resistor for temp gauge

from what i read im guessing i need to add a resistor to the temp sending unit to get my gauge to quit pegging out.right now its pegged out at 170 deg.can any one tell me what kind to buy and where to get one.i know very little about cars.have been building bikes for the last 20 yrs.thanks

 

It would help to know what kind of gage you have, is it stock? if so, what kind of car is it?

What sending unit are you using?

 

I have a car with a problem, would putting on an electric fuel pump help?

Details, details, it's all in the details.

 

I would check the sending unit, if it is bad the gauge will peg as soon as voltage is applied, adding a resister will keep it from pegging but it won't read right. If it pegs after you have run the engine for a while check the water temr, 170 is low for a temp gauge. What thermostat are you running, the gauge might be correct but too low a scale.

 

sorry guys.i have a 59 biscayne with a 283.stock temp gauge.just replaced the sending unit with a ts6t. i have an electric fan.when i run it it pegs shortly after running it.i checked the temp with a temp gun at the sending unit and it read 170. when its cold out it takes longer to hit the h.from what ive read the new replacement parts dont always match up to what they were.i read if you put a resistor in there you can get it to read right.again this is my "first car".ive been building bikes for 20 years.needed something new.its to hard to pack a 2 and 4 year old on bikes and travel.my 4 yr old and i have been going to local cruise nights and he loves hot rods.my dad was into cars as he was a mechanic.so id like to get my boy into some of the stuff my dad did with me.Thanks

 

can anyone answer this and help me out?

 

TS6T the second T stands for Tru Tech, which is the "cheap" brand of Standard Ignition parts.

I've used the normal TS6 sender for years with the late 50s GM temp gages, they usually read so that 180 is about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way across the gage.

What resistance is the sender when the engine is at 170 degrees? just measure from the terminal to the outside of the sender, when the engine is warm.

spec is 368 ohms at 100 degrees, 80 ohms at 220 degrees. So you probably would need maybe 100 ohm resistor? or something in that range.

 

Test the sender and check the wiring. The first step is isolating the problem and correcting accordingly. Many sending units, straight out of the box, are incorrect or fail under load. Those gauges have connection issues as well, but clear the sender first.

 

One neat thing about those old chevies...no numbers on the gage, just C and H. So as long as you can get it to read something useful, like down low when it's cold, and up high when it's hot, you're fine. The gage in my 55 is the electric version from 56, and it reads right at H when the engine is pretty darn warm, but not hot enough to boil over. Works good for me.

 

k thanks guys ill check these things and get back.thanks again

 

Squirrel nailed it-have found that new senders have a different ohm value than orig ones. Found this when doing a couple of early vettes-these have numbers on the guage--installed resistors til it read right-seems like it was 12 or 15 ohms--can check as I still have some somewhere-the vette guys have a write up on this.

orig sender is 748 ohms @ 60 degrees-new ones I checked are 948 ohms at same temp-checked several orig and new ones I have-

 

Are you sure that the sender unit is for a guage and not a light (temp warning light)

 

If he got a TS6T sender, it's for a gage, not a light

 

still haven't checked this with a meter.what i did do was took an old fuel sending unit.hooked it up.when the sending unit was in the middle it was close to the h all the way one way it was pegged overr the h all the way the other way it was only a little under the h.my dad says it's the gauge.would you guys agree? i trust what my dad says.but he is getting pretty old and hasn't done alot of work on old cars for awhile,and he has had a few hard blows to the head

 

My dad and i had a hell of a time with his '65 Vette temp gauge. New gauge, new sending unit, and it read really hot. Put the original sending unit in and it worked like a champ! The new units suck pretty bad.

 

the new one i bought reads the same as the one i took out.might be getting a parts car hope that one has an original

 

Find a adjustable variable resistor, adjust to the proper setting that your looking for. Then take a reading of the variable resistor and replace it with a permanent one. Works for me!