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TR2/3/3A TR3 Temp Gauge

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M

Mac

Jedi Hopeful
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Anyone know where I could find a water temperature gauge? Even one that needs repair would be fine. Mac
 
These things tend to be expensive if working and expensive to repair. If you're thinking of finding a broken one that you would repair yourself troll eBay. I wanted to do that (just to see if I could) but all the broken ones I saw seemed to have the tube missing (rather than just cut) and I hadn't bothered to source a replacement tube.

An alternative that comes up from time to time is an early TR4 temp gauge that looks like a TR3 gauge (no shroud over the needle, domed glass) but uses an electric sensor. Of course, if originality is not important, a late TR4 gauge will work and you could swap the flat glass for domed & remove the shroud.
 
Sadly, there is more to repairing capillary tube gauges than soldering on a tube. Though I've heard some people say the bulb and tube are full of alcohol, I always thought it was methylene chloride. Nisonger can repair these but the cost is typically around $140.
 
I tried using a TR4 electrical gauge which will only work if you also use the appropriate TR4 gauge voltage stabilizer. I was not satisfied with it and had Nisonger rebuild my original TR3 gauge. The rebuilt gauge has worked for many years now. I don't remember what I paid for the rebuild; I know it wasn't $140, but that has been about ten years ago. As Doug suggests, rebuilding it oneself could be more difficult than expected.
 
Oops, I did forget about the voltage stabilzer being required for the later temp gauge.

I believe the magic juice inside the capillary tube is ether. There is a way to reload it and someday I'll give it a try.
 
where exactly does one find ether?
 
Ether is the main ingredient in starting fluid. Is that what goes in there??? That stuff is very volatile. How would you solder everything shut without evaporating it all, or worse yet setting it on fire?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
 
Ebay is the best bet...I broke mine about 5 or 6 years ago and got one on Ebay for about $115. Of course, it was off by 15 degrees -- but at least it was off by 15 degrees at every point!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Ether is the main ingredient in starting fluid. Is that what goes in there??? That stuff is very volatile. How would you solder everything shut without evaporating it all, or worse yet setting it on fire?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm wondering that too... but I read somewhere else about some guy who said he fixed it by pouring in ether and then adjusting how much was in there to calibrate the guage...

I can't see how it wouldn't all just go away when you soldered the tube back on. But then _somebody_ had to do it when the built the guage.
 
Sorry... The $140 price I put in my previous post was for "dual" oil-pressure/water-temp gauges. Reconditioning a normal capillary temperature gauge should indeed cost less than what I said.
 
Hey Guys, I found an article on repairing the temp gauge.

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

It's pretty straight forward, but you need a good donor gauge for the bulb and tube. I have a Stewart-Warner gauge that I was using in the TR before I started the resto, so I'm goning to sacrifice it and use the capillary part on the TR gauge. I'll let you know how things work out within the next week or two. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Interesting site. Yes, the 'bowl of ice' method is what I had heard about, only in the procedure I saw it assumed you were reusing the old tube or a dry replacement and needed to introduce a quantity of ether into the tube and bulb.

I checked on ether at the local Walgreens -- they said you needed to be a physician to get it. It is the main ingredient in starting fluid though... or find a cooperative doctor or dentist.
 
FWIW, Just last week I picked up my rebuilt TR3 temperture guage from West Valley Instruments, in the San Pornando Valley here in SoCal. Moss has the particulars in their catalogs.
For $110, my gauge was looked at and cleaned, (worked fine), and I got a new capillary tube, sender, and gland nut. I'll be putting it back in, hopefully,in a couple of weeks. Exactly 1 week turnaround, and they had lots of assorted gauges. NFI
Best, Kevin Browne
'59TR3A #58370
 
I'm going to bookmark that site and probably print out the instructions while I'm at work tomorrow. I could hardly read the small fonts on my monitor at home. Thanks for posting the link.
 
If you are looking for a straight up rebuilt one, British Auto in upstate NY has them, domed glass and all. They are show quality, new capillary tube, nut, etc. Call and ask for Mark, 1-315-986-3097. He also has them at Import Carlisle.
 
SUCCESS!!!!

I followed the instructions on the link that I posted earlier, and it worked out just beautifully. (See attachment...sorry for the lousey pic, but I was all excited). Just for the heck of it, I checked the temp of the salted ice solution with a photo thermometer that goes down to about 20 deg F. Well, it went WAY below that. Also, the pic was taken with the bulb in boiling water, and it looks to me to be pretty much dead on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
I'm actually the guy looking for the gauge. Mac told me there's a place in NY mentioned on this that may have a temp gauge for my TR 3. The car and I have been together for 30 years, and it's tired of the cheesy SW I've been using.

Jim C.
'57 TR3
'92 Miata
 
There's one on ebay at the moment. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
 
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