Water level switch

JML55
JML55 Member
in "How To" - Skills, mechanical and other wise
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.

Comments

  • Toddh
    Toddh Member
    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
    bob ward Senior Contributor
    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
    JML55 Member
    Anyone has a water level switch for sale?
  • JML55
    JML55 Member
    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
    Toddh Member

  • JML55
    JML55 Member
    thanks
  • tigermoth
    tigermoth Expert Adviser
    It is easier to get hens teeth. In 20 yrs of ownership I have only heard mention of ONE trading hands.

    regards, Tom 
  • Toddh
    Toddh Member
    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
    Old Fogey UK Expert Adviser
    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
    35Terra Senior Contributor
    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
    Toddh Member
    edited September 2021
    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
    barrysweet52 Expert Adviser
    Try ozhudsonatgmail.com for water level sender
  • tigermoth
    tigermoth Expert Adviser
    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

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