drdrdaddeo

My 1985 Firebird 305 engine coolant sender unit (driver side head mounted) unit has a button type connector to the engine harness connector (single wire). It has been working well and the water temp guage has been accurate, but the sender is old and I'm rebuilding the engine and upgrading to an ECM free system. I would like to replace the old sender unit, but cannot find one anywhere. All the water temp sender units I've found linked to the 1985 305 have different connectors. Anyone know where to find a new SB water temp sender with the factory button connecter?

J91

Good question, having the same problem.....

b4ccamaro

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...5b8d49ec6ea034

drdrdaddeo

After several nights of on-line searching, I think I've located the identical coolant temperature guage sender unit for my 1985 Firebird. It is made by AC Delco (part number 213-80) and is even available from amazon.com: (http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-213-80.../dp/B000C9L7DI). I went as far as going to a GM dealership with my sensor in hand, to try and buy one but GM no longer makes it any more, nor did they even knew where to find one. They gave me a GM OEM #8993146 for my firebird which I googled and found references and pictures of its exact replacement, the AC Delco 213-80. It seems this delco sensor has been used in multiple GM applications between 1979 and 1992 including both as an engine coolent temperature guage sender and/or as an ECM temperature sensor for activation of radiator fans. It is the only sending unit that is a dead-on visual replica of the sending unit from my 1985 Firebird. Other on-line information suggests the same basic thermister comes with both the button connector (the Delco 213-80, which Amazon says doesn't fit in a 1985 Firebird....even though it does) and the blade connector (available through Summit Racing and Standard Motor Company both of whom do cross-reference the sender to many SB chevy's, including the 1985 5.0L Firebird....but clearly the blade connector won't work in my FB). Sort of like a scavenger hunt with misinformation isn't it. Also Kinda pricy (between 25 and 40 dollars), and I have no guarantee that it will accurately control the temperature guage just like the original, but I'm willing to bet it will. Any other experience with these unit?

84-Z28-Canada

I had a terrible time with these little senders. Mine was the same style, but when I bought the car (84 z28) my coolant gauge wasn't responding at all. Having a look at this little temp sender, my plastic connector (the wire connection) was burnt all to hell. SO I figure my sender is garbage, and I shop around only to discover the same problems that you guys ran into.
So my next stop is the scrap yard, where I picked up 2 or 3 of these senders and wire connectors. Put one of those guys in with a different connector, lo and behold the gauge responds, for about a day (talk about frustrating). I don't know where to go next, other than updating to the style they have said SHOULD be for this application (what they call the Pigtail style sender and connector). Any experience with this kind of swap guys?

drdrdaddeo

Did receive both acdelco 213-79 and acdelco 213-80 senders from different vendors. And in fact, they both look identical to the factory sender I took from my '85 firebird. Unfortunately at room temperature they both show lower impedence than my original sender. I guess I won't know which is correct (or if either really is) until I drop my engine back into the car and test them out under operating temperature. I'll post my findings when I do.

drdrdaddeo

For anyone interested, I've got my '85 FB's 305 running beautifully and the temperature sender unit described above seems to be working perfectly. Normal city driving shows operating temperature around 185 degrees. Funny thing though, is that when I drive on the interstate at sustained 70mph speeds (around 2400 RPM) my temperature guage will rise to about 230 degrees and stay there. If I slow to traffic speeds, temperature will slowly drop back to around 185. Interestingly, when the car is shut down after a highway run with the guage showing 230 degrees (mid-summer Mississippi), the engine is clearly quite hot but doesn't really seem overheated (no steam, hot smell etc.). I still haven't yet installed the front radiator air diverters so this may be having some impact here. Also, the factory radiator fan blade is original and possibly the clutch is spinning too freely at highway speeds. I'm planning to replace the factory fan "clutched" fan blade with a flex-blade which has no clutch and should keep spinning at highway speeds. Will see what happens.

J91

You need the air diverters and an airdam below the car, if you have an air dam make sure it is working properly and not all cracked, smashed and bent back, that will help your highway high temp problem...

drdrdaddeo

Thanks JP1,

I kinda figured that because the '85 doesn't have any laminar air flow directly into the radiator through all grill work. Unfortunately, my old air dams and diverters are pretty beat up and I'll need to replace them ASAP. Any suggestions as to where those parts can be purchased?

J91

The first place I would check would be Hawks Third Gen, they'll probably have it, also check the classified boards on here, somebody's got a parts car on here....

drdrdaddeo

Hawks, JEGs, Classic Industry, Rock Auto, Firebird Central etc. didn't stock em. The only place I saw them listed was at the NALY BUICK GM BRUNSWICK website (http://parts.nalleygmc.com/showAssem...ssembly=380303), part #10118484, (Deflector Radiator Air, $40.68). Was planning on ordering one, but after I installed a new flex radiator fan (O'Reilly..$32.00) with a 2 inch adapter (O'Reilly $4.00), and the stock three piece AIR DAM assembly (piece of cake to screw on), my 305 now runs completely cool (around 185 degrees) at all speeds, including sustained highway speeds......yea Air Dams! I did still have the old stock Deflector Radiator Air rubber piece but it was beat up with two serious tears in it. Rather than spend $50 on a new one, I repaired the old one using small pieces of flat sheet aluminum, heavy siliconed across the tear on the back side of the torn air deflector and held in place with C-clamps until dried. Some glossy black silicone across the front to fill/hide the tear line, and some wheel gloss to the front of the deflector, and the darned thing look nearly good as new. Only now its probably even stronger. Attached with the old factory #8 metal screws to the undercarriage factory long speed nuts (thank goodness I had the old ones as they're not available at auto parts stores) and I'm lookin good, and running cool. God I love these old firebirds! (P.S. the long speed nuts are readily available on-line and/or at local Fastener supply houses...about $1.50@).

OzCamaroz28

Hey all. I'm new to the site, writing all the way from Australia. I know this is an older thread but I've been digging around trying to find the exact answer I'm looking for but can't so figured I might as well just ask the question. I'll try to keep this short. I have an '85 Camaro 305 (carby not injected). I've had overheating issues for a while and ended up going all out and replacing the entire cooling system. 3 core Radiator, dual 12" fans, genuine GM water pump, hoses, thermostat, air dam... everything. Even after all that the gauge still slowly creeps up and the only thing left is the temp sender. My gut feeling is the sender has crapped out and giving a bad reading, I can't see a how it could still be overheating now. I bought the ACDelco 213-80 temp sender after reading this thread. I'd been looking for the right one for ages so I hope this is it. The current sender is in the intake manifold next to the thermostat housing, not in the block. Ideally I'd like to put the new sender in place of the old one but it's quite chunky compared to the old one and I might have clearance issues with the top radiator hose. My question, finally, is; can i put the sender in the thermostat housing? Will it give me a an accurate reading on the dash gauge? I figure if it's good enough for the ECM temp sender then it should be fine for the dash gauge temp sender...? The ECM is dead and the car runs off the carby so it frees up the hole in the thermostat housing. it would also be a lot easier compared to pulling the old sender out of the manifold, I can just leave it in there and bypass it. (New thermostat housing on the way too...)

Cheers

Nic

b4ccamaro

I dont see why not. You will have to run the wiring to the the new location though. And I dont think the CTS is your problem. I had to do major upgrades to the cooling system in order to make my issues go away. I wired in the cooling fans out of an 02 z28 and spent a ton of cash on a BE Cool radiator.

OzCamaroz28

Hey thanks for the reply. The wiring won't be an issue, I know the current wire will reach, it's a short trip from the current position to the thermostat housing. I pretty much decided I was going to do it anyways because it's the easiest thing to do for now and I'm tired of waiting but now I'm getting screwed around by the seller that is meant to be sending my new thermostat housing... (it never ends!) As I mentioned above, I replaced everything as far as cooling goes... I found a thread on this site for an aftermarket radiator and picked up one up from eBay (that's why I ended up signing up to this forum) + got new fans, pump, hoses, thermostat, the works... I'm convinced it's the sender now... I've read on here that they can give bad readings so it makes sense to get a new one...if that's not it... I'm really stumped...

OzCamaroz28

Success! Got everything hooked up and running tonight and I never saw anything north of 220... It was the sender, knew it had to be. Now for the suspension...