Technical oil and temp sending units

I have a 1951 Nash gauge cluster I want to use which contains the speedo, fuel, oil and temp. Problem is I don't have the sending units for the oil and temp. The fuel is not a problem and the speedo is very nice. I have been totally unsuccessful in finding those sending units so my question is would another manufacturers, say Ford or GM, sending units work with these gauges?
Any help appreciated.

 

Sure, another sender might work, but first you need to figure out what resistance needs to be. I'd connect a gauge to power and a resistor in place of the sender, to ground, and see what it reads. I'd start with resistances in the range of 10 to 300 ohms.

Once you figure out what resistance is needed for 0 and full scale, you can search for matching senders. I have some catalog listings that might help.

 

They have the oil sender, I think
https://www.nashparts.com/Parts/Group3.htm
50-54 Rambler;
52-54 Statesman/Ambassador
Oil Pressure Gauge
(Sending Unit In Cylinder Block) 3134704 NOS, $59
but don't show a temp sender that far back. You could ask them if they have a resistance number.

 

his cluster might be 51 Statesman, so that might not fit.

 

Do it like @squirrel said. You can also make a test setup with a variable resistor and a meter.

 

I'd be surprised if the temp gauge didn't originally have the closed capillary bulb for the end in the motor. Didn't know anyone was using electrical temp (or oil pressure) gauges back then.

 

I found a 51 Statesman cluster on ebay to look at pictures, it definitely has electric oil and temp gauges

 

Well, I'm surprised.

 

He never said what he was using the gauges in.

 

It could go into any combustion engine. The gauge still needs the correct resistance to ground to register the correct info on the gauge. Just needs the correct voltage. Even polarity shouldn't make a difference.

 

I was too.

 

Yes, the gauges are electric, I was surprised also. I will check with nashparts.com and see what they may have to offer, thanks.

 

@In_The_Pink , any spare parts?

 

Sorry, no. Stock engine parts are long gone.

 

Or use a potentiometer, cheap and widely available. Wire it up as a variable resistor, i.e. just use the center terminal and one outer terminal, then operate the pot to find where the gauge operates, then measure the resistance. That will tell you what resistance range you need for the sending unit.

 

If you use a potentiometer, find one with low resistance...but most you'll find are 10k or more.

I would use resistors, because I have a bunch, and I like to have an excuse to remember how the color code works every now and then, and I also don't have any low resistance pots.

 

mouser.com you can order 1 item if that's all you need:
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...10-15F-B500ohm-LA?qs=XeJtXLiO41TpvqF82A5h3w==

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...s/026TB32R501B1B1?qs=TO73vhinuSFv0CuC9T2efw==

 

Check here, they have a few '50s Nash oil sending units listed: https://www.nashparts.com/Parts/Group3.htm#OIL

 

What research I have done which isn’t a lot , I determined the were 3 ranges used . Random between GM , FORD and MOPAR . As the Squirrel has said a POT will be your friend . Once you determine what you need they are produced in almost any thread one could ever ask for