trinituner.com

getting the vehicle sometime next week but i understand some models did not come with a water temp gauge so i wanna put in an external auto meter gauge

do i need the sender unit with the gauge?
http://www.amazon.com/Auto-Meter-2385-A ... eter+water

with
http://www.amazon.com/Auto-Meter-5737-E ... ture+gauge

no, the gauge in the 2nd link comes complete, the 1st link is a replacement sensor and associated adaptors.

only thing u will need to add to the gauge to install it is a bit of wire from the sensor to the gauge and maybe some for power and illumination.

where exactly in the engine did you install the sender?

i just got one with all the parts to install, so I am looking for the optimal placement

i'm thinking on the coolant hose at top of rad

Splice top hose with inline adapter or tee temp sender

As Dave suggest. Install a water temp adapter on the radiator hose..( good idea to know the internal size of the radiator hose, so you get the appropriate water temp adapter..34mm..36mm..)

But my view in the placement ..
TOP HOSE. will tell you the 'already cooled' water leaving the radiator back to the engine head.
.
However..the BOTTOM HOSE..which is after the thermostat..will show you closest too actual engine temp..and if your gauge has a controller. You can set the fan to activate from your setpoint..and most cars have a temp unit in the bottom hose circuit..not the top..

Unless you get a smaller adapter and put the temp unit on the bypass hose from the head to the firewall AC heater..that's actual engine head temp..

Hope this makes sense and helps..

cosign on bottom hose.
if you have a leak, a sender in the top will only give the temp of the air around it.
not the increasing temp of the fluid left in the engine, this you would get from the bottom.