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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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| | | | Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 496 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 496 | Installed new harness! Fired it up!
....what's that chemical smell. What's dripping from under the dash?
ITS MY BRAND NEW TEMP GUAGE!!! AWESOME!
Now I get to tear it all apart again! One thing about it, these old tricks keep us busy dont they.
1950 SUBURBAN / SCHOOL BUS A.K.A "THE SCHOOL RUST"
| | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 934 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 934 | I feel your pain.
Recently I completed a 6 month tractor restoration. This was a complete strip down to bare castings and replacing every worn moving part, priming, paining and reassembly. Wired it up with a new harness - and it started but the timing was off - after giving the starter some quick burst to find the TDC markings on the flywheel -it suddenly grinded and screeched to a halt and the starter jammed up into the flywheel and it was the worst sound - breaking a number of teeth on the flywheel.
Needless to say - I now have to disassemble it, split the tractor, replace the ring gear, and reassemble. I put it off til this spring - Sometimes you hafta just walk away and exercise the common art of denial.
Hang in there. Hopefully you will track down the cause... | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,813 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,813 | Question- - - - -is that a mechanical gauge with the copper tubing from the cylinder head to the dash cluster? If so, check the ground path from the engine to the body/frame assembly. I've seen engines with new motor mounts and a poor ground path because of a missing ground strap or painted surfaces interfering with the current flow try to use the temp gauge capillary tube as a starter ground. It usually gets red hot and melts when that happens.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 496 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 496 | Yes. Copper tube.
All I have is a ground strap going from the engine to frame. Do I need something else?
And I assume my temp gauge is shot correct?
Last edited by windyville1; 02/03/2020 4:48 PM.
1950 SUBURBAN / SCHOOL BUS A.K.A "THE SCHOOL RUST"
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,813 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,813 | As long as the ground strap is attached to bare metal, not on top of paint (or rust) at both ends you're probably OK, but something caused that capillary tube to become the ground path. I'd recommend using a long ground cable of about 0 gauge or so from the battery to the bellhousing, rather than rely on a battery/frame/engine ground path- - - -too many places to get a high resistance connection. Pull the thermal bulb from the cylinder head and put it into a pan of boiling water to see if the gauge still functions- - - -it's a long shot that it might have survived, but I always believe in "Test- - - -don't guess!" Good luck!
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 496 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 496 | To test the system, I had the headlight switch dangling instead of attached to the dash. Maybe this happened because that switch wasnt grounded to the dash???
1950 SUBURBAN / SCHOOL BUS A.K.A "THE SCHOOL RUST"
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 91 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 91 | Is the cab grounded? You said you have the engine and the frame grounded.
Last edited by justmike; 02/04/2020 5:09 AM.
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,813 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,813 | The only thing that relies on the headlight switch being grounded is the dome light, and that only applies to the ones that turn on by twisting the light switch knob.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 496 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 496 | I assumed cab is grounded by sitting on the frame? How do you ground the cab?
1950 SUBURBAN / SCHOOL BUS A.K.A "THE SCHOOL RUST"
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2018 Posts: 51 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2018 Posts: 51 | The Temp gauge if it is an original type has no electrical connections. If it is dripping? What is dripping? Coolant? If it is dripping coolant then yes it is SHOT, actually if it is dripping anything it is shot. If it grounded out somehow , then I would check the light bulb wiring to the gauge, MAYBE it is grounding to the capillary tubing.... | | | | | Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 2,168 A teacher, but always an apprentice. | | A teacher, but always an apprentice. Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 2,168 | Run a ground wire from the cab to the frame as well. Extra security. | | |
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