kylextrisler

I bought my truck a little over a month ago and decided to clean the engine block off to see if there is any leaking oil, when I was finishing up I accidentally ripped a wire from its connector and it doesnt look like i can just reapply it
Im gonna head to the auto parts store (to buy a chilton as well as some other little repairs i wanna make) and figured i should try to replace the wire and connector but need help Identifying what i tore
its located under the air filter right next to the carb, the part its attached to has a hose from the radiator, im assuming it is for a temp gauge but to be honest thats a wild guess
the pics below show (hopefully) the cable and the green connector its supposed to be attached to and the cluster that the wire comes from
the truck starts fine and im assuming its not something that is a mandatory fix tonight, but loose wires rattling around leaves me uneasy
thanks for any help you guys

Forgot to state 1981 2wd p/u 22r

83pingpong

Did it run... and still run? That looks like a sensor it was (?) connected to. Any indication of gauge failure or change in dash/warning lights on or off after the incident?

kylextrisler

No, everything works fine, temp/fuel gauges are reading, all the lights still work, all the lights in the dash seem to work (idk if the oil one does, as the oil is new and topped off). I drove it maybe 2 miles, stopped and started it drove it back home, and everything is okay. Was gonna go see if I can find a replacement at the junk yard tomorrow but otherwise it doesnt seem to be and issue

83pingpong

Problem? Whot problem ? I wouldn't necessarily spend any money just yet!

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

If it is attached to the intake manifold (which is what it looks like) it is either a vacuum switch or some sort of emissions sending unit. Unless you have emissions in your state, I wouldn't worry about it. In fact, I just plugged all the sensor and vacuum port holes in my manifold earlier tonight. I'm working on a rebuild that will have absolutely no smog equipment on it when I'm done. I've got a rebuild thread going in this forum section if you want to scope it out. I'll be posting pics of the plugged manifold tomorrow.

If you really want to know what that wire goes to, get yourself a FSM and check out the emissions and electrical diagrams. Chiltons is garbage. There's a link on here somewhere for FSM links. The FSM year doesn't really matter much as long as you're just looking at the motor and drive train in some cases - I have an 83 and I use a 85 found here:

http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/1985/1985FSM.pdf

If it's a single wire then I'd be willing to bet that it us some sort of sending unit. Chances are, the wire runs back to the emissions computer which tells something else to do something. Emissions on a 30 year truck usually stop working properly 15 years ago anyway.

kylextrisler

Yeah, up in oregon we have smog, but idk the ins and outs of it all, my truck was smogged shortly before I purchased it, Id like to learn more about it so I know what I can take off the engine, the criss cross of wires are an eye sore,
thanks for all the input 86 & Kawa
btw kawa that engine build is damn awesome, i hope someday to get the opportunity to clean up a 22r like that

suncomb1

If you have A/ C, it is the water temperature sensor wire that goes to the relay mounted on the passenger side Dash / Kick panel. The relay allows the A/C compressor to operate after you reach normal engine temperature. If you do not have A/C then it is a temperature sensor input wire for your ECM.

UPS

Ok suncomb1 I have a 1980 - 48 state 4wd with 2 sensors, 1 on the intake for the gauge, the other on the thermostat housing. My truck had a/c which I took off. The sensor on the thermo has a single green wire like Kyle's. Do you think it's for the a/c thermo switch? I want to use a "wet" switch for an electric fan and if this is now excess it would be perfect.

suncomb1

The wire on the thermostat housing should be the thermo switch wire to your ECM. I had a 1979, 1981 and my 1983 Toyota truck. All of them had A/C and all of the A/C thermo switch sensors were located on the head, behind the intake manifold. I run a wet sensor for my electric fan and it is installed in the thermostat housing waterneck.

UPS

Thanks, I'll look there. I have a stick switch now that rests on the back of the radiator and iiI don't trust it.

UPS

Sunomb1, I checked my truck and saw where there is the oil pressure sensor next to the filter and I guess the temp gauge sensor above and behind it on the passenger side of the block. Looking at Kyle's first pic, I have the brass sensor that is on the right of the thermostat housing in the same place as his, mine has a Yellow/green stripe wire on it The sensor with the green connector and green wire is located on the thermo outlet.
The question is, is the brass sensor the one for the a/c?
I gotta get an FSM. If I wasn't so damn cheap!

suncomb1

The Yellow / Green wire goes to your water temperature gauge and the Green wire is from your Thermo Switch and goes to your ECM. If you have A/C, the Thermo Switch should be mounted on a little block that is mounted to the head located about halfway up the passenger side of the head and between the intake manifold runners. The wire, I believe, should be black that goes to the A/C Thermo Switch.

UPS

I've spent a while looking for that switch on my truck and couldn't find it. I've done searches here on yotatech and on pirate 4x4 and can't find anything on the a/c temp switch.
My truck has the switch with the green wire & plug on the thermostat housing, the brass sensor next to the T-stat housing and a Vacuum "switch" behind the T-stat housing.
Can anybody give me a picture or better Idea of where the a/c switch is?
This truck was first sold in Arizona if that makes a difference.

suncomb1

Should be a FED Emissions truck same as mine. Check your passenger side upper kick panel / dash and see if you can find the A/C thermo relay. It is round and mounted in a plastic holder. Check the color coding on the wires going to the relay and let me know what they are. The A/C thermo switch could be mounted somewhere on the thermostat housing, again the wire is installed in a White single pole connector and my wire is Black.