most fuel injected 5.7 engines the water temp sensor is mounted in the thermostat housing where the upper radiator house connects to the intake manifold.
It is on the driver side head of the engine.
The most effective location for a water temperature gauge on a vehicle is on the head or the side of the block. Generally, water temperature gauges are more accurate and fit better in these locations.
It goes to the temp gauge which is usually screwed in the head between the manifold on the drivers side, or into the thermost housing on the intake manifold.
It is screewed into the driver's side head, between the first 2 spark plugs
you can buy the gauge at any auto store or even walmart and there are directions with the gauge.
It is screewed into the top of the engine just behind the distributor.
No.
if it's all the way hot, the wire may be disconnected or shorted to ground, I forget which one makes the temp go high. Try disconnecting the sensor and see what the guage reads....it's based on resitence to ground, and I think if it's disconnected the gauge should read low. If you disconnect and the gauge does not drop, the wire may be "pinched" and grounded.....
Most of them are as simple and unbolting the old one and bolting in the new one.
The temp gauge sensor screws into the driver side head atoms #2 and #3 plugs. The volt gauge hooks up to any ignition on hot wire and the other wire to chasis ground. Oil pressure gauge is just behind the distributor.
the temp of the intake manifold is controlled by the temp of the water in the block.
Normal temp for a 71 El Camino 350 is in the 185 to 195 degree range. The thermostat can be changed to a different temp to make the engine run a little hotter or cooler.