Project Viper GTS: Part 2 – General Maintenance

We decided to change the factory temperature sending unit, which are known to go out or lose accuracy over time.

Temp Sensor exposed
Next we unplugged the factory temperature sending unit which has 3 separate circuits that control everything from the temperature gauge, to the high temp warning light, to what the ECU sees and when the radiator fans turn on and off.  This sensor requires a 1” deep socket for removal.  We bought a 1” Husky socket but there was an inner ledge which prevented the plastic housing from going inside it.  A 1” Duralast socket worked great.

Temp Sensor
The 4-pin temperature sending unit is an Airtex/Wells Part # 1T1106 and can be had online though a general distributor for a lot less than the dealer.

Drain and remove hose
Before removing the sending unit, we had to drain some of the water out of the block.  We unscrewed the drain plug at the bottom of the driver’s side of the radiator then we removed the top radiator hose since we were going to replace it with a silicone hose and dilute a lot of the coolant in the radiator anyway.  Once the coolant was drained, we replaced the temperature sending unit.

New Hose
We test fit the new silicone radiator hose from ROE Racing to figure out where we were going to mount our ROE Radiator Hose Bleeder Kit.

ROE Bleeder
Once we test-fit the radiator hose, we sliced it in half and notched where the bleeder port sits.  Pre-2001 Vipers are notoriously difficult to bleed the air out of the cooling system because normally there would be a port here at the highest part of the engine to constantly bleed a little bit of water and any air into the radiator coolant tank.  Since there is no factory bleed here, this high point can trap air with no place for it to go.  Having a wing nut bleeder here makes it easy to purge the system of air.
Temp Sensor custom
Before installing the bleeder kit, we had Will from RareFab weld  a bung to the aluminum bleeder tube for our AutoMeter’s temperature sending unit so we can accurately measure the engine’s temperature. Once buttoned up we were ready to fill the radiator back up with water.

Quick Reference:

Page 1 – Oil Change
Page 2 – Oil Change, Power Steering Tube, and Spark Plug Wires
Page 3 – Spark Plug Wires and Spark Plugs
Page 4 – Quality Wires & Stock Temperature Gauge Values!
Page 5 – Stock Water Temp Sending Unit & Roe Silicone Hose & Bleeder Kit
Page 6 – Coolant Concentration, Cap & Water Wetter
Page 7 – AC check valve & Water Temp Gauge install
Page 8 & 9 – Water temp gauge install

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