I just finished swapping a 383 into my wife's(roxieshotrod) and I am having problems with the coolant temp gauge. I did a seach and gathered that i should have a dark green wire going to a sender on the driver's side head. I have a sensor in the intake manifold next to the t-stat housing that has 2 pins. One wire is yellow and one is black. i have determined that the black one is ground, but I can't find out why my gauge doesn't work. I left the computer in, i just unhooked the wires i didn't need.

thanks for any help, you guys are quite knowledgeable and searches have already answered a few of my questions.

 

The yellow & black wires are the CTS for the ECM. They have nothing to do with the gauge. Your computer will absolutely not work right if it doesn't know what the engine temp is, so hook that up.

Your temp gauge sender is in teh driver's side head, between #1 & #3 spark plugs. It gets a dark green wire. Make sure there's a working gauge sender installed, find the wire, hook it up, it will work. The gauge has no connection with the computer.

 

that is what i have been told, but there is no sender in the driver's side head. i will check again tomorrow, but i'm sure i never saw anything on the driver's side head. i switched over to a carb, so i don't need the computer. there must be something i am overlooking because the gauge worked before i took out the 305. thanks for the reply, i usually pay more attention to your posts and a few others than the rest.

ON a side note, a performer rpm WILL fit with the stock hood and a holley with the GM drop base air cleaner. i test fitted the one from my dad's '72 Corvette LT-1 and the hood fit no problem. with my spreadbore carb and the 1" adapter, there is quite a bit less room, but if i cut out a little of the hood structure, it will fit. i did close the hood with that setup, but the air cleaner was getting smashed somewhat.

 

i checked the 305 out tonite and i did find the sender for the gauge. now i have to find the wire that goes on there. i must have snapped it taking the motor out because i know i didn't disconnect it.

Thanks for the help, i will let you know what happens.

 

i found the original sender and the green wire so everything works fine. i took it out for a test drive today and everything went great except the power valve(s) are blown. i don't know if there are one or 2 because i am borrowing the carb. i think i will fix that tommorrow and take another test drive.