Ferrari Mailing List: Re: 512TR temperature sending unit

[Larry Bard (larrybard]

Clyde,

First: a public apology from me.  I have been tied up, but intended to call.  (And knowing how busy you can be, I was going to send you a private message asking when it might be most convenient for you to speak to me this evening.)  Please believe me: no disrespect intended.  I know how helpful you have been -- including to me -- in the past.

In the past I have observed that the fans have come on once the temperature has come up (to around 195).  And the gauge has operated intermittently (a few minutes on, then a few minutes off, etc.) -- but when it has come on it has registered what appears to be the correct temperature.

Larry

P.S.  If you are still willing to talk and think it would likely be helpful, please let me know privately what specific time I can call you, either this evening or tomorrow.

---

Subject: Re: [Ferrari] 512TR temperature sending unit
From: clyderomerof4 [at] bellsouth.net
Date: Sat, 8 Aug 2015 16:47:26 -0400
CC: ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com
To: larrybard [at] hotmail.com

I asked you to call me because it's easier to explain this shit over the phone 

But Noooooo you will not call

Soooooo here we go

Ok start the car and warm it up

Wait until the fans come on

If the fans come on and cycle you already know it's not the temp sensor in the left radiator because that's where it is 

Have an IR gun ready and shoot the upper pipes for both sides

Record the reading 

It should be around 195 no more

If the cockpit gauges read the same you are ok

If not then most likely it's the temp sensor on the center water manifold under the coolant recovery tank

If it's that it would take around 4 hours to do a good job 

Nothing is easy with the engine in

Ted Rutlands has my old engine and a cockpit gauges as well as the temp sensor

Its all from my old car so I know it works

A good tech will charge no more the 8 hours because that's an all day job 

On a good day 

That's it

Call me next time 

Clyde Romero

If you have no enemies

You have no character ! 

In Victory you deserve Champagne

In Defeat You Need It!

If you obey all the rules

You miss all the fun !

On Aug 7, 2015, at 10:38 AM, Larry Bard <larrybard [at] hotmail.com> wrote:

Catching up with some month-long issues after being away for the last 30 days driving around the country (almost 9,000) miles with two friends -- in their Ford hybrid.  (Yeah, would have been a lot more fun in one of my cars, but they wouldn't have exactly gotten over 36 MPG.)

Anyway, just before I left my 1992 512TR went to a local, apparently competent, mechanic for its annual inspection.  Everything was fine -- except for (according to him) the temperature sending unit, and (also according to him) the gauge itself.  I had noticed that the last few times I had driven the car the gauge seemed to read normally, and then stopped registering at all.  On and off, typically for minutes at a time.  Cooling system seemed to be working okay (fans coming on when temperature reached about 195).

If I understood him correctly, the mechanic wants to charge me $350 for both (not each) a new "temperature sending unit" and replacement gauge, plus an additional $350 labor.  They would first replace the sending unit, and if the gauge then worked properly of course not replace the latter, but they said that based on their tests the gauge was not sweeping correctly.

I am almost undoubtedly one of the least mechanically knowledgeable people on this list, so please forgive the possibly naive questions, but:

• if indeed the sending unit is malfunctioning, I would have guessed that the gauge might well not also need replacement because it might be functioning properly, with the erratic readings solely attributable to the sending unit.  So what are the chances that the sending unit needs replacement, but not the gauge?  (Seems easy enough to do what they propose and change the sending unit first and then see if the gauge is working correctly before also replacing it; and if the mechanic were one of my regular trusted mechanics I wouldn't be wary.)
  
• Assuming, for the moment, that both the sending unit and gauge require replacement, $350 sounds to me to possibly be excessive parts cost and labor cost for replacing just the former (a quick search shows that a sending unit is apparently available from Rutlands for about $60 plus shipping), and possibly even for replacing both.  (All Ferrari Parts seems to sell gauges for $165. http://www.allferrariparts.com/147163.html )
  

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Larry

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