Anybody have any thermocouples lying around?

I was recently appalled at the list price of $867 for a thermocouple for my 308. So, being in the temperature sensor business, I looked into the matter. That price is a huge rip-off. These things are being manufactured for less than $40!

Anyway, long story short, I'm thinking about building up some of these on a hobby type basis, so people don't have to get ripped off. But in order to do that, I need samples. So, does anybody have any lying around that they might send me? Doesn't have to work, I only need it for mechanical reference. I'd be happy to pay for shipping, and send it back when I'm done with it if you want it back.

 

Thanks Mike! I would be happy to get the one from the Lancia. I don't know if it's as simple to manufacture as the 308 one, but I guess that's kind of the point of getting samples

 

BTW, I'm not necessarily looking for just 308 thermocouples. I'm happy to investigate building thermocouples for any car, since I'm sure they're all priced too high, and are all probably relatively similar to each other.

 

Oh, you wanna to get technical, huh? They produce a voltage not when they get hot, but when there is a temperature differential between the hot junction (the bi-metal bond) and the cold junction (the other end of the wires). Also, it's only Type-J thermocouples that are Iron/Constantan. Type-K, which are used in at least the 308s, are Chromel/Alumel.

 

Thanks Mark! That's two. Anybody else from a different car?

 

Great!!!!! Here's the address to send it to:

Trinity Site
C/O Gen. Leslie Groves
White Sands Missile Range, NM 88002

 

For anybody who might be interested, I'm still working on the cheaper replacement thermocouple project. Thanks to Mark Lintott, I've got an example from his 328 to work from. Here's a picture of my new probe next to the one that Mark sent me. I've still got to get the correct compression fitting, and some connectors for the end. Then I'll run one in my car for a bit to make sure there are no problems I didn't foresee, and then I think I'll have a completed prototype. I'm expecting now to be able to sell these for around $150. A heck of a lot better than the $867 list price for the currently (shamelessly) marketed replacement!
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Yup, that's basically the same beast. The original cable length is longer than that, however, and the McMaster unit doesn't have the spring metal strain relief, nor the compression fitting, and it's got the wrong connector on the end. I also don't like the sound of a 'bendable' stem.