water temp guage not working

[cobras]

blas what is this brass washer you are talking about?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by cobras

blas what is this brass washer you are talking about?

That washer is what seals the bulb to the manifold. If you were able to get your needle to move my using the "knuckle technique" then I would continue whacking the guage, that's where the problem is.

[cobras]

ok found the copper washer and now i know why you say dont loose it, as for the hot water method, tried it 2 time hoping it would shock it or loosen it up even tapped on the back of the guage with the handle of a screw driver but nope nada zip, guage just goes up to the 50 mark, i was saying the 40 mark before but thats where the needle sits
so no luck there, well it does go up to 50 hahaha, looking at it it seems like an easy re and re of the guage but looks like i need to remove the steering wheel to get the guage out. am i wrong with saying that. also what other options as to guage wise do i have? how hard will it be to wire it up to work. looking under that dash... not to much room to put my big hands, never mind loosening stuff of and such

[Dwight]

you can use a heat gun or hair dryer to heat the bulb

Dwight

[Blas]

The gauge comes out without removing the dash. You can remove the steering wheel. Hardest part is not scraching it taking the center horn button off. Use some fishig line run around the crease in case silicone was used to mount it. A small hand can probably replace the gauge with just removing the tach to get access. You probably have lost part of the gas charge in the bulb and Bourdon Tube, so it reads low. It will eventually stop reading completely. You already have learned more about your new car then many others.......Isn't this fun?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by cobras

how hard will it be to wire it up to work. looking under that dash... not to much room to put my big hands, never mind loosening stuff of and such

You're going to have to replace the gauge. I don't know about the SPF speedo trick, but if it's like the ERA then you're going to have to remove the screws holding the dash and pull the dash back towards you a couple of inches in order to get room to work. The wiring to a mechanical gauge is simple and straight-forward. Getting to the gauge is the trickiest part.

[ekrupa2]

Another option is the electric Kirkham gauges...if my Smiths ever fail this is what I would be replacing them with.
http://www.thomaskirkham.com/index.html

[patrickt]

For what it's worth, my Smiths stick and I have to rap them with a knuckle to make them start working. Passengers love it -- it just adds to the "step back in time" aura that the car has.

[cobras]

i wish all i had to do was knock on the guage to make it work, but for me i donthave that luck.
i can see that being kinda cool having to knock it oncein a while talk about old school.

Blas... hsving fun yet??? thats an understatement its like 2 deg over here and rainy and snow flurries at times, damm i was thinking of just tearing the whole car apart and clean it all with a tooth brush and put it all bsck together well u are right i am learning the pros and cons right quick... why just wet ur toe in the pool when you can jump in head first lol.
so ur saying i just have to remove the tach and i will be able to undo the bracket on the back of the temp guage? no need to remove the wheel to slide the guage out?

and another thing that turn siginal on the right side is a bit of a pain, will it fit on the left side and still work properly an have clearance to not hit the dash?



thanks everyone whos posted its ahuge help