will be more efficient. This is very common work for most radiator shops.

Dave
 
Lesser of the evils I think. The frame of the original is bent quite a bit, probably past recoring.
 
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LBH - the fittings as John describes above are available in several different hose sizes and temp sender pipe thread sizes. If you decide to go that route, you'll probably be able to get what you want with careful shopping.
 
Thanks, Steve. You’re right, I’m already finding a variety of them. Tomorrow I’ll have to figure out the pipe thread size.
 
I doubt the threads on the temperature bulb are tapered pipe threads. If you haven't recycled the old radiator, maybe you can unsolder the temperature bulb fitting from it and solder it onto a short brass nipple that can be threaded into the new hose fitting.
 
Agree with John, tapered threads wouldn't work with how the tube nut seats against the bulb.
I wasn't able to measure mine, but based on the 5/8" wrench size, would guess it's a 1/4" BSPP thread, dimensions: .51" outside diameter, 19 tpi pitch.

EDIT: the adapter shown blow would have to incorporate a beveled seat for the bulb to seal against. It might have to have an insert.

If the bolt centers equaled those of the Healey, a riser would be an easy solution used with an NPT male to BSPP female adapter:

screenshot.2482.jpg


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screenshot.2483.jpg
 
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Best fix I have seen in a long time - good call. One to remember, thanks. Madflyer
 
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Danny, no tapping.
 
Steve, absolutely great solution, thanks yet again!
Larry
 
Along the lines of John's suggestion (post #10 above) - unsolder the bung from the old radiator and take it, along with the new radiator, to a radiator shop and have them drill a hole and install the bung in the stock location and then you don't need any of these adaptors - everything remains stock.

Dave
 
Well, all were absolutely great and doable solutions, thanks everybody. Ended up using Dave’s solution and having a radiator shop remove and install the bung in the new radiator. Everything’s back in place and on the road again. Just in the nick of time, because my wife just bought a pallet of flagstones and a yard of sand for me to build her a garden path. I see the garage time dwindling to a wee bit in the near future!’
Thanks again!
Larry
 
Just by coincidence after 2 weeks of Thermocure in the system, today my TR6's radiator sprung a leak. Later TR6s didn't come with a drain tap.

Local LBC-friendly radiator shop is installing a 1/4" NPT bung for the drain tap, and a 1/8" NPT bung for my electric fan thermo switch. He had these (brass) bungs in stock.
 
Thank goodness there are still local radiator shops.
 
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