Tracing Thermostat wire Help

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Ichversuchte

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Posts
12
Reaction score
11
Location
USA
First Name
Brandon
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
Hello,

I bought a 84 K10 last year which has been fun project. I changed out intake, radiator, leaf springs, shocks and more. :D

When i swapped out the old intake there was not a thermostat to be seen or a wire. I don't mind not having one but i have a gauge in the dash and i sort of have OCD about stuff not working. :D

I looked up some old diagrams of the wire harness behind the dash and believe its the bottom green wire shown here:

View media item 9207
That then goes behind the fuse block

View media item 9208
And i would suspect it goes behind the firewall but im not sure which wire it would be.

View media item 9209
What is the best way to get the original gauge working?

Appreciate the help.
-B
 

PrairieDrifter

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2014
Posts
3,465
Reaction score
4,583
Location
North Dakota
First Name
Mason
Truck Year
84,79,77,70,48
Truck Model
Suburban k10, bonanza k10, c30 C&C, c10, gmc 1/2ton
Engine Size
350, 350, 350, 350, 350
The green wire should come out of the main harness behind the block on the drivers side of the distributor, it should then run over the drivers side of the intake and down on the side of the drivers side head near cylinder 2.
 

75gmck25

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2016
Posts
2,038
Reaction score
1,833
Location
Northern Virginia
First Name
Bruce
Truck Year
1975
Truck Model
K25 Camper Special TH350 NP203
Engine Size
5.7
Look for the green wire where prairiedrifter described. Someone may have cut it off, or I got too close to the exhaust manifold and was burned.

The last 6-8 inches of the wire should have a protective cover. You run the wire along the retainers on top of the valve cover and then jog straight down near the center of the exhaust manifold to connect to the sensor in the head.

Bruce
 

AuroraGirl

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2019
Posts
9,218
Reaction score
6,201
Location
Northern Wisconsin
First Name
Taylor
Truck Year
1978, 1980
Truck Model
K10, K25
Engine Size
400(?), 350
If you do valve cover gaskets dont pull a me and sandwich the wire in the valve cover.
You must be registered for see images attach
 

Ichversuchte

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Posts
12
Reaction score
11
Location
USA
First Name
Brandon
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
Thank you for replying.

Isn’t that wire which is between spark plug 1 & 2 the oil pressure?

You must be registered for see images attach



I am trying to hook up the temp gauge which I believe is on the front of intake.

You must be registered for see images attach


I don’t see any single wires coming through the firewall other than the rpm tack wire which was after market and that runs into the top of the distributor cap.

Is that green wire behind the cluster the right wire?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

crpntr78

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2016
Posts
530
Reaction score
413
Location
Missouri
First Name
Jerry
Truck Year
86
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
No, that's not the oil pressure sender. It is at the back of the engine, driver side of the distributor. In the picture you have shows the temp sender for the temp gauge.
 

Ichversuchte

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Posts
12
Reaction score
11
Location
USA
First Name
Brandon
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
Oh, so that is the wire which maps to this gauge? Sorry im being dense...

You must be registered for see images attach
 

AuroraGirl

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2019
Posts
9,218
Reaction score
6,201
Location
Northern Wisconsin
First Name
Taylor
Truck Year
1978, 1980
Truck Model
K10, K25
Engine Size
400(?), 350
mine is hard to see and full of grime(it IS green) but you see how it snakes around back of motor? its what i was trying to show you
Mine is obviously not run correctly but it is there.

You must be registered for see images attach
 

Bextreme04

Full Access Member
Joined
May 13, 2019
Posts
4,192
Reaction score
5,096
Location
Oregon
First Name
Eric
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
K25
Engine Size
350-4bbl
The only engines that I have seen with a temp sensor in the front of the intake near the thermostat are running electric fans and using that sensor to turn fans on/off. My L29 454(MPFI) has both a sensor in the head for the gauge to read and a 3-wire, 5v reference, sensor in the intake manifold before the thermostat to tell the ECU what the coolant temp is to actuate the fans and control fueling.
 

Ichversuchte

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Posts
12
Reaction score
11
Location
USA
First Name
Brandon
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
Thanks for all the help everyone!
 

PrairieDrifter

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2014
Posts
3,465
Reaction score
4,583
Location
North Dakota
First Name
Mason
Truck Year
84,79,77,70,48
Truck Model
Suburban k10, bonanza k10, c30 C&C, c10, gmc 1/2ton
Engine Size
350, 350, 350, 350, 350
This is your oil sending unit, near the back of the block, on top, by the distributor. You can see the ignition and temp wires snaking off from the main harness.

The sending unit you pictured is indeed the temp sender. I am not positive where it runs to inside the cab. Either the fuse block or straight to the gauge or both.

You must be registered for see images attach
 

75gmck25

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2016
Posts
2,038
Reaction score
1,833
Location
Northern Virginia
First Name
Bruce
Truck Year
1975
Truck Model
K25 Camper Special TH350 NP203
Engine Size
5.7
I tried to get a picture of the green temp sending unit wire where it runs to the back of the engine, but all I can see is it disappearing into the harness that is below and behind the HEI. According to the wiring diagram it runs directly to terminal #35 on the dash temp gauge.

When looking for green wires, don't get it confused with the A/C clutch wire. That runs from the A/C plenum on the passenger side, across the top of the firewall and over to the A/C compressor on the drivers side.

Bruce
 

Ichversuchte

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Posts
12
Reaction score
11
Location
USA
First Name
Brandon
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
I found the sensor and replaced it. Ran the truck until the engine was hot but the gauge didn't move.

What is the best way to test if its the sensor, connector, wire along the way or the cluster itself?
 

Ichversuchte

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Posts
12
Reaction score
11
Location
USA
First Name
Brandon
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
I found the sensor and replaced it. Ran the truck until the engine was hot but the gauge didn't move.

What is the best way to test if its the sensor, connector, wire along the way or the cluster itself?
I got it all figured out now. Thanks for everyone’s help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,140
Posts
910,030
Members
33,642
Latest member
Bhardiman1
Top