temp sensor adapter

so I just put in my gauges finally-all in the factory dash openings and behind the factory glass. Got everything hooked up but the temp sensor because the port on the back of the head to thread in the sensor will allow the sensor to fall all the way in. The threaded adapter is the right size, but I need an intermediary one that will keep the sensor from falling in-hopefully this isn't too vague and someone will know what I talking about. Anyhow-I'm having trouble finding this 2 dollar part.I have one, but the outside thread is wrong even though the inside one is right.

This must be a mechanical gauge? Usually the nut on the sensor tube is designed to thread into the smallest adapter that came in the kit. That adapter has a shoulder on it so the sensor probe ends up getting pinched in and seals. After that the adapters are normal pipe threads. If the smallest adapter is not small enough you have to find a gauge that has the correct probe or get really creative. Remember the probe has to be in the flow so building out a bunch of adapters is not going to give you an accurate reading.

Well, the problem is that the adapters that came in the kit are of the wrong size. The hole in the head is 3/8 npt and I can't find any adapters that are 3/8 female to 3/8 male. i think I may have solved the problem. I took a 3/8 male to male and cut it in half. I then used a npt tap and and cut 1/4 npt threads inside of it to fit the adapter that I had-basically a shim is what it ends up being. I will top off and pressure test tomorrow.

make pictures if it works cause i'm having problems figuring out how to make my mechanical temp guage work for my cluster.

Success!! I will get some pics when I have the car back at my place. I'm storing a vette for the weekend so my buddy can have a grad party for his daughter. the adapter I made worked perfectly so now I have working guages and actually see what is going on with the engine now-what a novel idea...