Ok so I pulled off the hub and shaft and replaced the inner CV boot in just under 2 hours, but noticed that there is a small amount of coolant dripping on the right hand engine mount. Looks like I have an external head-gasket coolant leak, bugger!
I also reinstalled my coolant temp gauge, but with a better sensor point. I bought the gauge from Jaycar, it runs off a button cell battery and has high and low alarms.
I crimped the sensor into an electrical lug and then double heatshrinked it.
I then placed the sensor under the coolant crossover pipe bolt that attaches it to the block so it should give me a good indication of coolant temp, but also register cylinder block temp if I should loose my water.
As the engine warms up, the gauge says 64degC when at the 1/3 gauge mark, and then when driving it varies between 85-90deg. Thermo fans kick in at 94deg. Im yet to test what temp the 2/3 gauge mark is, as it occasionally gets close to that when pulling the loaded camper trailer up long hills on the freeway to 110kmh.
The temp also rises to about 96deg when I turn the car off