Water temp sensor vs. Begi spacer
 

Trying to fit this:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1311457077

Into this:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1311457077


Looks easy, right?


I have several ideas:

- Find a fitting that reduces the sensor
- Find someone to drill and tap the spacer for the sensor or for the close fitting (below)
- Do not mount the sensor in the spacer
- Sell both and give up

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1311457077
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1311457077

It fit on the red piece perfect, but was just a hair too large for the spacer. Really a bummer because it seemed like it was ideal.

Strangely enough, on the board below, the Female 1/2" fit the red piece, and the Male 3/8" fit the spacer. But when I find the exact piece I hoped exist, it does not work. :crx:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1311457077


If I enlarge a hole to fit the sensor, I'm guessing it may make contact with the thermostat. If this happens, is cutting the sensor shorter an option? Will it still work? Need to cover it with solder (or whatever the shiny stuff is)?

Here they are lined up:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1311457077



Suggestions?

Get a bung welded onto the ouside which will make the sensor sit a few mm into the coolant flow. That's what I did. No pix though sorry.

Drill and tap. if you know of any maw and paw hardware stores that are still around they can usually sell you a single tap. cheapest and easiest solution imo.

Take the red piece off the sensor, find a fitting that fits the blue piece (its going to be an inverted flare) then find the male (pipe thread) that fits the spacer. So you need a inverted flare x NPTF male pipe fitting. Ace or any local hardware store should have that. Or you could just go buy a 1/2" NPT tap (probably around $15 to $20 bucks from Ace) and you will need a 45/64" drill bit. I say check for fittings first. Because you could spend easily $40 on a drill and tap.

I guess I should ask, what size is the male fitting, is it 1/2 or 3/8 NPT? Judging by the first picture is looks as if it is 1/2" NPT. Also never cut into the probe, I did that once thinking I could solder it back together. I was wrong. Ruined my gauge.

Well, that was easy.

I went to ACE Hardware, and the guy found a piece that fits immediately.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1311635903


Can I / Should I use plumber's tape?

How about JB Weld? The new piece screws into the spacer smoothly, but as is, I think it may leak. It is not snug.

I will have to drill out the center of the new piece a little bit for the sensor to fit.



Thank you for the responses.

I meant find a fitting for the blue piece. But that will work, yes you will have to use some teflon tape. (plumbers tape) You will have to put it onto the red piece that threads into your new adapter and you will have to put it onto the adapter going into the spacer.

What I would do is take that back to Ace. Take your gauge and the spacer. Leave that red piece at home. And tell them you want a flare fitting (for the blue piece) to 1/2" NPT adapter. (that threads into your spacer) That way you dont have that extra spacer when you really dont need it.

Or you keep what you have, use the teflon tape and run it.

After going to Ace to see if I could find the fitting I was describing I couldn't. I have one sitting right here but I can't recall where I got it from. This is what you need:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ATM-2263/

Granted, what you have will work, it just looks big, bulky, and ugly to me. But its not my car.