Coolant Temp Sender

I've been going rounds with the local parts places for a temp sender with gauge for my 86 XJ. The parts places only show it as a light not gauge and kept getting the wrong sender. With the sender I have, the engine can run 5 minutes from dead cold and the gauge will max. I do have a sender for a Autometer temp gauge that I thought about putting in. The Autometer range is 100-250' and the stock gauge is 100-260'.

Does anyone know if the sender from a newer XJ would work in my case or have a part number of the sender I actually need? :eyes:

what motor? you might want to specify... took me a second to realize they didnt put in the 4.0's that year

You want a sensor, not a sender. What you have is a simple go/no-go pressure switch. You need a sensor that ranges with varying ohms over temperature. The degrees on the temp sensor don't matter, what matters is both temp range and ohm range.

This stock was a 2.8l and now has a small block Chevy not that it matters. I would like to use the stock gauges and I know the gauge works fine, it's the correct sensor I'm looking for.

Are you using the Jeep sensor in the Chevy? You need to do like ChiXJeff said and specify sensor, not sender, that is what I had to do when switching from a temperatre light to a temp gauge. I doubt the Chevy sensor would run the Jeep gauge.

Incorrect about lingo--a sender refers to a probe that drives an instrument directly, whether it is an idiot light or a gauge.

To the OP, rockauto shows KEMPARTS Part # TW148 for gauge, 10 left in stock for $3.50 each. The interchange data shows through 1991 which is probably wrong (91 was the Chrysler 4.0). I would probably experiment with other Jeep models though. You would need to know the resistance curve to get something close and that info is hard to get

Sorry to high jack the thread, but if i used the temp sensor for a normal coolant temp gauge on my 91 xj that has the idiot light then the light will be lit but not overheating?
Thanks

I got new sensors for the Jeep, not Chevy engine. Thanks eHall, it will at least get me somewhere.