To those who have installed a temp gauge...

[pago cruiser]

Now that temps have stabilized at 110F  , time to get ready for our annual Hack trip back east.
Last trip a failed water pump cooked our GL1200 Hack; wouil dlike to get a temp gauge installed, that has been sitting in the parts box for too long...

 
Anybody have a hard time sealing the sending unit to the adapter?

Have the "Glowshift" adapter, with 1/8" NPT threads.
Have a KOSO digital thermometer, with 1/8" sensor pipe threads.
The KOSO sensor screws all the way into the Glowshift adapter.  Doubtful it will seal.
Unless I maybe put a crush or sealing washer on it, as shown.



Anybody fought this battle and won?  Other than
1) Grinding off the adapter anodizing, welding up the hole, and tapping 1/8" pipe threads, or
2) finding a new adapter with real pipe threads?

I've already got the gauge, and it matches the voltmeter; so I'd rather not buy a new gauge.

TIA

[oldsmokey]

So the original thread went too deep? can't benefit from the tapper? Blue Monster thread sealant is good stuff. Maybe thread tape. Guess it depends on how sloppy the threads are No real pressure in the system it might work.

[pago cruiser]

Correction. 
The KOSO sensor is NOT pipe threads, as can be seen by the next pic.


That said, real 1/8" pipe fittings screw into the adapter almost to the root; way deeper than a 1/8" pipe male to female connection would be.  Guess they just machined the adapter to allow more threads of a pipe fitting to be engaged.  Odd though.  I've never seen a pipe fitting ...almost... bottom out.

Yea, I know it ...might work.  But I was looking for a response where this actually worked...  I've been burnt before by trying to jury-rig (there's a word not heard much anymore...) something, it works for a bit and then fails leaving you stranded on the side of the road in BFE.

I'm now thinking of tapping the adapter out to 1/4" pipe, then finding a 1/4" pipe to 1/8" BSP adapter.  I think I've determined that this (BSP) is the thread type on the sensor. 

Why is this such a pita???  What's wrong with pipe threads???

 

[sandy]

I wish it was ONLY 110 here in Mesa. Today is 112 and 115 tomorrow.

[sandy]

You might try an O ring that fits in the non threaded groove under the hex head. Spec it for heat (viton/silicone) and don't over tighten it. Cooling systems are under 15 PSI as you probably know.

[John Schmidt]

I've had that type of adapter on my Valk for at least 10-12 yrs. with no trouble. Mounted it in the upper radiator hose where it goes horizontal before hooking to the radiator. You can use just about any good sealer since the smaller hole shown is for a grounding wire attachment. I've never had a leak....so far.    I used an Autometer C2 gauge on mine.

[Cracker Jack]

This would be a "one shot" deal and future removal would not be possible. JB Weld on the threads would seal for sure. If you decide to do it this way, just paint the upper two thirds of the sensor threads and screw it into the adapter, just finger tight would be plenty tight if the sensor screws in freely.

I'd make sure the gage/sensor is working properly before doing it.

I don't see any provisions for grounding the adapter. Maybe the sensor cable carries the ground. If the adapter needs grounding, make surer provisions are made. The rubber hose ain't gonna take care of it.


Revision
I see John has already mentioned some of my concerns. I see now the grounding provision on the adapter.





This

[Blackduck]

Pipe sealant on the threads plus the washer should work fine.
Other than that plug the current 1/8 NPT and drill and tap the correct thread on another side,  you will still need a sealing washer or cut a taper at the start of the threads and use an O ring.
Cheers Steve

[Bagger John - #3785]

On two of my previous Valkyries I removed the thermostat housing then drilled and tapped the existing spare boss for installation of the temp senders. Worked well.

On the VTX1800C I used to have, I did the inline adapter approach. That also worked well.

My current Valkyries use the MotoSens temp-sender adapters. These place the senders where the coolant galley plugs originally went.

[Fastman71]

Speaking of Motosens, is there anyway to get them easily????  Like say, a distributed in the US or Canada????

[Bagger John - #3785]

Speaking of Motosens, is there anyway to get them easily????  Like say, a distributed in the US or Canada????

I just ordered direct. Many of us have...and the stuff arrived pretty quickly.

[pago cruiser]

Thanks for the replies all. I've held off until I could find a ...conventional... means to do this.  This is a royal pita to get to - (with the leading link forks it is really tight to pull the radiator with the forks on), and we have a 5000 mile trip coming up in a couple weeks; I would not relish trying to repair this in the middle of Kansas...
 
Re: Motosense; I tried contacting them a few years ago now. Would have loved to go that route.  Several emails went un-returned over at least a month period.  I called twice; both times I was told to send an email...???  I finally just gave up.  I'm glad others had a better experience.  Obviously, YMMV.

Back to this stoopid BSP thread sending unit...

Found an adapter - 1/4" NPT to 1/8" BSP - on Amazon.

 

Drilled the hose adapter for the 1/4" NPT, and tapped it deep. Screwed in the adapter, screwed in the sensor.  It all fits well - kind of.


However, the sensor is now out of the hose cross-sectional area by maybe 1/2".  I'm thinking this should still work - although with the sensor in a "hole", it may not react as fast as if it were directly in the cross-sectional area.  I will be mounting it facing "down", so am not too concerned with a air pocket.


I can still put a plug in this thick-wall area of the hose adapter and tap the other side.  The material there is about 1/4" - it should work.  But the sensor would still be out of the waterflow area by maybe 3/16 - better than 1/2"... 

It's like I need a 1/8" thin wall stainless steel adapter tapped directly for the BSP sensor.

BTW, when I ordered the pipe to BSP adapter from Amazon, I also ordered a BSP tap - although the only source was in China....  The tap delivery is expected between Jul 20 and Aug 7.  WTF??? Checked around town yesterday at a few specialty tool places.  Only 1 out of 3 knew what I was talking about... and he said he thought he could order one... but the east coast was closed... and he told me top come back next week.   

Anybody had good/bad experiences with the sensor out of the tubing cross-sectional area?  Why would this knucklehead company make a sensor less than 1/2" in length???