CAN THIS BE RIGHT?

[paxton350]

Ok i got my new motor installed by this shop downtown and picked up the car today... very happy with the new tranny motor and exhaust.. However, the temp sensor on the dash is reading about 170 barely moving off the bottom, and i know LT1's run very hot... I looked at the temp sensor on the driver side head and apparently they tigged the hole where the sensor goes and ran the sensor INLINE on a smaller radiator hose... Why? I have noo clue but im sure as hell gonna ask them monday... Im afraid im not getting accurate temp readings because of this, the ses light has not come on so im not that sketched... So, the 170ish temp im reading on the dash is actually the coolant temp im assuming... DONT I WANT THE HEAD TEMP NOT THE COOLANT TEMP? Other than that the car runs awesome :O)

[Joe 1320]

Now that would tick me off. Why whould they weld it rather than put in a brass plug? makes me think bad things..........

get them to fix it. You want the temperature from the heads.

[1slo_camaro]

one good thing about all the LT1's i know about is that you have two ports for a temp sensor the pass side is right next to the dipstick and on the driver side just about the same spot. my major major suggestion would be go to a local autoparts store and put in a gauge under the hood. that is what im goin to do that away when im working on it i can keep an eye on my motor temp. but i would highly suggest doing that just so you can put some time on the motor untill monday if you want. good luck with that man

[sneitzel]

I don't always agree with manufacturers (car and otherwise) design things but I always give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they had a reason...

There is sure to be a reason GM decided to pull the temp from the head instead of somewhere else. Unless there is a compelling reason to change that I wouldn't.

Make them fix it. Period.

[Injuneer]

The coolant temp sensor in the head doesn't set an SES light. It's not connected to the PCM. It will turn on the dash "GAUGES" light, but only if the temperature goes into the red (high).

I have three different coolant temp sensors - the two stockers, and a third added to feed my stock PCM, since the one in the water pump housing is rewired to feed my MoTeC ECU. They all read about the same temperature. The third sensor is mounted in the coolant line returning from the back of the heads.

Put a scanner on it, and compare your PCM reading to the gauge reading. If they are the same, its working fine. If not, you need to move it to the threaded hole on the passenger side head - as mentioned in a post above.

But.... it makes no sense to weld up the stock head location. Definitely need to ask them why, anbd hope they have a rational explanation.