Hello, it seems that the tmperatur indicator on my truck is damaged. It didn't go to zero if the engine didn't run. Can I buy this instrument new? Ask Wolfgang
Most every vendor has them. Order a longer one if you have a v8. Disconnect the battery first. Remove the guage by removing the 4 little nuts on the back. Be shure to drop at least one in your eye and another into the dash. Uncrimp the chrome ring and remove it and the glass. Remove the 2 small screws on the back of the guage holding the temp guage. Remove screws on one of the other guages next to it to ease removal of the guage. Now remove the sender from the block.....Follow the copper line into a large fitting. Coolant will probably pour out. If your old guage is broken, cut the capillary tube and pull through the firewall grommet . Remove guage from cluster. Carefully unroll the new guage tube and feed through the cluster, screw down temp guage and other guage. Reinstall cluster in dash reverse of how it came out. Feed new sender through firewall....remove grommet and push through firewall, then grease it up and stuff through the small hole in the 4 way grommet. Swear loudly. Try to resist the urge to cut the grommet if you can...they eventually dry out and begin to separate. Now carefully route your capillary tube to the hole for the sender. DO NOT BEND OR KINK TUBE. It is gas filled and once the magic gennie is let out, he doesn't come back. Insert adapter into hole in engine if needed, then thread in sender CAREFULLY. It is easy to over tighten and strip the threads..trust me. Snug it just enough to stop fluid leaks. Fill up radiator and check for leaks. Now drive it and check the guage. I believe I have pictures in the how to assemble an AD thread.
ALSO, DO NOT TEST THE NEW UNIT USING A MATCH OF LIGHTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you must place end in a pot of water and warm the water with your coffee or tea pot water.
Capillary Temperature Gauge They go to zero when the tube cracks / breaks and the Ether leaks out..... It's good to see they're making new ones again , these were always a popular Dealer Item when new back in the day . I bet I have a few old ones sitting out in the rain , working but needing new faces . When touching the engine end , use a " Flare Nut Wrench " and hold the adapter with a second wrench or you'll learn to swear more than a 100 year old sailor..... Not that Russ or I EVER struggled with one of these recalcitrant gauges in August , as the Customer waited .......... (on a rusty old truck no less)
And snug the sender in JUST enough to stop it from leaking. They will strip out about 1/4 turn after.
Northern Hemisphere ! No problem with that Bill. Wolfgang lives further south then me but winters they have there to. I live at 55 degrees north of the midle line , allmost at the same range as Canada when looking at the globe. My gauge goes to nill even in winter time.
Thank for this very thourough reply! I did`nt new there whas gas in the tube, learn something new today. Thanks you.
