I just recently bought a 69 SS396. The car has the standard SS dash, and a previous owner installed ( very tastefully ) a tach and mechanical oil/temp gauges at the bottom of the dash. The oil gauge works but the temp doesn't. Could the problem be the temp sending switch on the motor or something else? I'm not good with electrical and have no experience w. aftermarket gauges http://www.chevelles.com/forum/confused.gif. As usual, all help is appreciated.

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Dan Orgill
" It's not the heat, it's the stupidity. "

Your in luck, the temp. gauge isn't electrical. The send unit transfers the heat from the block (or water) to the gauge. Wehre it expands a wound spring. The matterial just heats up & unwinds.

Your problem is one of three things. The sending unit in the block, the wire taht carries the heat is broken, the gauge is old and not a good brand.

Only bummer is these things are hard to do sepperate and usually comes as a kit.... So it's best to find the $15-$25 replacement that will match the oil unit.

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have now>>>>> am building
2.73 open 10bolt>>>>>>3.73 posi 12bolt
350>>>>396 w/nitrous
shooting for 12s in 1/4
college student budget!

If its a mechanical temp guage, it will have a tube filled with a gas running from the guage to the engine,instead of a wire which would indicate an electric guage..If you do have a mechanical guage, look for a kink or break in the tube. If the seal breaks it is worthless, as the gas escapes and the guage wont work.. I also had one of these fail on me after an engine overheated, didnt work again after that. I try to stick with electrical temp guages now.

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70 chevelle ss396 conv
66 chevelle ss396 hdp/conv
55 chevy prostreet
69/71 camaros