My 1970 Corvette has a bare wire that attaches to the temp sending unit on the left side of the engine. Should there be a terminal or plug to attach it to the single pin that come out of the unit. Whoever owned the car just wrapped it around the pin. Where can I buy one to fit it? Thanks
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Re: C3 Temp Sending Unit
Don-----
I can assure you that it didn't come this way from the factory, but I know why it's that way now. Your 1970 was originally equipped with a pin terminal sending unit. This style unit was used for 1956 Corvettes and 68-71 Corvettes. That sounds like what you still have in there.
The wire connector for this sender was a push-on brass connector designed for use with the pin terminal. It had a "whitish" plastic insulator cover which was more-or-less "oval" in cross section and it fit rather loosly on the brass connector.
This is a VERY hard part to locate, even harder than the pin-style temp senders. I don't know if any of the reproduction companies offer one, or not. However, I'd suggest contacting Lectric Limited or M&H Electrical Fabricators. If they don't have it, no one will. In that case, you'll need to use an improvised connector. You should be able to make up a functional connector from Radio Shack available connectors or thoise you can find in an auto supply store.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: C3 Temp Sending Unit
Joe, Thanks for all the help. What would you recommend for this problem on a 1907 Corvette with wood (rotted) wheels? Just kidding, I thought that your comments on my 1907 wheel post was great. Thanks for all your help with my many problems.Comment
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I've seen two...
styles of pin-head temp sender mating connectors. The only one I've seen on original Corvette harness assys is a barrel shaped connector with translucent insulating hood. But, I will admit my universe of sampling for 'untouched' '68-71 Corvettes is pretty small (6-10).
On equivalent Chevy passenger cars from the era, equipped with temp gauge option (instead of 'idiot' light), I've seen a mixture of the barrel shaped connector and an alternative style that's more of an L-shape. I suspect there were alternate approved suppliers for the basic connector....
The L-shaped connector is what Eagle Wire uses on their harness assy's. Curiously, another member contacted me off-line saying he'd take delivery of a fresh Lectric Limited engine harness and it came WITHOUT a terminating connector on the temp sender lead! He contacted LL thinking this had to be a mistake and was told they did NOT have a mating connector except for the GM, 56-Series, slide units used for T-head senders in the 57-67 era.
This has got to be a JOKE because LL's website has a good deal of ballyhoo about their launch of 'correct' replacement AC temp senders. It indicates they did an exhaustive, multi-year, research project to recreate these temp senders. Now, does anyone know of a competent electrical engineering manager who would execute an R&D project to create a line of temp senders WITHOUT supplying/tooling a mating connector????????
Further, the off-line discussions moved on to M&H Fabricators. I was told they HAVE taken steps to tool a pin-head temp sender mating connector but the project isn't finished yet. Apparently, the plastic injection mold to re-create the connector's insulating hood is finished, but the terminating connector itself awaits first-sample submission from off-shore sources.
Sooooo, while this is all second hand info, it sounds like:
(1) Eagle has a solution today (whether or not it's Corvette factory concours correct or not, it fits/works and WAS used in the era).
(2) Lectric Limited does a great job of 'jawing' their products but appears to have a technology 'disconnect' at the drawing board.
(3) M&H Fabricators seems to be on the right track but isn't there yet--we probably owe them a vote of thanks for their technical due diligence; but let's wait and sample the product.
Last, WHAT have all these wiring harness suppliers been doing for the last umpteen years? I don't remember reading anyone's catalog and seeing BOLDFACE disclaimers that their engine wiring harness assy's for 68-71 are NOT fully factory concours correct/original..... In my book, if you're missing the factory original temp sender connector, then you've not got a correct reproduction harness!Comment
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Re: I've seen two...
Jack - at IBM we call the Lectric Limited approach line down...nothing would go out like that! Thx for all the great info....CraigComment
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