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TR2/3/3A TR3 temp gauge

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tinman58

tinman58

Jedi Knight
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My temp gauge climbs to higher temps about to the 200 degree line, but when I check all the hoses and rad., with a heat gun all the temps are at about 180-185. The top tank is 185 and the bottom tank was about a70 at idil with the electric fan on. Idling for about ten minutes with not much temp. rise. Could the temp. gauge be off by that much? I believe that the gauge has never been rebuilt.
 
Sounds like a gauge problem to me.

Assuming it is a capillary tube gauge your next question may be 'can it be easily calibrated?'. Wellsir, I don't know.
 
Sure it could be off by that much. I used to have one that read about 160 at room temperature, and climbed to the top of the scale.
 
Is it an original either gauge or a later electric one? If it is electric then i is reading igh because there is no voltage stabilizer in the circuit. The gauge is refeencing full battery/regulator voltage (14 V) rather than regulated (~10 V). This give a high reading.
 
it is a ether gauge, I think I will have it rebuilt. I do not trust it after 52 years. Hey I am 52 years old.....
 
Would that be either it works or it don't.
 
The mechanical temperature gauges use ether (C4H10O, the stuff they used to use as anesthetic) for a working fluid.

Basically the sensing bulb has some liquid ether in it that vaporizes as it gets hot. The resulting vapor is carried through the 'capillary' tube to the gauge on the dash, which responds to the pressure.

Quite ingenious really, but they don't last forever.
 
Aloha Dan,

West Valley Instruments is in your neck of the woods and I have had very good service from them in the past. They have serviced a speedometer, oil pressure gauge and repaired my TR3 temperature gauge for me. The prices seemed fair and comparable to others you can find on the internet. The turn around time was also good, about two weeks as I recall. Here is a link to their website:

https://www.westvalleyinstruments.com/index.htm
 
Thanks for all the advice, I will go with west valley to do the rebuild also my speedo .
 
Dan, if West Valley doesn't pan out Nisonger does good work. They did my Spitfire tach and the turn around was only 2-3 weeks. John
 
Since the gauge does work, however inaccurately, and if you can get out of the car without breaking it, talk to Morris (West Valley owner) about re-calibration only. If he can, the price is less and if he tries and can't, he didn't used to charge for the calibration attempt. He has done many gauges for me over the years & I've never had a problem.
FRank
 
I had Morris at West Valley do my temp gage as well as an ammeter recently. VERY nice work and fast too considering I'm on the other coast.

Gordon
 
+1 for West Valley. Good luck w/ getting it out in one piece!
 
Don't even think the later .
West Valley will work
 
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