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Thread: Gauges compatibility

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    Mechanic fmarie911's Avatar

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    Gauges compatibility

    Hi All,

    Looking at doing a "bespoke" instrument cluster for my Mk1 out of the original 6 dials. Already got a smiths rev counter and speedo but now looking at oil pressure and temp as well as water temp gauges. I quite like the look of the old smiths ones (see below) but would like to know the following before buying :

    1. most of these are refered as fitted to MG, MGB etc. Will they be compatible with my car/engine

    2. What max ranges should I go for :
    Water temp up to 110 C ?
    Oil temp up to 110 C ?
    Oil pressure up to 100 ?

    Forgot to mention that I will be running a 2.0L pinto in the car and looking at mechanical/capillary gauges, not electrical ones.


    Any info greatly appreciated, thanks

    FXM

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    World Champion Decade Plus User exboyracer's Avatar

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    Re: Gauges compatibility

    The mechanical gauges will be compatible with any engine, you might need an adaptor at the engine end but that should be no problem.

    Your temperature / pressure ranges sound fine to me, any more than 110 degrees oil temp and you need to fit an oil cooler!
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    Mechanic fmarie911's Avatar

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    Re: Gauges compatibility

    Thanks for the feedback, can now go ahead and buy what I need then (I have got an oil cooler at the ready as well).

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    Re: Gauges compatibility

    Make sure you get proper lines for the oil gauge. I worked on an evo where who ever built the car used cheapy plastic lines (that i have seen come with guages) inside fireproof stuff.


    At the end of a stage she caught alight, the plastic had melted inside the fireproof stuff and the oil came out and over the manifold. Flames out the vents, Melted the engine loom injectors and bonnet, very lucky it wasn't worse.

    Put me right off using mechanical guages. Of course the owner bought me the same stuff to re plumb the gauge, that went in the filling cabinet under B .

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    Mechanic fmarie911's Avatar

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    Re: Gauges compatibility

    This may sound silly but would it work if I was to use the above gauge for Oil temp instead of water. I am guessing that the only difference really is the line and sender that are used which must differ between oil and water but as far as the gauge is concerned, should not make any difference really ????

    So if I connect a proper oil line to the back of the Water connector on the gauge, would it work and give me proper oil temp readings ? (that way I could use this dual gauge for Oil pressure and Oil temp and just fit a separate gauge for water temp)

    Any thoughts ???

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    World Champion Decade Plus User exboyracer's Avatar

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    Re: Gauges compatibility

    I can't see any reason why you couldn't use the water temp gauge to read oil temp.
    http://escort.accelerator.org
    1968 MK1 Escort 1300GT
    1969 'Big Wing' MK1 Escort
    1972 MK3 Cortina 1600XL
    1984 Sierra XR4i
    And other junk I don't like to talk about!

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