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volt meter

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tahoe healey

tahoe healey

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I am interested in installing a volt meter and have purchased two at a LBC swap-meet. Both don't work. I thought I could make one from two (nice glass and chorme on one and nice face on the other). They look simple enough inside and the wires inside are not fried and test conductive. Two part question here.
1. are the worth professional repairing? I got $10 total invested.
2. how can I test them before buying or can I repair them at home? There doesn't look like much inside to go wrong.
 
Hi TH, Yes I guess one is worth restoring if you just want a volt meter in the car.

To test one just hook a pair of test leads to the terminals and then connect it across a battery. If it does not read reverse the wires and see if that causes it to work. Should this test fail you are destined to be Nisongers next customer.---Fwiw--Keoke
 
A dash type volt meter doesn't really tell you much, as most of them are insufficently accurate or finely calibrated to be useful. IMHO an ammeter of the centre zero type is actually of more use fitted to the vehicle, as you can see if you are 'filling' or 'emptying' your battery.

For testing of generators and altenators a volt meter is very useful as an external item of equipment, but it needs to have a better resolution than the 2" dash mounted ones. You really need to measure to 100mV at least and know what you are reading. Modern dvm's - even cheap ones - are fine for car use. I have a nasty plasticky /chinese one in my tool roll, that checking with my Fluke, is remarkably accurate and only cost ÂŁ5. Certainly will tell me if the battery is sitting at 12.6 (idle & charged with no dud cells) or 13.0 - 13.8 (charging)
 
Hi Andrew, If you want that type accuracy in a voltmeter you can use an expanded scale type. These voltmeters are unique in that they monitor only the top 1/2 or 1 volt of the batteries rated voltage. They are very accurate and allow us to predict remaining flight time on RPV aircraft via telemetry.--Keoke

Hi DK, I do not like setting in the cockpit with an unshunted ammeter either.--Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nonod.gif
 
Tahoe,
I just got a Moss sale catalog or was it an email? this week. Moss now sells a Smith's voltmeter. Quite pricey so I will pass but probably cheaper than getting an old one repaired plus it looks good and would match the other black faced Smith's gauges.
Ed
 
As Keoke mentioned, hook up test leads to the two gauge terminals, connect it to the car battery and it should work. It doesn't matter which terminal is (+) or (-). Like the later Smiths temperature and fuel gauges, their voltage gauge is bi-metallic (therefore not polarity sensitive). Because they're bi-metallic they respond VERY slowly. You measured resistance across the terminals... have you connected either gauge to the car battery and left it for about 30 seconds to a minute? The needle should move off the left side of the scale quickly and then slowly climb to display battery voltage.

As Andrew said, the Smiths volt gauge isn't necessarily the best at finding problems with the charging system. For me it's not a question of the scale resolution as much as it's the slow response time. Though not original to the Healey, and obviously not matching its other gauges, you'll find that a 2" VDO with its nice d'Arsonval movement will respond much faster to give you an idea what's going on. Unlike Andrew, I'm not a fan of Ammeters.
 
klawson, your correct in that voltmeters are not original to the healeys interestingly an "ammeter" is listed as an option from the factory, ive been wanting to install one in my bj7 and have looked at hundreds of pictures to find its installation location in the dash without success, i dont want to randomly cut a big hole and find out latter it should be in another location anyone ever see an original install? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif
 
Yep 7777's, seen em before they are just like the cigar lighter put em where you please. Hope that helps.---Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Most cars of the Healey era would have any additional instruments added on an extra panel fixed below the dash. Panel was 'L' shaped with the short end of the 'L' screwed to the lower dash lip. Panels were available for single or multiple instruments. 'Boy racer' cars would be seen festooned with extra instruments often not connected to anything !
 
Yes Andrew, the hazard warning lamp an switch used that technique.---Keoke
 
Keoke said:
Yes Andrew, the hazard warning lamp an switch used that technique.---Keoke
Click to expand...
keokre, ya i can see the hazard warning switch being done in that way but gages? -- way to "55" chevy for me. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nonod.gif
 
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