TR6 Oil pressure gauge-oil leaking behind the glass

[Bareed]

Members, I recently purchased a 76 TR6 and have noticed that there is oil behind the glass on the oil pressure gauge. I have removed the gauge, and have disassembled the unit to see if there were any obvious leaks. The leather washer was in place. There was nothing visible to the eye. The car has not been started in 5 years. How would I test to see if the oil in the gauge was from a loose fitting/connection, or from the actual pressure mechanism? Also any suggestions on what product to us to clean the gauge face and interior. I do not want to damage either. Thanks for the assistance.

 

[Geo Hahn]

To test my TR6 oil pressure gauge (which is now on a non-TR) I simply connected it to the under-bonnet flex line on my TR3. If you have a friend with suitable car and temperament this is the simple test.

As for cleaning -- tricky stuff as that white lettering can just about disappear with a good sneeze.

Slight OT - I think a mechanical oil pressure gauge is much more reliable and accurate than the electronic unit that would be stock on my non-TR and the TR6 gauge is a great match for the other gauges.

 

[TR3driver]

IMO a leak at the outside connection wouldn't put oil inside the unit. (Mine certainly just dripped oil on the carpet.) Just about has to be a leak inside, very possibly a crack in the Bourdon tube. I would either start looking for another gauge, or send that one off to be rebuilt at any of the various places that do so.

As Geo notes, the original white paint is very fragile. Mine was coming off even just rubbing it gently with a dry camel hair artists brush. When I was a kid I might have tried repainting it by hand (I used to do a lot of very fine detail work on models), but today I have neither the patience nor the steady hands required.