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Just bought me a new gauge at advance

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regularman

regularman

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To use as a donor to repair my temperature gauge. I don't know for sure when I am going to attempt this. I understand the theory and all. As long as the bulb stays cold then the ether inside remains liquid. I am a fairly good solderer so what the heck? Just got to plan it out and get everything clean. I think I can do this.
 
for everything else you've done, this should be a piece of cake - go for it!
 
Kim, please let us know how it goes. What kind of solder/gun would you use?

I just purchased a supposedly good one off ebay for $70, however, it looks like a turd. My broken one looks much better, and I have a donor new sunpro gauge that I could hack up to work. As it's already broken, I may attempt to fix my present one first. Can't break it more! Then I can resell the working ugly one.
 
For cold if necessary I do see dry ice at kmart and the grocery.
 
jlaird said:
For cold if necessary I do see dry ice at kmart and the grocery.
Click to expand...
I had already thought of this, Jack. Here is what I am thinking. Ether remains a liquid and does not boil off too a gas until 94 degrees, so keeping the bulb in ice water should be fine. Anybody ever use starting fluid in the winter? You have to keep it warm or the can has no pressure and it won't spray. I am thinking I will use dry ice or something like that right at the last moment when putting on the last solder joint to cause some negaitve pressure and get a good seal with the solder, sort of like when solder up an old metal carb float. I have something coming back to haunt me now though. I lost one of the thumb screws on the temp gauge and used a regular nut on one side, now I can't get it off. I have to pull the tach back out to get some room to work. Thing is that I lost the original up under the dash, where could it have gone? I think the Mowog gremlins come at night and eat these little things like life savers :wink:
 
I did it using a salt-ice water bath, but dry ice may work even better. Just don't make the same mistake I did. I set my beer in the salt-ice water bath to keep it cool and learned that beer can be too cold (or at least I think so).

Otherwise it was easy and works well.
 
Trevor Jessie said:
I did it using a salt-ice water bath, but dry ice may work even better. Just don't make the same mistake I did. I set my beer in the salt-ice water bath to keep it cool and learned that beer can be too cold (or at least I think so).

Otherwise it was easy and works well.
Click to expand...
Hey, there is an idea to get the water a little colder :wink: I imagine its like every other solder job, keep everything super clean. I plan on using electrical solder and not plumbing solder as that is what I am used to. I got a decent gun that should do the trick after I double check all connections and things. Hey one question to those who have done this. What did you use for a sleave to adapt the two capillaries together? I have a piece of 1/8" tubing that the ID looks like it will work but its awefully thick and the spring is not going to go around it. Gonna look around a bit.
 
I used some that I found in my "project drawer". The inner diameter was slightly too small for the Smiths line, but I was able to drill it out. The SunPro line was a little too loose, but I took a gamble and used it anyway. It is still working fine.
 
Well, I can make up some with the solder. I used to work with tubing a lot when I worked for Sears as an Appliance repairman back in the day. I worked on a lot of sealed refrigeration systems like freezer and fridges and window a/c units, etc. Only I used silver solder and its tough as nails but you need a torch for that and with ether that is a big problem :lol: I'm sure I can work something out.
 
I did it with dry ice and 1/8" copper tubing for the sleeve. I had to use a drill bit to open up the tubing (the exact size is on the Plymouth website with the repair instructions. I was able to drag the wire protective spring over the tubing, and solder it to the boss coming out of the rear of the gauge. It seems to still work fine.

https://www.ply33.com/Repair/tempgauge

Brian
 
OK, I got the gauge removed and the old capillary cut off leaving about 6 inches to play with. Here is the thing, I smelled ether when I cut the line, so there must have been at least some left in there. This has me concerned. Anyways. I cut off a piece of 1/8 tubing and it is pretty big on the capillary tube and the new sunpro caplliary tube looks to be the same size as the original. Are you guys sure you used 1/8 copper tubing because the spring surround is never gonna fit over that tubing. I will look around at work and see what I can come up with. I am tempted to just remove the solder from the base on the gauge and put the new one there. I have a solder sucker and plenty of wick so I don't see why I can't. Tell me of your experiences guys. You guys sure it wasn't 1/16 inch tubing you used??? I need to find some of that and check it out, I bet that is my problem.
 
Kim. I have a nasty old guage you can have to mess with if you like.
 
I think I have some left from where I did mine. I'll see if I can measure it.
 
I used the same size tubing that is sold as oil pressure line at the auto parts stores. The ID was slightly smaller then the OD of the capillary tube. I think it was 1/8" tubing, but I could be wrong.
 
Kim, when I made this repair (using the salt bath described in the Plymouth link) I made the coupling piece out of a bit of brass rod. You can find it in most hobby shops. I drilled the sleeve all the way through the diameter of the "smaller" capillary tubing, then drilled half way through with a drill matching the diameter of the larger tubing.

I have an additional suggestion, I don't think it was mentioned on the Plymouth site. On the original gauge tubing, clean thoroughly with ScotchBrite after you've cut the spring back about an inch. Tin the bare tubing, then cut off the first 1/8" so you know that solder hasn't wicked into the bore. File the end square and use a tiny drill bit to make sure the bore is open. On the donor gauge, cut the spring guard and pull it down towards the expansion bulb. I used soft jaw pliers to hold it back once compressed. Then ScotchBrite the area where you plan on cutting and tin the tube before you cut it.

Pre-tinning the parts before you put them into the splice/sleeve will make this go a lot smoother. I agree with those above, this will not be a problem for you. You've undertaken more difficult repairs.
 
Ok, yeah. Clean, clean, clean for any good solder joint and tinning is the best way to go. I plan on freeing the spring and tinning part of the new sunpro (donor)capillary before I cut it and going ahead and tinning the old capillary tube and the sleeve tubing and getting a good joint on it first then hopefully installing the new one will go well. I had no luck finding as sleave at work but I am preparing for a search and destroy mission of the local places around here. I am sure I will find something. I like the idea of the oil pressure line being the right size. I wll look for that first.
 
Hey, I checked around yesterday and could not find any tubing that suited me for the job, but now I think I am on to something. There is a hobby supply store that deals with those rc cars and planes with the powered engines in them. I bet they have small tubing for things like that. Gonna check that place out this afternoon.
 
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