Hi, I've got an 1981 Jeep CJ7 with the (I think) original straight 6 cyl engine. Yesterday I removed the termperature sending unit and coolant came rushing out of the intake manifold. I'm concerned... Does this mean I have big problems somewhere? thanks, -jeff

Well, it means you have a broken head gasket, at least. If the engine was overheated it could be much more things in addition to head gasket. You'll  know for sure after removing the head and taking it to the shop for inspection...
 Carlos Jose Gutierrez
Merendon CC
San Pedro Sula, Cortes.
Honduras. C.A.

Carlos is a pretty sharp guy -- I've read his posts for a while. But I'm not sure he's right here. The temperature sending unit on most older straight 6s is on the front of the head, not the intake manifold. In any case, the sending unit is supposed to be testing the temperature of the coolent. If you pull the unit out, I'd be more concerned to find oil. I'd expect to find coolent. If your sending unit is on the intake manifold, look at the lines coming out of your water pump. In later model CJs the intake manifolds did have coolent lines coming from the water pump through the intake manifold. In any case, it seems to me coolent behind the temperature sensor would be expected. Just my 2 cents. Earl

Thank you for the correction Earl.
 Carlos

OK. Thanks for all the help here. It turns out that I was completely wrong here. It was not (to my embarrasement) the engine termperature sending unit. It was the water temperature sending unit that I removed from my intake. I guess my inexperience with this engine was showing at the time of the post. While I was working on the engine I just expected there to be air and fuel in my intake (well, also oil and carbon)...when coolant came rushing out, I of course thought the sky was falling (i.e. cracked head's etc). Thanks again for all the help.