Gauge Resto Questions

[This14u]

I'm about to replace the o-rings and clean the lenses on my '80 Spit gauges. Some of the gauge faces appear dirty and
I'd like to clean them, but I'm scared to death that if I wipe them with 409 or similar cleaner it will remove/smudge the numbers.

Does anyone have experience with this? Can you recommend a safe cleaner or should I just leave them alone?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[TR3driver]

It's good to be careful. Not sure if the later gauges are the same, but on my TR3 gauges, the white paint comes off very easily with any kind of water-based cleaner. Last time I used Endust (spray furniture "dusting aid") plus a short stiff artists brush to carefully clean the face mostly around the lettering, and that worked out OK. I read somewhere that the Endust would help keep them from getting dirty again, but I can't say I've noticed the difference.

And apparently the original Endust is no longer available. "Endust Free" isn't the same thing. Sorry, I guess that's not much help.

 

[dklawson]

I generally use a cue-tip slightly moist with water to clean up to the lettering but avoid the lettering itself. The paint on the gauge face is quite easily removed.

 

[TR4]

I used Windex on my TR4 guages with great results. No issues with the lettering.

 

[Brosky]

You can see what I used here: https://www.74tr6.com/gauges.htm

 

[This14u]

Paul,

That's a fantastic write-up. Thanks so much!

Bob

 

[Brosky]

Bob, I'm glad that you liked it and I hope that it helps.

 

[eyesie]

FYI
409 etc are a mostly a bleach derivative.

Alan

 

[TexasKnucklehead]

I found Paul's writeup to be very useful when doing my TR3 gauges. But I still used 409 and a q-tip to gingerly clean off the old yellowed/dull white lettering and clean the black face. The white would smear onto the black and the black smears onto the white. So it took a lot of time and quite a few q-tips. As you can see on the early tach, the red-line was cleaned almost completely off. I was amazed at how dirty the glass was.

 

[Brosky]

Tex,

Nice job on those gauges!!

Now I know exactly what that spare tach and speedo that I have fit. I thought that they were for a TR4.

Are there any numbers on your gauges? I'd like to compare them to the spares that I have.

 

[TexasKnucklehead]

Now I know exactly what that spare tach and speedo that I have fit. I thought that they were for a TR4.

Are there any numbers on your gauges? I'd like to compare them to the spares that I have.

The TR3 tach has a red line, the TR4 has a red area. The TR3 tach and speedo have double white circles, the TR4 has a single circle. Early TR4 had curved lens (all gauges), late had flat, and eventually the top of the needle was covered by the face -but I'm no expert. Here's a picture of the only gauge that still had glass after my car was under 20' of water. (I will never clean it.) My 'donor' gauges are from an early TR4, including the electric temperature gauge shown above with numbers. So, the short answer is 'yes I have numbers', but they are probably not going to answer your question as to exactly where they belong. -they all work and I'm happy to have them.

Thanks for the compliment, especially after seeing some of your work.

 

[hondo402000]

you should bead blast the inside of the units and paint them gloss white, thats what I did on my TR6 gauges and it made them much brighter.

Hondo

 

[Brosky]

OK Tex, these have double white circles, but have the red band??

 

[TexasKnucklehead]

TR4. The "RPM" and "MPH" are inside the double circles, and the TR3 labels are outside the circles. (I misspoke, I knew it involved the circles.)
Here's a picture of a set of TR3s with a set of TR4s.

 

[Brosky]

OK, now I see what you mean. Thanks!!

And your work looks even better now that I see what you started with.

 

[HerronScott]

Paul,

Do you have the numbers off of yours?

Scott

 

[Brosky]

Scott, these are the numbers on mine:

Speedometer

SN 6325 OOA
209182
1184

Tachometer

RN1417 00
X 100
2-1

 

[HerronScott]

Scott, these are the numbers on mine:

Speedometer

SN 6325 OOA
209182
1184

Tachometer

RN1417 00
X 100
2-1

Paul,

Sorry, took me a while to get out to where my parts and cars are stored.

SN6325/00A should be for TR4 and TR4A's after the early TR4's (after CT11307) which had the domed glass and specifically for cars with 590x15 tires (bias ply?) and a 3.7 differential. The SN6325/02A would be for the same except for cars with 165x15 radial ties and a 3.7 differential. I have 7 speedometers with 3 00A and 4 02A so pretty evenly split.


All the TR4 and TR4A tachometers were RN1417/00 after the early TR4's (after CT11307) which had the domed glass. All 5 of the ones I have are SN1417/00.

Scott

 

[Brosky]

Thanks. Now I have a target market to hit.