Temperature Gauge

torbinho

leckomio...
The temperature gauge on my '79 is broken (if have checked the sender unit, it's fine and I grounded the wire at the sender). Can the temperature gauge be replaced or do I have to replace the whole cluster? I have a whole new used cluster coming from an '81 that I might use as a donor. Couldn't find anything in the archive on this topic. Anyone done this before? If the switch of the temperature gauge is too complicated te be replaced, could I swap out the whole cluster? If, so does the '81 cluster fit the '79? If so, is it still a "plug & play" even though the tachometer on the '81 is the counterclockwise version?
 
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I realize you are asking about replacing the gauge, but before you go through that....
A reminder to double check the wire and all connections at both ends. As you know the sender works by grounding the signal, and grounds are notorious for problems on the X. Plus the wire itself can erode internally. Perhaps the easiest way to check is to use a long jumper wire and verify continuity from the sender connector to the gauge connector. You can also ground the wire going into the gauge to see if the needle jumps (if you haven't already done all this). ;)
 
The coolant thermometer can be replaced by itself and, aside from possible differences in the dial graphics, they are interchangeable between model years. That said, the gauges are quite reliable, and I would suspect the wiring between the sender and the gauge before suspecting the gauge itself.
 
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