'78 304 Auto Meter Temp sender install

[Turbogus]

Howdy all, greetings from Oregon, the shower me state.
Finally got my 2" Temp gauge installed in the dash with the help of an angle ring. Now I'm struggling with where to put the sender, the blub of which is 1/4".
As such it won't thread into the location of the electrical sender on this Edelbrock Performer manifold (3/8").
I'm flirting with the idea of using a NPT pipe bell reducer as suggested by a poster of the FUG (Ford User's Group) What does anyone make of this, wouldn't the additional height of this adapter pull the sender far enough out of the coolant flow to not provide accurate readings?

Thanks, and a lift of the lynch lid for any resonses.

 

[SteelHeadz]

Do not use the fitting for the electric sending unit hole. I just left the electric sending unit there to keep it plugged. On the pic is a water Jacket hole where i installed the mechanical sending unit with an adaptor.

 

[Turbogus]

WOW
Now I'm pretty sure when I searched for alternative access on my Performer manifold there was not a plug or boss behind the alternator. But now you've got me wanting to play hooky from work and head home to look at mine again! I'm sure that Edelbrock didn't change manifolds between the 304 and 360 unless like Chevy's 400 block there were additional cooling passages in the manifold and heads.
Just to be certain can you see your manifold's part no.?

 

[SteelHeadz]

It just says "Edelbrock Performer AMC", i didn't see any part number on it.

 

[Turbogus]

Hmmmm,
Well my garage isn't VERY well lit, I'm kinda half lit myself when I come draggin' in from work. This lunch I'm going to take another look and post pics if it is different from yours. Thanks again for your responses :drunk:

 

[SteelHeadz]

Your Welcome.

 

[Turbogus]

Hmmm, No wonder I couldn't spot the dang thing.

Now I have a NEW problem....
:bomb: It's hard to see in these photos but the pipe plug seems to have been screwed up long ago by pliers or vice grips. I tried clamping onto the nub myself but it won't budge, any ideas on how to extract this dang pipe plug?

 

[Turbogus]

Well, FINALLY got that d@mn pipe plug out of the manifold

First I tried clamping onto the square drive of this pipe plug but could instantly see that it was stripping the head of it so I backed off and tried a 'Gator Grip' socket from Sears

This friggen communist unit served to round out the square drive of the pipe plug!:x

So went to phase three and with an impact socket protecting the pipe plug I heated the manifold surrounding area with a high output heat gun 1000 f for several minutes

Then, with my 5 pound cross pien hammer,

I heavily beat one of these tapered bolt extractor sockets onto the (now rounded) head of the pipe plug

It slipped on the fist try so I wailed on the socket more forcefully and....

out she finally came.

Finally, a word to the wise, I highly reccomend the use of Permatex's "Never Sieze" before threading in things like this pipe plug, exhaust manifold bolts, etc. and it'll save much in the frustrations we don't need in the Jeep world.