Big Blue Md

I need some help, before I go punching holes in water jackets, can any one tell me if the thing that looks like it could be a 2nd spot for the sending unit for the gauge that is next to the stock temp sender is actually that, or do I have to do something else to install my aftermarket water temp gauge.
Has anyone installed an aftermarket temp gauge on a 4.0 here.

illin

Wow...I thought all Mustangs had temp gauges. Was this a year thing or a Pony Package thing?

Weird that Ford would neglect to put a temp gauge in.

tx_zstang

I think he's asking for how to put in an aftermarket sensor and guage. You still MUST have the stock sensor in place so the computer knows how hot the engine coolant is.

I don't know the answer, though, to the original question as I've not added a different sensor for collant temp.

157dB

Not sure.
There has to be some port you can stuff with the sender.
Electric or mechanical temp guage?
My MSD DashHawk shows ECT in degrees and uses the stock senders.
Whatever parameters the PCM can read, I can see on the DashHawk.

Big Blue Md

Yes there is a gauge, but you cant do things like changing the operating temp of the engine by the stock gauge, and I bought a nice gauge to go in my gauge pod on the top of my dash, and you are correct, you have the leave the stock sensor hooked up for the computer, but I cant figure out where I can put the secondary one, oh yeah it's a mechanical gauge, I think they are more accurate.
So any way hopefully someone has done this and can help me, but thanks for the try.

tx_zstang

One thing I thought of, depending what year model is, you may have two small coolant hoses going to/from the throttle body, from near the passenger side valve cover. You could tap into that line (it's hoses) and put a sensor inline.
Those lines are typically modified to bypass the throttle body (lookup 'heated throttle body bypass'), and could provide a clean and independent place to put your sensor or tap in for a mechanical gauge.

illin

Wasnt that only on the 2005 TX?

I guess I am just confused as to what you are trying to accomplish. I am assuming you have a tuner no? Just gently adjust your fan operating temps and you can get that normal operating temp up a bit if you want. By default, seems as if most of the tuners turn the ECT way low and on max to prevent issues...but I had Doug raise mine a bit as I hate listening to the jet engine up front.

If you are looking for accurate readings for tuning purposes...use your tuner. I understand the gauge is an idiot gauge, but the numbers underneath or extremely accurate...not something you can duplicate with a mechanical device.

Big Blue Md

I have custom gauges that look cool, and I want to install them, the only one I have a problem with is the temp gauge, forget why I want them, I just do, but I need to know where to put the sender, as for adjusting the computer, I know how to do that.
Oh and I by past the throttle body heater a long time ago.

GrayPony

Adapter in the lower rad hose...]

tx_zstang

Good answer, lol! Perhaps a little snippy, but spot-on . You know what you want to do and need some advice. And that's cool!

Essentially, putting the sensor in the system somewhere is what you need, wherever and however that makes the most sense and is most reliable.
This is not something a lot of V6'ers have done apparently.

Please let us know what you eventually do, as I might do it someday. Although currently I use a OBDII interface to read the temps from the computer and display it digitally but not all the time.