Water level switch

JML55

Hi, im working on a 1935 Terraplane that someone else had started restoring a few years ago. I notice it has a water level indicator in the dash but i can't find the water level switch. does anyone has a picture of what the water level switch looks like and its location. also can i replace the level switch for a temp switch, would it work with the water level gauge or will i need to run a separate temp gauge.

Toddh

If you have your original radiator, the sender unit is right below the filler.  The sender is identical to your fuel tank sender but with a shorter arm to suit the radiator top tank.  There should be an single armored 14ga wire from the sender to your gauge.  Be careful with your senders and gauges.  They use a heated wire schema and applying a full 6 volts will fry them.  

I had my senders and gauges checked and calibrated by Bob’s Speedometer in Howell, Michigan.  

Todd H
Winchester VA

bob ward

If you are careful with the ohm range of your temperature sender you can use the water level gauge as a crude temp gauge. 

JML55

Anyone has a water level switch for sale?

JML55

Toddh said:

If you have your original radiator, the sender unit is right below the filler.  The sender is identical to your fuel tank sender but with a shorter arm to suit the radiator top tank.  There should be an single armored 14ga wire from the sender to your gauge.  Be careful with your senders and gauges.  They use a heated wire schema and applying a full 6 volts will fry them.  

I had my senders and gauges checked and calibrated by Bob’s Speedometer in Howell, Michigan.  

Todd H
Winchester VA

Do you have a picture of what the sender looks like?

Toddh

JML55

thanks

tigermoth

It is easier to get hens teeth. In 20 yrs of ownership I have only heard mention of ONE trading hands.

regards, Tom 

Toddh

tigermoth said:

It is easier to get hens teeth. In 20 yrs of ownership I have only heard mention of ONE trading hands.

regards, Tom 

Agree.  I was fortunate to secure one last year. Same with the butterfly bypass radiator thermostat.  For what it’s worth, the gas tank and water level senders are the same except for the float arm.  

Old Fogey UK

Mine was missing when I got the car.
 I haven't bothered trying to replace it (where the heck would you find one ?), I just take the rad cap off every now and then and take a look inside - that gives a truly accurate reading !

35Terra

My fuel sender looked very similar to your water gauge. When my fuel sender gave out after 86 years i bought a universal sender (73-10 Ohm) from Tanks Inc. Price was right at $35. Had to open the tank hole slightly but it fit and worked fine. Might be able to use if for water. 

Toddh

Yes you should be able to use that by shortening the float rod and the body.  Be careful with the gauge, they use a heater element in the gauge and sender units.  There’s a good description of them in the one of the 1935 service bulletins available on Alex Burr’s Tech site

barrysweet52

Try ozhudsonatgmail.com for water level sender

tigermoth

Years ago I thought I was being clever.. I had a rotted water level sender, but a good fuel level sender. I thought I can drop a Ford replacement sender in the gas tank and put the working sender in the radiator with the correct arm..my thought was everything would work and no one would see the the fuel sender. Turns out the Ford, for reasons stated above regarding the king/sealey system, won’t work. I pulled the working sender from the radiator and made a blanking plate for the now empty hole in the radiator fixture. 

I plan on sending my bits to whole instrument for repair and recalibration.
regards, Tom