Author |
Message |
IdahoDoug Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010 Posts: 10251 Location: N. Idaho
|
Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 9:18 pm Post subject: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
So, over the years it began to bug me I could not see the Van's oil pressure and I added a guage. Recently, it began to bother me that the water temp guage had always been erratic. So I added the water guage below a week ago and have enjoyed it so much I thought I'd pass along a "turn key" solution for others who've thought about a water temp guage.
The Guage on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JYXH96L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The water sensor mount on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D8V2MC9?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details
So the guage comes with the wiring and the threaded sensor but you purchase the sensor mount separately as they don't know what vehicle it's going on. Mounting the sensor was a breeze. Drop the spare, choose the hose bringing hot water TO the radiator, and make a cut all the way through. Slip this 38mm adapter in, tighten the clamps - done. Here's a photo:
(Edit: I am unable to upload photos - not sure why. Will try again later)
(Edit II: Still unable to upload photos. I used to be able to, they'd appear in "My Photos" and I could post them up. No idea why this has been the case for over a year. It's a 2MB photo against an 8MB max, and when I press "Submit" it tells me a successful upload happened and asks "do you want to return to the gallery...etc etc. So if there is a kind hearted person who can help - shoot me a PM and perhaps I'll get smarter)
The adapter is a work of art, and has a threaded hole that accepts the sensor probe, and you can even see in the photo there is a little allen set screw whose sold purpose is to mechanically lock the sensor in so it cannot unscrew. When I installed it, I used C clamps and little chunks of wood to pinch off the coolant, so I only lost a few ounces doing the job. Well worth avoiding a complete system drain and refill.
Then the guage. You'll need to run the sensor guage up into the dash. There is a grommet on the floor around the gas pedal that worked well and I pushed the connector up through it with some WD40 lubricating it and a screwdriver to push it up and through. First, lift the carpet and insulation. I placed a chunk of wood under the insulation so it was easy to feel I was through and up in the interior. Then I pulled it up through the dash with a wire. Mine simply comes out of the edge of the snap on binnacle cover next to the oil pressure guage wire that does the same thing. You'll need to find a ground, and switched power and that's it. Here, mine is temporarily hung on the ashtray as we are headed camping tomorrow but I'll secure it later:
So, I thought there may be others who'd tackle this but are stopped by not knowing what will work on the Vanagon, or what will fit, etc. This was a breeze - a 1 banana job.
The guage is cool in that you can set it to sound an alarm at a certain temp, and it retains the max temp and has some other features pretty nice for the price point. Now I can relax when driving hard, and also know my new radiator fan sensor is turning on and off at the correct points.
Cheers! _________________ 1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader
Last edited by IdahoDoug on Fri Jun 02, 2023 7:36 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top |
|
|
hdenter Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2008 Posts: 2754 Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
|
Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 10:51 pm Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
How long was the sensor wire? I love the idea of a better water temp gauge, but I think I would rather mount the sensor back on the motor or a hose just off of it so that I would have a more accurate reading in case of clogged radiator or failing water pump.. I like the warning feature...
Hans _________________ '79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jocoman Samba Member
Joined: August 11, 2016 Posts: 427 Location: Ottawa, Canada
|
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2023 5:09 am Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
Very Nice. Thank-you _________________ '86 Westfalia 2.0L Zetec
'97 Volvo 850 AWD Turbo
" The fun never stops" |
|
Back to top |
|
|
IdahoDoug Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010 Posts: 10251 Location: N. Idaho
|
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2023 7:47 am Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
Hans,
The sensor wire is plenty long to connect up at the radiator area as the guage comes with an extension also. I think I wrapped about 2 feet of excess. I thought about one at the engine also, but frankly it's a lot more trouble and the water from the engine arrives up front in mere seconds.
The scenario you describe of a clogged radiator is nearly impossible to contemplate how from one minute to the next it would clog and stop flowing. Long before that, you'd be seeing progressively higher and higher readings as whatever is clogging the radiator began restricting flow - alerting you it's time to replace We're talking over thousands of miles to accumulate accretions and deposits.
The same is true of a water pump. They don't catastrophically fail and stop pushing water. They die by having the bearings go and begin wobbling, taking out the shaft seal and leaking more and more.
A belt could come off, though - so I understand the placement on the engine itself would be optimal. You might contact the guage maker and see if they offer a longer extension. And since it's just a wire, it would not be rocket science to add on 15 feet of your own if handy with a soldering iron.
Cheers. _________________ 1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Sodo Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007 Posts: 9614 Location: Western WA
|
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2023 8:14 am Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
You'd wanna choose a location for the sender that doesn't get in the way of the spare tire.
And it you were gonna jam in a bigger spare in there someday...
===========
There are times I value a 2nd opinion... (and the 2nd temp location too).
I would be compelled to do this if I lost confidence in the VW gauge.
My MO would be to put a little tiny digital readout on a pigtail that I could pull out, (make visible).
....for the 2 weeks in the summertime.
But now that you have a 2nd guage I guess you will find out if your temp fluctuations are the gauge or the engine.
Fingers crossed it's the gauge! And that you can find that problem too.
========
I agree that a 2nd opinion is valuable for our costly antiques.
With the Subaru OBD2 this temp value appears on the ScanGuage screen.
Incidentally it has always validated that my VW gauge is consistent. _________________
'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb |
|
Back to top |
|
|
DuncanS Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013 Posts: 4583 Location: New Hampshire
|
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2023 8:26 am Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
IdahoDoug wrote: |
Hans,
...... a water pump. They don't catastrophically fail and stop pushing water. They die by having the bearings go and begin wobbling, taking out the shaft seal and leaking more and more.
|
I've had two fail catastrophically where the indication was steam coming out the DS engine vent which I happened to notice in the rearview. The OG temp gauge didn't give a warning, in either case.
Duncan |
|
Back to top |
|
|
skills@eurocarsplus Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007 Posts: 16879 Location: sticksville, ct.
|
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2023 8:41 am Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
IdahoDoug wrote: |
The same is true of a water pump. They don't catastrophically fail and stop pushing water. |
you haven't been driving long enough
I have seen impellers lose their press fit and slip or simply stop spinning all together.
I have also seen shafts break and the impeller is just laying in the block
even throwing a belt stops all water flow... _________________
gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
Jake Raby wrote: |
Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
Brian wrote: |
Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
4Gears4Tires Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2018 Posts: 3050 Location: MD
|
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2023 10:48 am Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
I have 2 of the water sensor mounts, 1 for in 1 for out, and they work really well.
However, make sure you use the grounding bolt to ground it to the chassis. The gauge will not read correctly trying to ground the coolant. _________________ '87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jimf909 Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014 Posts: 7473 Location: WA/ID
|
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2023 10:41 pm Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
4Gears4Tires wrote: |
I have 2 of the water sensor mounts, 1 for in 1 for out, and they work really well.
|
Is this 1 at the rad in and one at the rad out? What is the ongoing diagnostic that this provides? Rad effectiveness?
I like the data points but am not clear on why you're gathering it.
Thanks. _________________ - Jim
Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
|
Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
|
Back to top |
|
|
IdahoDoug Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010 Posts: 10251 Location: N. Idaho
|
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 11:40 am Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
Yeah, I guess you can't account for all situations. In my van, the temp guage has always been a useless fun house needle - pointing this way and that, and the red LED flashes from the moment I start it to the moment I shut down. I completely ignore it. So this has been a great help.
One negative on the guage is the red color is very dim and hard to see in the sunlight. So I don't have a guage I can glance at. I have to lean over, cup it with one hand, and still its a struggle. I will reconfirm connections, but at this time I can no longer recommend the guage for this reason. I may construct a deep black hood or something when I mount it permanently. _________________ 1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
|
Back to top |
|
|
4Gears4Tires Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2018 Posts: 3050 Location: MD
|
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 11:55 am Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
jimf909 wrote: |
4Gears4Tires wrote: |
I have 2 of the water sensor mounts, 1 for in 1 for out, and they work really well.
|
Is this 1 at the rad in and one at the rad out? What is the ongoing diagnostic that this provides? Rad effectiveness?
I like the data points but am not clear on why you're gathering it.
Thanks. |
Yeah. Making sure I am getting a temp drop and cooled coolant is making it's way back to the engine. _________________ '87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bobbyblack Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015 Posts: 4351 Location: United States, Iowa
|
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 1:51 pm Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
I like this!
Now, what Skills said about other failures makes me wonder if there is a "flow meter" we can put somewhere pre or post water pump, and then post thermostat. Maybe alarm if the flow stops on BOTH meters? That would be cool. Or I guess I mean it would be sure of cooling "action". _________________ '87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
|
Back to top |
|
|
DuncanS Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013 Posts: 4583 Location: New Hampshire
|
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2023 6:12 am Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
A working temperature gauge is a flow meter.
Duncan |
|
Back to top |
|
|
vanis13 Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2010 Posts: 3100 Location: ABQ NM USA.... Except when not
|
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2023 10:17 pm Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
Installed this for a friend in her 2.1. works well. resets alarm to 212F when ever battery is disconnected so I have to remind her to reset the alarm limit when she texts me that its beeping.
made and extension with 2-strand wire and these connectors which fit the connectors in this kit
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HXQL2CM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 _________________ 83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace
www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make |
|
Back to top |
|
|
the_benjamin_effect Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2010 Posts: 196 Location: Gateway to the North Cascades, Washington State
|
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2023 3:32 am Post subject: Re: $55 for a nice water temp guage for your Vanagon! |
|
|
I am genuinely curious on the thoughts of placing the sender closer to the engine block vs directly before entering the radiator. Will there be any thermal cooling in the ~10 feet of coolant lines from engine block exit to radiator inlet that falsely indicate a "cooler" running engine on the aftermarket gauge? Or is it so minuscule (<1*F) that we should not care?
I'm not aware of any "flow rate" of coolant under normal operating temperature and pressure conditions. If you have any thoughts, let me know.
Here is another option for those 2WD 2.1 folk: http://texasvanagons.com/adding-a-water-temp-sender/ _________________ -1967 Sundial Camper 1914cc "Sunny"
-1978 Deluxe Westfalia Jake Raby built PowerStroke 2109cc "Westy"
-1987 SYNCRO Westfalia GoWesty 2400cc "Ruby"
-2000 Subaru Impreza Sport EJ22 ¼ million miles "Trusty"
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. I.A.M. 751
International Brotherhood of Naval Flight Engineers. I.B.N.F.E. LOCAL 8251
My other ride has 18,400 horsepower! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|