Jerry Feather

I am only about $1300 and one surgery away from finishing up on this project. The Delrin rod material is about $300 and it is $1000 to have the new caps machined. I have my back surgery in the morning, so I'll be out for a while.

dr bob

Jerry--

Best wishes for a quick and relatively painless recovery from a successful back surgery.

Jerry Feather

Thanks Dr Bob.. I had the surgery and have tried twice since I got home to post an update about it and this thread, but my hands are swollen and I can't type for ****, and I keep loosing what I have typed. I'm going to give up and try later.

nosnow

reviving an old thread.... any progress? This is quickly approaching my to do list.

Jerry Feather

I picked up the Delrin/Actetal rod material when I went over for my surgery, but still don't have the money to have the caps machined. When cash flow picks up I'll try to get the caps made, then I can do a bit of machining work on the senders and assemble a kit to market through my small business membership.

Jerry Feather

The Acetal rod I bought is called "natural" and it looks almost white.

Jerry Feather

I was putting this project together to take my Acetal Rod over to the machinist with the CNC lathe for making the caps and discovered that in my haste before my surgery I bought rod that is too small. I bought 1.5 inch diameter and need 1.750. Im going to order the correct rod monday and hope it is in stock for shipping; then I'll get some of these finalized. I also ordered another large batch of the senders that don't fit and that I am going to modify for use in the 928. They came yesterday so now I have 64 of them. I'll start the minor modification shortly.

To save some cash I have decided that I'll have the machinist turn the caps but leave the tops round and then I'll have to make a jig and mill the hex flats on the tops in my mill. That should go pretty quickly.

Jerry Feather

This morning I worked up a drawing for the machinist to make the caps from in addition to giving him the original cap as modified by me and the neck off of the failed coolant bottle out of my car. Those ought to give him enough information about how to machine the threads inside the cap. Tomorrow I'll call the plastics place and see if they have in stock what I need for Acetal/Delrin rod.

As can be seen in the earlier post by Roger, the difference in length of the two senders in question is about 7/8 inch. In terms of "accuracy" either sensor is going to say either on or off, so I don't know how much more accurate either could be. The on or off will however occur at a different level in the coolant bottle; and I don't know if there is any real issue about where in the bottle that will occur. You will likely have about a quart or so more coolant in the system when the low level warning comes on with this replacement sensor than with the Factory one.

Imo000

So this setup will not tell the owner that the level is low but rather that they are loosing coolant?

Jerry Feather

Here are some pictures of where this project is now. The cap shown is the original one I modified, and the new ones will be a bit different, with more "meat" in the top. The ring around the new sender is in fact both the plastic ring and the rubber seal ring both of which I have made. The plastic ring will be glued to the under side of the slightly modified top of the new sender. That way it will not need an additional seal. You can see the different sending level by comparing the two senders, as previously indicated by Roger. I haven't called the plastics place yet to order the correct Delrin, but I'll find out about that shortly. These pictures are taken next to my drawing for the new cap.

MjRocket

looking good Jerry.

When do you think these will be ready for prime time?

Jerry Feather

I ordered the acetal rod today and it is in stock in Denver so it ought to be here this week. I'll take it over the the machinist and see what his timing is like. When he has the caps done I can ship you one, Mj, to try.

MjRocket

Sounds good my friend.

Jerry Feather

The Rod came today. I may not have time tomorrow to take it to the machinist, but probably Friday. Then I'll see when he might be able to get to the new Caps.

Jerry Feather

I took this project to the machinist today and left it for the caps. It looks like it will be two or three weeks before they get to it.

In the meantime I still have to figure out just how best to affix the sealing ring to the underside of the mounting flange ring on the replacement sender. I consulted with my plastics expert about it today and we cannot figure out just what plastic or nylon the sender is made of. It looks like I will have to glue them together with epoxy. I might even consider some sort of liquid rubber compound since whatever I put them together with only needs to make a seal since they will be held together by the cap and the top of the bottle neck.