Adding Temp sensor

[Mark_BX25D]

Just so you know, there is little to no room behind the freeze plug so do not drill the plugs to get them out,

That's another good reason to not try to put a sensor there. You'd have to have a really deep bung to accommodate the depth of the sensor.


This whole thing sounds like a solution in search of a problem. But if you are intent on doing it, research some temp sensor that is made for surface contact, instead of being immersed in the coolant.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

contact surface temperature sensor at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

 

[South 40]

That's another good reason to not try to put a sensor there. You'd have to have a really deep bung to accommodate the depth of the sensor.


This whole thing sounds like a solution in search of a problem. But if you are intent on doing it, research some temp sensor that is made for surface contact, instead of being immersed in the coolant.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

contact surface temperature sensor at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

Hi Mark,

First Thanks for the reply/response/suggestion, much appreciated.

Yes I am aware of just how long a bung/plug I would need to replace a freeze plug, but since I will be fabricating the bunk/plug anyway the length is not an issue, it just has to fit tight enough to stay put, but not tight enough to crack the head when put in place.

No it's not a solution in search of a problem.

I guess you would need to go through all the difference threads I have on my current project, but the bottom line here is I am adding power steering to my L1500DT, and in the process of doing that, I had to remove the mechanical fan and I also replaced to old radiator and will now be using an electric fan, and I don't want it to run non stop, but I also don't want to have to remember to turn it on when I need/should.

I have looked at the external sensors like you reference, and I am just not happy with the fact they are not as accurate and will not sense the "real" temp of the coolant, plus having something like that hanging out where the wire could get tangled, snagged, or somehow broken, pulled out, ect., (it's bad enough I will have to run and protect the fan wiring), we use this thing in some really nasty brush/tall grass at times, and constantly have to blow/wash out the pre-screen for the radiator allot.

I am also basically upgrading and improving/repairing allot of things on this old girl while I'm at it, this is just one piece of the puzzle, if I had not had to replace the mechanical fan with the electric I wouldn't even be concerned.

I will make this work, and work properly, all I am doing here is accessing a massive amount of brain power/experience such as yours, looking for the best possible solution/method to get done what I need/want to accomplish.

I am open to any and all suggestion, and ideas, and I do consider or factor in each and every one, nothing is lost on me, and you know the Orange power here will solve this problem for someone else down the road, as it does daily, .

Trust me 1 change leads to 10 others, the pics I end up posting will tell allot.

I know I can get pretty chatty/windy in me responses but I feel sometimes a more in-depth discussion helps to clarify the situation, perhaps not for the old Pros, but perhaps for someone new the the Orange world, of even other colors too, .

Cheers
Samantha

 

[85Hokie]

Hi Mark,

First Thanks for the reply/response/suggestion, much appreciated.

Yes I am aware of just how long a bung/plug I would need to replace a freeze plug, but since I will be fabricating the bunk/plug anyway the length is not an issue, it just has to fit tight enough to stay put, but not tight enough to crack the head when put in place.

No it's not a solution in search of a problem.

I guess you would need to go through all the difference threads I have on my current project, but the bottom line here is I am adding power steering to my L1500DT, and in the process of doing that, I had to remove the mechanical fan and I also replaced to old radiator and will now be using an electric fan, and I don't want it to run non stop, but I also don't want to have to remember to turn it on when I need/should.

I have looked at the external sensors like you reference, and I am just not happy with the fact they are not as accurate and will not sense the "real" temp of the coolant, plus having something like that hanging out where the wire could get tangled, snagged, or somehow broken, pulled out, ect., (it's bad enough I will have to run and protect the fan wiring), we use this thing in some really nasty brush/tall grass at times, and constantly have to blow/wash out the pre-screen for the radiator allot.

I am also basically upgrading and improving/repairing allot of things on this old girl while I'm at it, this is just one piece of the puzzle, if I had not had to replace the mechanical fan with the electric I wouldn't even be concerned.

I will make this work, and work properly, all I am doing here is accessing a massive amount of brain power/experience such as yours, looking for the best possible solution/method to get done what I need/want to accomplish.

I am open to any and all suggestion, and ideas, and I do consider or factor in each and every one, nothing is lost on me, and you know the Orange power here will solve this problem for someone else down the road, as it does daily, .

Trust me 1 change leads to 10 others, the pics I end up posting will tell allot.

I know I can get pretty chatty/windy in me responses but I feel sometimes a more in-depth discussion helps to clarify the situation, perhaps not for the old Pros, but perhaps for someone new the the Orange world, of even other colors too, .

Cheers
Samantha

So ........... with the new radiator, did the upper neck line up with the old hose?

Not to beat a dead horse - but there seems to be plenty of room in this hose to mount the sensor - really depends on the rotation of the sensor too.

What is the ID of the radiator hose?

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Hi Mark,

Yes I am aware of just how long a bung/plug I would need to replace a freeze plug, but since I will be fabricating the bunk/plug anyway the length is not an issue, it just has to fit tight enough to stay put, but not tight enough to crack the head when put in place.

Gotcha. I'm still skeptical of that location. It's going to stick out and be vulnerable, and if something got dropped on it (not that any of us have every dropped anything into an engine bay ), it might have enough leverage to crack out of the block. That would be ugly. Small probability, yes, but the severity of the damage would be off the charts. Not worth the risk, IMO. I like the radiator hose option better.

No it's not a solution in search of a problem.

I guess you would need to go through all the difference threads I have on my current project, but the bottom line here is I am adding power steering to my L1500DT, and in the process of doing that, I had to remove the mechanical fan and I also replaced to old radiator and will now be using an electric fan,

Yeah, makes sense now. Thanks for the background.

Trust me 1 change leads to 10 others, the pics I end up posting will tell allot.

Hee hee! Been there, and done that, and a few more times than I wanted to.

I know I can get pretty chatty/windy in me responses but I feel sometimes a more in-depth discussion helps to clarify the situation,

I agree! I'd rather over-communicate. More info means better answers and less wasted time.

 

[Henro]

Hi Mark,

No it's not a solution in search of a problem.

I guess you would need to go through all the difference threads I have on my current project, but the bottom line here is I am adding power steering to my L1500DT, and in the process of doing that, I had to remove the mechanical fan and I also replaced to old radiator and will now be using an electric fan,

Cheers
Samantha

Just thinking a bit outside the box, but another option might be to set up an external control, that would operate the electric fan for longer or shorter periods of time, according to ambient temperature.

Only trouble with this approach, would be calibrating the system. Which you could do using a hand held IR thermometer I suppose, if you were interested and energetic enough.

If the new fan/radiator is properly sized, it is unlikely you would want the fan to run all the time. And in sub freezing temps, you might want the fan not to run at all. In between, the fan would run more at higher temps, and less at lower temps...

Not sure this is practical, as I am not in tune with current cost for controls like this for hobby use.

Just mentioning this idea, as maybe more alternatives might be out there that are not being considered yet...

 

[South 40]

So ........... with the new radiator, did the upper neck line up with the old hose?

Not to beat a dead horse - but there seems to be plenty of room in this hose to mount the sensor - really depends on the rotation of the sensor too.

What is the ID of the radiator hose?

View attachment 79925

Hey 85Hokie,

First Thanks for the reply.

You are not beating a dead horse, the problem is I have failed to present the situation properly, (one drawback to having more than 1 thread), I will solve the presentation issue once I put it all back together again, (tore it all apart for 1 modification, and paint) and get some really decent pics so I can properly illustrate why some ideas won't work for me.

More on this thread later then.

Just thinking a bit outside the box, but another option might be to set up an external control, that would operate the electric fan for longer or shorter periods of time, according to ambient temperature.

Only trouble with this approach, would be calibrating the system. Which you could do using a hand held IR thermometer I suppose, if you were interested and energetic enough.

If the new fan/radiator is properly sized, it is unlikely you would want the fan to run all the time. And in sub freezing temps, you might want the fan not to run at all. In between, the fan would run more at higher temps, and less at lower temps...

Not sure this is practical, as I am not in tune with current cost for controls like this for hobby use.

Just mentioning this idea, as maybe more alternatives might be out there that are not being considered yet...

Hi Henro,

Thanks for the reply and idea,

This is something I honestly had not thought about, but will give it some serious thought and consideration, it sounds interesting.

Hmmmmmmmmm, very interesting idea/approach.

I love people that think outside the box, .

Not to offend anyone here, but the biggest problem with Engineers that design stuff is they are book smart, but rarely practice smart, (the books are not always right), sometimes you have to get your hands/nails dirty so you can "Clearly" see the issue/problem/task at hand.

Cheers
Samantha

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Not to offend anyone here, but the biggest problem with Engineers that design stuff is they are book smart, but rarely practice smart, (the books are not always right), sometimes you have to get your hands/nails dirty so you can "Clearly" see the issue/problem/task at hand.

I'm firmly convinced that engineers should be required to spend two years in the field as a technician before being allowed to design things.

And I am an engineer!

 

[Dieseldonato]

Ok so, I was chatting with my younger brother earlier today and get said how much he misses four wheeling and we should plan a trip up to Rausch creek. (Local orv park) this spiraled into I wish I still had my old f-150 it did so well blah blah blah. Then the answer kinda hit me in the head. Since I did the mud pit thing and lots of deep water crossing in that truck I ran electric fans. (Bad experience with the fan and a stick poking a hole in the radiator when crossing a "creek") I ended up using this thermo disk thing in the rad hose that was settable to an on and off temp to run the fans. It was pretty slick 15 years ago. I'm sure rheres something like it out today. I've came with a 3 position switch for off-on-automatic.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

therm-o-disks are used in clothes dryers, usually 2 or 3 of them. Should have the temperature stamped on them. you'll need a relay though to turn fan on when hot ...

 

[Dieseldonato]

It was just a little thing that we welded a bung on the inlet of the radiator and had 2 wires running to a box with a relay, a cut in cut out and a little harness that ran to the fans and battery. It was pretty easy set up. Thermo disk may not be what it was called. I got rid of the truck so long ago I'm sure there's something better by now. It was really simple and worked great.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

therm-o-disc is a product, kinda like saying 'xerox' for 'photocopy'..
They're simple, cheap and reliable....today an engineer would demand a digital sensor, microcomputer and 'software' with a $500 price tag...... In between , for $20 you can buy a 'module' to do it..

edit. curious was I..

Temperature Controller Digital Display Thermostat Module Temperature Control Switch Micro Temperature Control Board

Only US$3.59, buy best temperature controller digital display thermostat module temperature control switch micro temperature control board sale online store at wholesale price.

www.banggood.com

Only $6.50 CDN !!, saw another for less than $3 ! Need to add a 'control relay' for $2 though....

 

[Mark_BX25D]

I ended up using this thermo disk thing in the rad hose that was settable to an on and off temp to run the fans. It was pretty slick 15 years ago. I'm sure rheres something like it out today. I've came with a 3 position switch for off-on-automatic.

That's exactly the kind of thing I was recommending above. It's a surface mounted temp sensor. They work!

 

[Mark_BX25D]

I ended up using this thermo disk thing in the rad hose that was settable to an on and off temp to run the fans. It was pretty slick 15 years ago. I'm sure rheres something like it out today. I've came with a 3 position switch for off-on-automatic.

That's exactly the kind of thing I was recommending above. It's a surface mounted temp sensor. They work!

 

[Flintknapper]

Looking at my tractor yesterday I discovered a 'boss' on the Water Jacket/T-sat Housing....seemingly there for the addition of 'something'.

Pretty sure I will be able to drill and tap this area for the 1/8" NPT sensor that comes with the Temp Gauge I ordered. The sensor is only 1" long (electric, not mechanical).

While I would prefer to monitor the coolant temp at the head.....this is the next best thing.

 

[South 40]

Looking at my tractor yesterday I discovered a 'boss' on the Water Jacket/T-sat Housing....seemingly there for the addition of 'something'.

Pretty sure I will be able to drill and tap this area for the 1/8" NPT sensor that comes with the Temp Gauge I ordered. The sensor is only 1" long (electric, not mechanical).

While I would prefer to monitor the coolant temp at the head.....this is the next best thing.

View attachment 79973

Hey Flintknapper,

You are lucky, I wish mine was made like that, but I don't have a t-stat. Tours should be easy to do then.

I just find it hard to believe Kubota didn't put at least 1 threaded hole in the head of these thing with a plug.

You know as long as we have had ours, (29 yrs now) it never really dawned on me that there was no water pump on it, just goes to show how many times we've seen the whole front of the engine, lol.

Let me know how that works out for you.

Cheers
Samantha

 

[Bobsbait]

If there isn't a plug in the top of the head, your only other real choice is add a sensor in the top hose of the radiator.