Re: 54 Packard ignition switch / cylinder head temp gauge

Posted by HH56 On 2023/4/15 9:12:06

Classic is a reputable company and their products are decent quality. Not familiar with the Faria but if that is the one you are considering you might contact the vendor and explain the situation. See what they say about voltage requirements and if a converter would be needed. If so maybe they have one to recommend. There might be another question about the black face gauge though.

The proofreading on the writeup description and silkscreening on the black gauge face seems a bit lacking. Simple errors which are easy to see makes me wonder about how good a quality product it actually might be with things you cannot see. Believe the temp description in the writeup should say 60-220F and not the 120 printed. The temperature identifiers silk screened on the gauge face under TEMP identifies the Centigrade numbers in white and Fahrenheit in blue. That should be reversed because F is actually the white numbers.

The max 220 temp range might be a bit close for the head temp but if all is normal I think it could work. A bench test done by a poster on a 52 Packard sender and temp gauge has that combination maxing at about 220 degrees when the needle is pegged at the hot end. No idea how much warmer the aluminum could get over the flowing water temp but I would think if everything is normal and there is airflow over the head it should not go over about 200 in operation. I do think it would go higher when the engine was turned off after a hot run though. No idea if there would be a max temp the sender can withstand without damage.