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As my $75 gauge wasn't working anyway, I decided to take it apart. Interestingly, it doesn't appear to have the heating coil that Ross shows in his pictures. Does this mean that repo (probably Chinese) gauges operate on a different principle? My needle is quite loose. I'm not sure if it always had so much slop in it, or I damaged it trying to get it into the gauge cluster. As you can see, without power, the needle is far from pointing to hot which would be to the right.
Ross, I apologize for mis-crediting your pictures to Stu--My body is falling apart, and obviously my mind is in decline as well.
I was pretty discouraged two days ago, but it really would be nice to have a temp gauge that worked. Maybe I should try to pick up an original gauge at a swap meet. My sending unit is not original, however. The original is of course "somewhere"; it's just that I don't remember where. Would an original sending unit need to be matched with an original gauge? Thanks.
Upon closer inspection, I do see now that the very fine wire that connects the two terminals coils around the gray "bracket like" bar. I sure didn't see it initially, but it does show up quite well in the photo:
The wire looks pretty thick in the close-up pic, but it's actually about as thin as a hair. So I guess we can conclude that repo gauges operate on the same principle as originals--just less robust in their construction.
My problem seems to lie with the connection between the needle and the bi-metal strip that controls it's movement. The needle flops around, and as mentioned, doesn't go to H when no power is applied. I thought I was being careful when adjusting it, but must have damaged it in some way messing with the little wheel. The circuit breaker acting up, and the smoking wires, must have been caused by some unrelated disturbance to the under dash wiring.
That does look like it "should" work like the originals. You shouldn't have problems with a sender that operates on the same principle, new or original.
The needle's connection at the bottom can't have any slop. It produces a lot of needle movement from a very small change. Nothing to lose, play with the adjustments.
It took a little looking, but I came up with the original invoices for the sender and gauge. I called Mid Fifty and spoke to Diane to confirm that I had compatable parts. She listened attentively to my story and concluded that the parts were correct, and the fact that the gauge was reading too hot was likely due to a defective in the gauge right from the get-go. We are going to touch base again on Monday, and in the mean time, she's going to see if she's able to get a replacement gauge. Pretty nice if it happens!
It took a little looking, but I came up with the original invoices for the sender and gauge. I called Mid Fifty and spoke to Diane to confirm that I had compatable parts. She listened attentively to my story and concluded that the parts were correct, and the fact that the gauge was reading too hot was likely due to a defective in the gauge right from the get-go. We are going to touch base again on Monday, and in the mean time, she's going to see if she's able to get a replacement gauge. Pretty nice if it happens!
I'd have been super impressed if Mid-Fifty called today, but they didn't. Calling them myself, to remind them, takes a little of the luster off Friday's very positive conversation.
I am super impressed after all! Diane and Mid-fifty came through big time!! Diane is not only replacing the gauge but also the sending unit--both at no charge.
When I spoke to Diane last week, she had a question about the sending unit and asked me to remove it and check on something for her. Of course, I had trouble. The screw holding the wire for the sending unit just wouldn't release. I ended up turning on it so hard that the "guts" of the unit turned with the screw. I broke the wire, removed the unit with the screw and wire end from the block in the usual way, and then got the screw out by holding the unit in a vise. I'm pretty sure I damaged the sending unit in the process, but didn't mention my difficulty to Diane at the time. I was too embarrassed having such a hard time with something so simple
Today, when Diane said she would replace the gauge at no charge, I had to mention that I would probably be needing a sending unit too. I fessed up and told her my embarrassing story. I said the damaged sending unit was on me, and I would pay for a replacement. Diane, however, insisted that she would take care of a new unit for me. She thought that the fact that the the guts moved with the screw must mean that it too was defective.
How's that for standing behind what you sell and trying to do the right thing for your customers?
I'd have been super impressed if Mid-Fifty called today, but they didn't. Calling them myself, to remind them, takes a little of the luster off Friday's very positive conversation.
Isn't this a beautiful sight?
Everything still works!
Jim
Jim that looks great!
I just read thru your posts... sounds like a roller coaster... Sorry I’ve been away for a bit tied up with work and another project...... Really looks good though, that’s exactly what I’ll do with mine.
Sorry your having such a hassle with that coolant temp sensor. In that picture with the face plate off it looks very similar to my 49 gauges. If you want I could check if I got an extra gauge kicking around if so for the cost of shipping it’s yours. But again they are 49 gauges so Im not sure if anything changed in the winding or physical size, etc... I doubt it but not sure.
Hey Zac. It's good to see you back!! I tried to e-mail you when I realized you weren't following the forum. I wanted to personally thank you and let you know your plan worked, and my signal lights were back in business.
Mid-Fifty sent me a replacement temp gauge and sending unit. I just haven't gotten around to putting them in yet. Thanks so much for your offer!
It sounds like you have been busy, but I'll ask how your truck is coming along anyway? Remember you'll only be a few hours away from the Pennsylvania Truckstock in September. I'll buy you a dinner.
Jim sorry I missed your email. I probably thought it was some advertising from the web site. I think I’m going to have to take a rain check on truck stock. I’d love to get there and meet up but I’m barely keeping my head above water right now with work.
I will post up some updated pictures of the truck later this week, I’m plugging along on it little at a time. Working on those big front fenders..... Unfortunately by the time I cut out and replaced all the rusted metal they looked more like a patch quilt then a complete fender.
Glad to hear you got your sender sorted out..... once you get all these things fixed up your not going to know what to do with all your free time.
No worries about finding things to do. I have a restored antique sailboat that I almost never sail:
...and another one, almost just like it, that I'm still working on:
Besides, my truck will never be finished. I'm expecting rust bubbles around my wheel arches to appear any day now.
The dinner invitation doesn't have an expiration date. I hope our paths will cross some day. I'm hoping too to use Truckstock gatherings as an annual excuse for an adventure with my truck for as long as I can.
Good luck with your truck, and thanks again for your patience and help.
Today was the day for getting my replacement temp gauge and sending unit installed. We had a recent storm go through that knocked a bunch of trees down--two of which landed on our house. I was waiting all day for a tree guy to come and take a look and give us a price for removal. The guy never did show, but waiting around for him to come gave me some free time to work on the truck.
The new gauge and sending unit are installed (thank you Diane and Mid-Fifty). Everything seems to be working. The gauge reads a little past hot with the key off and goes all the way to cold when the engine is started. I was a little surprised by how fast the gauge moved to hot, however. In maybe only four miles or so, the gauge was already reading 3/4 of the way to hot. I'm pretty sure on a long drive on a hot day, the gauge will peg all the way to hot--which sort of defeats the purpose. Does anyone have any ideas about how my gauge is acting? Thanks.
That sucks about the trees! Damage to the house's roof? I have come to see trees as a liability as much as things of beauty.
The question of course is, is the gauge reading right, and the engine is that hot? Or is the gauge/sender not calibrated correctly? Do you have an infrared "laser" thermometer? See what it says when you point it at the thermostat housing.
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