Please pardon our dust while we improve the website over the next few days.  If you need anything please feel free to call 616-301-2888 or email Mike.  Thank you!

Q & A: Temperature Gauge, V8 Conversion

Hello Mr. John Twist,

I have put a 1963 Buick 215 aluminum V8 in my 1980 MGB. I am trying to use the original temp gauge. My problem is that after running the engine for just several minutes the gauge goes over to HOT. I have tested the gauge by grounding it on a battery and it appears to be fine. I bought a new sender from Victoria British. Though the engine does not have a thermostat in, I did put a thermostat in without the guts for restriction. The car has not been rewired yet so the gauge is wired direct without the voltage stabilzer and black "thing" coming off the output/green wire side of the stabilzer.

My questions are: Where should the needle on the gauge be pointing at about 180 degrees? I know that the car is not running hot when the gauge is sitting on HOT because I put a digital temp probe on the temp sender and it reads about 180 degrees in addition to not being THAT hot to the touch of hand. Is my gauge bad? Or could I have a pocket of air trapped next to the sender instead of coolant covering it. What is the purpose of the voltage stabilzer? Will not using one change the reading on the fuel gauge or ruin a tach that I tried to convert to read 8 cylinder by installing a potentimeter?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. I am stumped as to what to do next.

Thanks, Dirk

Dirk!

The voltage stabilizer is an integral part of the gauge circuits -- without it the gauges will read considerably higher than they should. The stabilizer works much like a turn signal flasher, switching on and off. W... read more