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 Post subject: Gauges ...
PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 12:46 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2021 9:52 pm
Posts: 65
Location: Ferny Grove, QLD
Having some delightful fun driving this thing around. It's so good.

I know I have to do the engine mounts. That doesn't look fun.

Runs a bit hot too - radiator water drops a little after a few days and it goes a bit Brisbane River water coloured. I suspect a head gasket will need doing. I have one and am willing. Temp doesnt look out of control but the gauge yoyo's a bit so who would know.

Should I do mounts and gasket same time?

Onto the gauge issue ...

Does anyone have any form with one of these ...

https://minisport.com.au/smiths-oil-water-52mm-dual-gauge-black

... I like it because I wasnt to put a tacho in the right side 52mm spot with this one on the left. Want to keep it neat.

I've seen there is a 52mm tacho available but it says neg earth only. Is there a way around that?

Onto the speedo now - the speed is wobbly at low speeds - 0 to 20 or 30 mile. It's not too bad though. Seems reasonable when you jack it up past 40 through to abuit 65 which is as far as I've been game. But ... the odometer doesnt clock over at all. These things are a dark art as far as my abilities go - would a rebuild at an auto elec be the best move to get it working smoothly?

Fuel guage is also showing half when full and seems accurate when down towards the empty end. Reckon thats the sender and might replace that for the fun of it. Fun not the right word.

Looking for advice or alternatives.

Cheers ... R

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 Post subject: Re: Gauges ...
PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 1:59 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:19 pm
Posts: 4493
Location: Wollongong, NSW
The radiator shouldn’t be filled right up, it needs some room for expansion as it heats up. As long as it’s above the top of the fins that should be sufficient. If it drops lower than that there’d be a leak somewhere.

Swapping you car to negative earth should be pretty simple if it hasn’t been done already. Most people these days run negative earth, there’s a simple process to get the generator flipped if you still run one.

I’d take the speedo and cable to an instrument repair shop. I’ve heard up your way Lionel Otto is the place to take them. They should be able to take your fuel gauge and sender and get them working properly too. One thing to check will be the voltage coming out of the regulator on the back of the speedo that regulates the fuel gauge
https://www.ottoinstruments.com.au/

Personally I like a mechanical temp gauge as it just works, and doesn’t need any wiring or messing about with senders and voltage regulators

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 Post subject: Re: Gauges ...
PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:45 pm 
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2013 5:44 pm
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Location: Camden
Ditto for Lionel Otto. They have converted a tacho and tidied an oil pressure gauge for me. John Robertson is very pleasant to deal with and helpful with advice.


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 Post subject: Re: Gauges ...
PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 3:12 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2004 11:32 am
Posts: 12390
Location: Sthrn HiLoLands, NSW, Australia
ruski73 wrote:
Having some delightful fun driving this thing around. It's so good.

I know I have to do the engine mounts. That doesn't look fun.

Runs a bit hot too - radiator water drops a little after a few days and it goes a bit Brisbane River water coloured. I suspect a head gasket will need doing. I have one and am willing. Temp doesnt look out of control but the gauge yoyo's a bit so who would know.

Should I do mounts and gasket same time?

Onto the gauge issue ...

Does anyone have any form with one of these ...

https://minisport.com.au/smiths-oil-water-52mm-dual-gauge-black

... I like it because I wasnt to put a tacho in the right side 52mm spot with this one on the left. Want to keep it neat.

I've seen there is a 52mm tacho available but it says neg earth only. Is there a way around that?

Onto the speedo now - the speed is wobbly at low speeds - 0 to 20 or 30 mile. It's not too bad though. Seems reasonable when you jack it up past 40 through to abuit 65 which is as far as I've been game. But ... the odometer doesnt clock over at all. These things are a dark art as far as my abilities go - would a rebuild at an auto elec be the best move to get it working smoothly?

Fuel guage is also showing half when full and seems accurate when down towards the empty end. Reckon thats the sender and might replace that for the fun of it. Fun not the right word.

Looking for advice or alternatives.

Cheers ... R


Hey Ruski73, can I suggest that you pick a thread (punishment?) and continue posting in that one? I looked back at your posts...you don't seem to have put too many kays on the car? Mostly fixing stuff?

When a car has been sitting around the cooling system can get clogged up with crud. Have you done a backflush on your radiator and block? are you running a coolant mix? There is nothing like good long runs to make a cooling system settle down...

The dual Temp/Oil gauges are brilliant and have been around for years...

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