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#31458 12/04/2004 12:07 AM | Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 24 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 24 | My wife's '53 Belair's 235 was rebuilt by her mechanic (note it's not ME!) and the mechanical temperature gauge quit working. Since I've never seen the hidden part of the sender, could someone explain the theory of operation and possible reasons it might have quit working. The connection is a single bare copper wire (hollow?). Can it be mis-installed? Can a kink in the wire hurt? How about shorting to chassis?
The money I save as a mechanic, I spend on medical bills!
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#31459 12/04/2004 12:16 AM | Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,458 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,458 | Well, it's not a wire at all, but a capillary tube. The bulb at the engine end is filled with an expanding liquid (alcohol, I think) and the gauge just reads the pressure. You can't repair it without specialized equipment and removal of the gauge from the instrument cluster. There are some places that fix them.
A kink would certainly stop it from working but it may not be possible to remove the kink from the line without breaking the brass tube.
Paint & Body Shop moderator
A lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic. | | |
#31460 12/04/2004 2:35 AM | Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 266 Custom Title | | Custom Title Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 266 | He hit it right on the head... Actually, I think they use ether inside, but I could be wrong. Like 4onthefloor said, the engine heat causes the liquid to expand. This creates a pressure inside that little copper line that pushes the needle across the gauge. Chances are that if it quit working, the tube developed a leak. You'll either have to have yours rebuilt or find a new one
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If you can't fix it with a hammer, it's an electrical problem
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#31461 12/04/2004 1:50 PM | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 9,115 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 9,115 | Would this be the same technology used on the thermostatic control on refrigerators? | | |
#31462 12/04/2004 4:47 PM | Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 445 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 445 | you can pick up a external temp gauge for under the dash at your local auto parts.cost around$10.The stock temp gauge,only connects one way,the unit is sealed.maybe someone at stove bolt can tell you where too have the stock gauge repaired.
dan-pa
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#31463 12/06/2004 3:48 PM | Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 14,522 Moderator: Welcome Centre, Southern Bolters, Legion Hall | | Moderator: Welcome Centre, Southern Bolters, Legion Hall Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 14,522 | There is a guy in Greenville S.C. that did mine for my 37. He does speedometers etc as well. Originally from Mass. he's been doing this for years and he did a fabulous job on all my guages.
D&M Restorations (Diane and Mike) phone # is 1-800-722-0854 or 864-421-9959. This is a good time of year to call him as he likes to golf a lot in the summer. According to him these are the best temp gauge you can have and that a couple of the famous European sports car mfg. still use them?! | | |
#31464 12/06/2004 4:24 PM | Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 14,522 Moderator: Welcome Centre, Southern Bolters, Legion Hall | | Moderator: Welcome Centre, Southern Bolters, Legion Hall Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 14,522 | Hey guys, I failed to mention that D&M Restorations is in the Links page here so you can go read about them. Nice folks and again they do really great work. | | |
#31465 12/06/2004 8:27 PM | Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,458 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,458 | It is really nice to have a working dash gauge, and the stock Chevy one is very good, fast response, and accurate. It is worth having rebuilt.
Paint & Body Shop moderator
A lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic. | | |
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