Adding Gauges to my 300L

[Sport Fury 67]

Hi John. Could you tell us where you mount the fittings to the engine for the oil pressure tubing and the bulb sensor for the water temperature? From the Autogauge instructions, it appears you would remove the "factory" sensors and replace them with fittings that would bush down - reduce the opening to allow for the connections to the gauge package sensors. The electrical connections are easy. In your experience - installation, did you tee off - stack fittings off the sensor in the block for the oil pressure tubing? Also, where do you find a location for the gauge package engine water temperature sensing bulb? Thanks

 

[Big_John]

Hi John. Could you tell us where you mount the fittings to the engine for the oil pressure tubing and the bulb sensor for the water temperature? From the Autogauge instructions, it appears you would remove the "factory" sensors and replace them with fittings that would bush down - reduce the opening to allow for the connections to the gauge package sensors. The electrical connections are easy. In your experience - installation, did you tee off - stack fittings off the sensor in the block for the oil pressure tubing? Also, where do you find a location for the gauge package engine water temperature sensing bulb? Thanks

I mounted the sender for the oil pressure gauge in the back of the block. If you look, there's another plugged hole on the opposite side from the factory sender. That hole runs right into the same oil passage as the factory sender. This is for a big block.

For a small block, there's only one hole and I've used a brass tee or a street L and just used both the light sender and the gauge sender. I don't have a pic of the sender and tee assembled, but here's one of the 273 block in my garage that shows the hole and a pic of the street L I used.

For the water temperature sender, this is the location I used for my '65 300L 413 engine.

and for the '70 300 440 engine, the sender is in a different spot.

I don't have a good location for a small block water temp sender. I use the factory gauge in my Barracuda, so no need.

 

[Sport Fury 67]

Thank you John. I too noticed that plugged hole on the block of my 383 and was considering using it. The water temp sensor location is a big help.

 

[fury fan]

... and the bulb sensor for the water temperature? ... Also, where do you find a location for the gauge package engine water temperature sensing bulb? Thanks

'Bulb'. Are you installing mechanical gauges? If so, the water temp locations @Big_John John showed won't help, those are 1/8-27 NPT. You'll need a 1/4" NPT, or maybe 3/8, for a mechanical gauge. Those locations are in various locations on bigblock waterhousings depending on the year, but IIRC they are usually near the heater hose fittings.