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Hi gang, Have a question on a mechanical water temp gauge. Was new during the build. and worked. It is the kind that has a temp probe in the block and a solid connection to the meter. This is not an electric set up. What would cause it to fail. No reading at all.
Hi gang. Thinking about putting an overflow canister on the radiator. Is there a special height in relation to the tank of the radiator. Can we just add it to the overflow tube that is already there. I saw one of our members uses a period coke bottle. does the top have to be sealed?
Hi gang, Have a question on a mechanical water temp gauge. Was new during the build. and worked. It is the kind that has a temp probe in the block and a solid connection to the meter. This is not an electric set up. What would cause it to fail. No reading at all.
Sometimes they just fail for no apparent reason. Other times the capillary tube between the probe and gauge gets damaged and you may not realize it. I had a brand new Stewart Warner temp gauge fail. It seemed to work fine for a few days then for no reason wouldn't read over 140F. I thought I had a thermostat issue, and changing that turned into an expensive nightmare. Moral of the story is don't always trust the gauge, even if it is mechanical and new. Swap it out for a different one and see what happens.
Water expands about 5% from ambient to 180 degrees. I don't know what your truck's capacity is, but on the typical Bonus Built trucks it is 20 - 22 qts. That means the catch can needs to hold at least a quart, preferably more.
The mechanical gauges work by the fluid inside the bulb expanding. If it isn't reading a change, it means there's a leak in the bulb or the line to the gauge.
Chilly *****, 52 Merc and Ross. Thanks. All good info. I did not know how a mechanical gauge worked. So I am to assume that the unit is sealed from factory and the fluid in the bulb can not be added too? May have been damaged when I re-routed it when I wired up the truck. It was part of a triple set up. Mechanical oil, mechanical water and Voltage. Perhaps I should pick a more substantial unit in quality.
Hey Jim,
We changed our's out for a modern electric unit. Be careful as the fluid
in the line is nasty. I'm guessing it's mercury - it will go through your skin. Try not to break it open.
Thanks Ben for the info. As it turns out, I went and bought a triple unit similar to what I had. Little better quality Mechanical oil, mechanical water and volt. 10 year warranty. So I spent yesterday ripping out the old and putting in the new. When I was finished, the new oil gauge did not work. Temporarily hooked up old. Old gauge works, new one does not. So I will be taking it all out Monday and returning it to Pep Boys. I then ordered a replacement water temp gauge for my original setup. Minor in the scheme of things. I will get it working during the week.
Ross I will look into a suitable container. What about the height placement of the container. in relation to the tank on the radiator. Thanks for your help
What about the height placement of the container. in relation to the tank on the radiator.
That isn't critical, can be just about anywhere practical. The level in the reservoir is determined by the pressure and vacuum release settings of your radiator cap. It won't siphon if it's above or below the radiator top tank as long as the radiator cap is functioning correctly.
The tall, thin tank in the picture is available from a variety of suppliers (Speedway, Summit, etc.). It is well made and bolts tight to the radiator frame with little loss of space. My only issue is that I wish that it was clear or had a sight glass.
