I'm finally getting my 58 running and on the road. The temp gage reads too hot, probably more than it should as I am not having any overheat problems. I understand these can be quite far off. I have borrowed an IR temp sensor and would like to calibrate the gage which i understand can be done with a variable resistor. Does anyone know what resistance would be appropriate for this? As always thanks for any help.
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Re: C1 58 FI Temp Gage
Ken -
The procedure is relatively simple - insert a Radio Shack 0-100 ohm variable resistor (a/k/a volume control) between the sender wire and the sender terminal on the gauge, and turn the shaft until the gauge reading matches the I.R. gun reading. Then remove the variable resistor without disturbing the shaft, measure its resistance with a VOM, and that will tell you the resistance you need. This little $5.00 tool is also useful for trouble-shooting fuel gauge problems.
Note that the thermistor response curve in the sender is NOT linear, so the "re-calibrated" gauge with added fixed resistance in the circuit will ONLY be accurate at the calibration temperature, and will be inaccurate at higher temperatures (will read lower than actual temperature). You may be better off to just compare the I.R. gun reading with the gauge reading so you know what the gauge is really telling you and keep that difference in mind. "Shoot" the upper radiator hose just above the thermostat housing to get an accurate reading; reflective surfaces will give an inaccurate reading.
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Ken, I think I saw...
...an adjustable resistor item available for this exact purpose in the new Corvette Central C1 catalog I just received.Comment
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P/N 301290 *NM*
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Re: C1 58 FI Temp Gage
Thanks for the help everyone. I live kind of in the middle of nowhere (60 miles to the nearest Radio Shack). I do have a lot of electronic stuff lying around and probably have what I need, I just needed to know the resistance range to work in. Again, thanks for the good info.Comment
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