The face of the Gaffrig 2 5/8" racing oil temp gage that the sensor goes with goes from 120 - 300F. I will not be ordering these sensors for a while. I've got the brass Livorsi temorarily working in the drive and need to focus on other projects right now. Let us know how they work out for you.

I called both. Yes they used to but no longer any available because the one guy that made them for everyone died and the sales volume was so low it was not worth resurecting it.

Did you get the sensors yet? If yes have you tried threading the stainless body to fit the Bravo? Results? I just ordered one for modification trial as well.

Hey Rage,
No I haven't had a chance to get around to it yet. Let me/us all know the results you get with the machining. I have a guy that owns a machine shop and all he does is threaded pieces. If you have a problem let me know. Thats where I will be taking mine when I finally order them. Still waiting to get one engine back and installed. Then I'll be more motivated.

I will try the threading die first. I estimate my chances of success at 30%. If no go I may take you up on having your machinest thread enough for us both once he is set up to thread them and split the cost. If I can get these sensors threaded I plan to send to Livorsi to see if they will work with my Livorsi gage and if so get a calibration table for the sensor.

Yeah, I'm thinking that trying to do it by hand is not going to work and I think that a land is going to have to be cut for an "O" ring seal going into the drive. For the gauge, since it's a Livorsi sender and a Livorsi guage they should be calibrated together already? I wonder if they would do the drive temp logo on them for a fee like a rebuild? I will try to get my senders ordered this week. Let's keep this going until we get it resolved. Bill

Actually I think that the bravo drive vent plug takes a gasket so no oring grove needed. There was enough of a shoulder left on the brass sensor I got to work on my drive even after the hex OD was ground down to the same diameter as the stock vent plug head to clear the Bravo case do to the recessed vent hole design. The stainless sensor should be no different ie cut the threads the entire length and partially cut the hex head down just far enough to clear the drive case recess.

The sensor is Gaffrig. My gages are Livorsi. That is the reason I will be sending the SS sensor to Livorsi for testing to see if it will work with their gages and if yes then to get my calibration table from Livorsi. If you get the Gaffrig gage that goes with this sensor you would not need to do this.

I had such a conversation with Livorsi. Just the silk screen alone that makes the black gage face markings is about $500 to tool up. And then there is the production start up costs. Not sure they would agree to do it even if someone would pay the costs for a one shot deal. But do not know unless you ask. I do not think I am interrested in going through all of that and the cost.

The sensors wire pigtail has to be tucked somewhere out of the way to cut the threads and the hex down on a lathe. Maybe check with your machinist friend and see if he can/is willing to do two sensors for you and one for me at some point?

I have been half following this thread. So I am going to ask this question. Have you thought about finding the proper thermistor that works with your gauge and then insert it into a SS housing? I have been making adapters for fill hoses and presure testers for a while. I has the 3/8" flat thread on one end and 1/8" pipe thread on the other. Now if I eliminate the pipe thread end and close off the other end, you could epoxy a thermistor in side and maybe be done with it?
Of course I dont know about thermo properties for the thermistor and the expoy in a SS case, but temp is temp.. and evently it would get to the thermistor and read on the gauge.
Tell me what you have found out about building your own..

Thanks
Dick

Do you have a picture of the SS adapter you are describing?

I know the sensor operation principle is resistive in nature but know nothing on the sensor specs. Not sure that Livorsi or Gaffrig would share that level of detail.

I use that Sender for my motor oil temp gauges ...good thing about them is the dual wire setup ...extra wire is for the gnd and you dont have to depend on the sender itself being grounded .....max temp is 300*

Here is a pic of the adapter I had made for my oil pumps. It can be modified any way you might want it. Like I said it can be made with a closed end and some kind of cap where the wires come out. Just need to figure out what thermistor and what kind of epoxy to use.. It can be made with a hex part on it also.

Let me know if this helps..

Dick

The stainless sensor body containing the thermister in the end would need to extend deeper than the threads and into the oil and away from the thread contact with the Bravo housing to get a more accurate reading of the oil temp rather than the case's. No reason to think the stainless body would not look essentially like the attached picture of the Gaffrig sensor. It would seem simpler to buy the Gaffrig sensor for $14 and have your guy cut the necessary threads on it. Probably cheaper as well but maybe not.

What size are the threads on that sensor 1/8" pipe? Is there enough meat on it to cut the proper threads?

yup ....1/8" .... wouldn't you need to drill and tap the existing plug?

FYI, there are 2 new Gaffrig Drive temp kits on ebay right now. Not mine and just thought I'd pass the info along.

If you tap the existing hole for the vent plug, it is too large I believe already.. and then you cant use a stock magnetic plug. you could drill a hole on the opposite side. But the upper should be dissasembled to do it.

No, I did not mean that. I mean thread the sensor with the same thread as the Bravo vent plug which is what I did to the Livorsi brass oil temperature sensor for the entire length of the sensor from the hex head to the end tip of the sensor (and cut down the sensors hex head to the same OD as the vent plug just far enough up the hex so it clears the recess in the Bravo drive housing ~ 1/3 the length of the hex head). It fits and works just fine.

See attched picture of the before and the after sensor threading to fit the Bravo drive I described (the hex cut down was done later and is not shown).

Hi all! Glad to see that this is getting some more attention. Rage that sensor you threaded down to the drive plug thread, does it seat in the drive properly so it won't leak? Looks good though. Hopefully the stainless one can be modified the same?

Hey Griff, thanks for pointing out the 2 set ups on ebay. I got them both. They must have been some old stock on that guys shelf since their no longer available. When I get them I will see what type senders they have and post some pics and info. Hopefully the kits are complete. At least the gauges are there and the shielded wires from the drive to the transom with thru hulls. Thanks for pointing them out.

I still want to figure this out and possibly get someone to market these again if we can simplify the parts needed. There must be a market for these. Really who would run without them? Let's keep this going, thanks to all.

Glad to help out.

Yes it seals just fine. It is the electrical grounding issue that sucks with that design sensor. We just need a machinist to say if the Gaffrig stainless sensor can be chucked up in a lathe, even though there is a wire pigtail out the back, and cut the necessary threads. Then it is $14 sensor plus machining cost. to produce a usable sensor for the drives

Rage,
That was the answer to my question. I wanted to know if the sensor had enough meat on it to cut the new threads.. good job.
I will try and buy a couple of the Gaffrig and see what my guy can do with it..

Dick

Just tuck the wires inside the chuck or collet. Chasing threads uses a slow rpm, so even less of an issue. I've done some high speed turning wires and no problems.

I am glad it works for ya !!!!:ernaehrung004:

I just ordered a complete gauge kit and an extra sender... We'll see how it works out, but I think it will not be a problem to turn it down with the wires...

That is what I thought but I wanted some one with first hand knowledge to confirm it.

Well the brass Livorsi sensor that I did has enough meat. The stainless Gaffrig probably does but will not know for sure until some one tries it.

That's why I bought an extra.. :)
I need a sensor after my cooler in the boat any way and that will be 1/8" pipe.. I do want to put on in the drive to compare temps..

Please let us know how it works out.

I will.

Recieved the kit today.. will head to the machine shop after work tomorrow and see what happens.. Going out to do some measurments now.

I recieved the 2 kits today that Griff pointed out on ebay. I'll post some pics tomorrow of the sender. The sender is built right onto the end of the braided shielding and swivels at the end. I hope they will clear my steering bracket without too much modification to it. Just noticed that the bracket is right in front of the fill plug. How dumb is that?

LOL,,,thats how wingplates are !!! I drilled a big hole in mine .

Yea I didn't even think to look and when I did I was knocked over. Besides that, one drive the pplug is in the side of the casing on the flat surface and on the other its in a casting lug that the other one doesn't even have. Whats up with that? Later year upper housing? These drives won't last long I suspect anyway. Should be good enough for me to learn how to handle a Cat. Then the blowers go back on and I look into beefing up the drives. Whats the best bang for the buck for Bravo replacements? Imco's, B-Max's, Other?

Anyway I'll get the pics up of the senders so everyone can see what they looked like before and get some ideas on which way to go from here. These 2 sets are new but old from the looks os the boxes. Complete and sealed though.

Don't f*ck your stuff up. Just sell them to me for 5% more than you outbid me by & call it good.:ernaehrung004:

Great. If the sensor threading works I would be interested to know what the machining cost is.

I like the IMCO's !!! ( the big ones )

Well,
made a trip to the machine shop and on the last cut the sensor sliped out of the chuck. And it was down hill from there. Ended up breaking the sensor. Was able to check out the thermistor inside and discussed making a new housing. So not a great outcome. But learned a bit anyway.

I think if we had used a 6 jaw chuck, it would hold on to it better. But that would have caused him to swap out the chuck and he stopped some work in progess on the lathe to do it in the first place.
I am going to see what it will cost to make a new housing. And go from there..

Thanks for trying.

I guess you know by now that the Gaffrig sensor is not stainless but chrome plated brass. I learned that today when I tried a threading die on it. The sensor actually bent during the process. When I tried to straighten it it seperated at the threads. The Gaffrig sensor's brass body is thinner walled than the Livorsi oil temperature sensor and will not tolerate the 1/4-28 thread.