HELP 3vze water / coolant temperature sensor
 

Alright, while doing the head gaskets I noticed the electrical lug for the temp sensor was broken off. So I ordered a new temp sensor. While I was torquing it in, the the resistance got higher and higher. I kept backing it out then going in farther each time until it snapped (it's brass - of course it snapped). So I removed it (using some back-out tools) and went to install the old one until ANOTHER one arrived. Well even that one is very difficult to thread in all the way. I looked, the threads in the manifold are not buggered up. But it looks like the threads on the sensor are tapered...is that possible? Anyone have any experience with these? HELP PLEASE !

What you are describing is pipe thread. Yes, it is possible, and very common. When you get the new one, wrap it with teflon tape, thread it in, and snug it down. Do not try to seat the sensor all the way, as you found out, it will shear off.

Good luck,

Mike

More trouble with water temp sensor
 

Hey, I was in the process of replacing my water temp sensor on a 22RE and could not get the new temp sensor to thread into the hole in the engine correctly. At first it had a lot of resistance so I backed it out, then tried to put the old one back in to see if the new sensor didn't have the right thread pitch. The old one also had a lot of resistance and now after playing around with both, neither will thread into the hole in the engine. Is the brass sensor really that delicate that I just ruined both sensors threads?

Should I just get a another temp sensor and gently thread it in as far as it can go or should I bother chasing the threads (M16 x 1.5 I believe?) with a tap and try and repair the threads on the sensor with a die?

Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks guys.

-Joe

I learned a lot about this topic. Yes, you could have easily damaged two. The threads taper, so you can never torque it until it is flush with the coolant manifold. Buy ANOTHER one (like I did). Torque it until barely tight. Then torque another 180 degrees and call it good. No need for teflon tape, the threads are brass and deform when you tighten them to form the seal. Good luck.