• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Temp Guages

Share this page

Nunyas

Nunyas

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
I'm curious if anyone knows of an after market temp gauge that fits in the stock location (1976 MGB). I'd like something with actual temp numbers and possibly use the stock sensor.

I seem to be getting varying operating temps depending on the ambient temps, and would like to be able to better see what's going on beyond the ever so vague "C", "N", and "H".
 
You can put an earlier dual oil/H2O gauge in place of your oil pressure gauge. Then you can get rid of the pesky electric sender units, too.
 
? my oil press gauge is a little rectangle between the tach and speedo...
 
You could go with an Autometer electric water gauge, or if you check the gauge guys website (www.gaugeguys.com) they have mechanical temp gauges made by Smiths. Both of these have numbers on them, instead of the cryptic letters.

I understand that the mechanical gauges are more accurate than the electrical, but I can't verify that.
 
Sorry, I forgot which was which in later MGBs. What you can do is replace the water temp gauge with an earlier dual gauge unit which will give you water temp and oil pressure in numbers. And it looks cool, too!
 
Dual gauges are nice but they are priced accordingly.

Do you care about originality? Do you want an electric or mechanical temperature gauge?

You can buy the $18-20 Sunpro/Actron mechanical gauge at AutoZone, Advance Auto and similar places. It has adapters to mount in the 5/8-18 tapped hole where your electric sending unit goes. It's got a good 270 (angular) degree needle sweep. The only problem is the gauge won't match yours at all.
 
It doesn't necessarily need to look stock, but I would ~like~ for it to fit in the stock location. It'd be awesome if I could fit the stock bezel over the gauge as well.
 
Size should not be an issue. Most gauges are 52mm or 2 1/16" You just have to find one that you like the look of.
 
As an example of the Sunpro mechanical gauge, go to eBay and look up items 270142433569 & 270142435689. Item 280131341220 also applies but you'd want to take the gauge out of its cheap plastic frame (easy to do). This item, 290136134074, is an Equus gauge, I think all of these are available at Advance Auto. However, if shipping isn't ridiculous they will be cheaper on eBay. Figure $20-25 in the store +tax.

I think you'll find that any of the Sunpro/Actron or Equus gauges will give you an inexpensive solution. You could also invest a bit more money in AutoMeter or VDO. If you want to browse the higher end gauges and see some reasonable prices for them visit https://www.egauges.com The people there carry a lot of brands, they are helpful, and their prices are reasonable.

As for switching the bezels, it can be done with a little work but I'd first see if the gauge does what you want it to do before you go that route.
 
As all three of my English cars have the dual mechanical gauge. I keep a new spare in the parts bin. Not cheap, but I really like the SOLID info rather than the electron translation type. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif


...and don't nobody mention "ETHER-ial" translation as 'unearthly'. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif
 
ooooo... there's an air speed indicator on that site... how fun would that be to have in yer B!

"Look Ma! I'm flying at 40 knotts onna ground!" /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Methinks mum would box me onna earhole if I paid for one-a them.
 
hmmm... them Smiths gauges are nice looking. a tad pricey, but nice... especially the dual oil pressure and water temp gauge.
 
I keep a spare dual gauge as well. I have never had issue with the oil side, it is always the temp side. I have always liked the look of the VDO gauges. I had a set in my VW years ago. I think for a B' Smiths gauges would be appropriate. But that is just my worthless opinion. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
I'll stand right along side ya, Ron. Smiths for the B.

I never had a bad oil gauge either. Always was the bulb or tube for the water side went Tango Uniform.

I put VDO stuff in the Spider. That's okay IMO. Not for an English car, tho.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]
German Torquay tourist: "Will you STOP mentioning the war?!"

English Torquay innkeeper: "Well, YOU STARTED IT!"

German Torquay tourist: "We did not start it!"

English Torquay innkeeper:"Yes you did, you invaded Poland."

[/QUOTE]
 
I just noticed that 'replacement' dash pads for my car don't have an indent or cut out for the stock oil pressure gauge. So, that dual Oil Pressure/Coolant Temp gauge is really tempting now...
 
Back
Top