Aftermarket Water Temp Gauge

[billrigsby]

Has anyone installed a water temp gauge?
Where do you plumb the bulb?

I saw the thread for the oil pressure?

 

[D2Cat]

I installed an aftermarket water temp gauge on my L305.

I bought one and it worked for a short while. Bought another one that worked a tad longer but would finally swing all the way around so the needle was at the "a" in Water. Yep, about 320 deg swing.

Found a Caterpillar gauge I bought about 15 years ago. Still new in the box.

This engine has a tapped hole in the right rear of the head. Some heads have the gauge, some have the plug.

If you don't have a tapped hole you might have to go this route.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151918832786?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[85Hokie]

Been done many times......
Upper radiator hose is easiest in my opinion - unless you have a hole in your block that can be filled (Many have tapped the head in a certain spot to achieve)

 

[billrigsby]

I bought one and it worked for a short while. Bought another one that worked a tad longer but would finally swing all the way around so the needle was at the "a" in Water. Yep, about 320 deg swing.

Why do you think they failed, do you think it was the vibration?
Do you recall what brands they were?

I will check out the head, but I do like that radiator hose adapter, if I can't just screw one in.
I would almost think that measuring the water temperature in the head would be better?

 

[billrigsby]

Well I see where the plug should be, dang it

 

[D2Cat]

Bill, I think they failed because they are made in China junk! First one I got off of Ebay. It's still setting out there in a box. The second one I got from a Speed Shop in Nebraska, Omaha...I think.

Funny thing, I received a catalogue of all their products and I thought I'm not needing any of this speed stuff...I'm wasting trees! I gave them a call to get me off their mailing list. They had a brief conversation, and I told them I didn't have any race cars, but I worked on some tractors and had bought a temp. gauge from them...that's how I got on your list. They asked how the gauge was. I told them I removed it because the dial almost went full circle!

They refunded to my PayPal account the $29. I was really surprised.

The Cat gauge is made in the USA.

Some wouldn't like the Cat. gauge because it has colors, not numbers.

A little tid bit for you. When Caterpillar came out with their crawlers their oil pressure gauges had numbers (as we are now use to) but Cat used high volume, low pressure oil pumps so when pushing up/down hill the engine had good lubrication.

Many owners would complain to the dealer about the low oil pressure the gauge showed. Cat rebuilt many engines trying to make the customer happy. But the rebuilt engine made no difference to the gauge.

Finally, the idea came about to make the gauge to register a working zone and no numbers.

This is not the exact gauge I used, but it give you an idea of the face.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-OEM...170421?hash=item236dcf7f35:g:S8kAAOSwMVFXIQzY

 

[billrigsby]

I do kind of like that plain and simple, white green and red, probably too big for the housing I'm designing. I'm using the smaller 1.5 inch gauges, and yes they are the Chinese junk so we'll see how long they last.

 

[billrigsby]

If you don't have a tapped hole you might have to go this route.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151918832786?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I looked at these, no way it will fit in the upper hose,
and the lower hose will not give an accurate reading.

Any thoughts on one of these in the upper hose?

Seems the system is not pressurized so this should work?

Or drill and tap the head, is this the location?

 

[ehenry]

I would dearly love to put a temp gauge on my B7300 that has a D722 engine but danged if I can find a place to put the bulb. I'm hard of hearing and I know I wont hear the whistle if it ever starts blowing when the tractor and MMM are both running if it were to run hot.

 

[D2Cat]

Bill, 85Hokie is the resident B7100 temperature gauge expert. If he doesn't jump on here send him a PM.

How do you intend to put that fitting in the hose? Will it clamp in after you put a hole in the side of the hose?

 

[billrigsby]

How do you intend to put that fitting in the hose? Will it clamp in after you put a hole in the side of the hose?

Correct, A couple of large Stainless washers and the rubber hose should seal it!

 

[D2Cat]

Can you roll the washers, one to fit the inside and one to fit the outside diameters of the hose? That would give a lot more surface area to clamp together.

Keep an eye on it to see how it performs. Worst thing that happens is you have hose to replace if it doesn't work.

 

[85Hokie]

Bill, 85Hokie is the resident B7100 temperature gauge expert. If he doesn't jump on here send him a PM.

How do you intend to put that fitting in the hose? Will it clamp in after you put a hole in the side of the hose?

D2Cat - expert.....thanks, but O hell no.....I bought a NEW upper hose so I would have TWO chances of screwing up!!! Thanks for the shout out.

Bill,

this is the best $10 you can spend.....but there is a one problem, the threads are 1/8" NPT, finding a gauge is tough as hell with 1/8" sensor now for some reason,

I bought this :

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KYE842S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and drilled a very careful hole, forgot the exact size and then used the 3/8" npt brass adaptor and "threaded" the aluminum hosing. Worked like a charm.

The adaptor allows the "sensor bulb" to be pulled back a hair too - so the bulb does not hit the back side of the T adaptor.

this the gauge set that I bought too:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UM9X1EQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The hose "Way" is an easy out, there is NOT a lot of allowance for error as to where to cut - but it is not hard.

these pictures are from round one:

[/IMG]

 

[billrigsby]

My hose is half that tall and 2/3 shorter that will not fit.

Rather not drill/tap the head.


Bill Rigsby
Florissant CO

1972(?) KUBOTA L-1500-DT
Great Bend M10 48" Front End Loader
Brush Hog 48" "Squealer Mower"
Atlas 48" Landscape Box
Rhino 60" Rear Blade
Draw Bar with 2" Ball
28" Fork Lift Forks
36" Sears Snow Blower (still to be mounted to the front PTO)

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 using Tapatalk

 

[D2Cat]

No, I would not drill/tap the head either.

You could braze a fitting in the top of the radiator!

 

[billrigsby]

You could braze a fitting in the top of the radiator!

Yes another option, not sure the top would
Allow the bulb to hit coolant,
Worth a look.

 

[Alexisferos]

i have drill and tap the head of my 1501 without problems,
is a very strait forward job and easy.
the place that i had tap is the original place that kubota places the temp gauge.

why not to try it..
you can check it here and here

 

[85Hokie]

Bill,

shoot a picture of your hose please.

 

[billrigsby]

Can you roll the washers, one to fit the inside and one to fit the outside diameters of the hose? That would give a lot more surface area to clamp together.
Keep an eye on it to see how it performs. Worst thing that happens is you have hose to replace if it doesn't work.

Well the "Proof Of Concept" seems to work Okay ;


Used an older hose I had lying around, did not want to experiment with the Kubota one.
Need to move it up a bit, washer hits the non-thermostat housing and goes cock-eyed a bit.

With what I had in the shop could only get a washer on the inside.
The one on E-Bay is 1.5" in length, mine was .75"

Worked well box bladeing the drive, tomorrow we will do some mowing.
Temp only got to 190°

Bill,

shoot a picture of your hose please.

This is the "mini" hose, no room for an adapter ;

 

[85Hokie]

I looked at using it on my old hose, but it too seemed to have a longer radius, and it seemed impossible. The replacement hose was taller a bit and longer a bit, as if the radius was shortened at the bend. Believe me, I measured about 12 times before I cut the brand new hose!! AND used a very sharp knife then!

I think you'll find that when worked hard - your temps will get closer to 210.

If I run around and do light work, mine stays around 180 - then when MMM is in use, will hit 210 and hold.