Coolant Temperature Sensor Question.

[ezysk]

This is more of a general tech question, but 3rd Gen. specific so I put it under the 3rd Gen. Section.

To make a long story short, I have an 86 Firebird Engine code H, with the good old 4BBL Carb., which happens to have a bad Coolant Temperature Sensor.

So I went to Murray’s and picked on up, got the old one off, then when I went to put the new one in, it was too big to thread in.

So I went back to Murray’s and looked up an alternate brand, same thing, it was too big.

I found this very strange so I looked up the Thermostat Housing on Napa’s website and found that for 86 there were two housings available. One for Canadian Emissions and the other for California Emissions and I pondered, I wonder if this original sensor is a metric thread of some type.

Any of you other 3rd Gen owners run across this problem?
If so, what was your solution?

[ITSSLOW]

I did with the 305 at first. Had to order a new sensor off ebay.

[CollinsAutomotive]

Sounds like 3/8 pipe or 1/4 pipe both sensors should have the same tranfers function and range so that shouldn't cuase trouble. Just tap the housing to 3/8 if the 1/4 thread isn't available.

This is more of a general tech question, but 3rd Gen. specific so I put it under the 3rd Gen. Section.

To make a long story short, I have an 86 Firebird Engine code H, with the good old 4BBL Carb., which happens to have a bad Coolant Temperature Sensor.

So I went to Murray’s and picked on up, got the old one off, then when I went to put the new one in, it was too big to thread in.

So I went back to Murray’s and looked up an alternate brand, same thing, it was too big.

I found this very strange so I looked up the Thermostat Housing on Napa’s website and found that for 86 there were two housings available. One for Canadian Emissions and the other for California Emissions and I pondered, I wonder if this original sensor is a metric thread of some type.

Any of you other 3rd Gen owners run across this problem?
If so, what was your solution?

[ezysk]

Sounds like 3/8 pipe or 1/4 pipe both sensors should have the same tranfers function and range so that shouldn't cuase trouble. Just tap the housing to 3/8 if the 1/4 thread isn't available.

That is what I was planing on doing, if I couldn't find the correct sensor.