gjfoote Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I am hoping that one of you very knowledgable enthusiasts out there may beable to shed some light on a problem I have given myself! I have just had cause to remove the Thermostat housing and cover from our TR3. This was not straight forward as it was all pretty seized up. Eventually I did manage to undo the bolts and nuts but I was not able to remove the threaded plug that holds the temp sender in the housing. In the end I was forced to cut!! cringe...the connection between gauge and sender. Mine is the old coiled spring type. Im not quite sure how these work? I cut it right at the back of the gauge where I only needed to cut the inner core. Can anybody explain? and also tell me if there is a repair process either DIY or professional!!! Many Thanks for any help Graham Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Graham, Have a look at sections B16 & B17 on the Technicalities CD. I have also seen articles on the internet (try Googling for 'capillary temperature gauge' or similar. There may also have been something on this forum so may be worth a search here as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
judson addict Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 (edited) Oops. They are a s-d, are thet not. As you probably are aware, these work on a capilliary action up the hollow coiled spring and if you cut or break it it is kaput. Either a new one (I don't know if the suppliers have them) or an autojumble etc are sources for a working one, but do try them if possible in a hot cup of tea from the cofee stall first. I have not heard of anybody successfully repairing them - if you do find out let me know - I have a couple needing repair!! Jonty Edited July 27, 2006 by judson addict Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Graham, They are definitely repairable. However I believe the DIY route is only suitable if the pipe is broken at the bulb (sensor) end, so you have unfortunately chosen the wrong end to cut. Professional repairs are unlikely to be far short of £100, so while you are searching for a secondhand one which works, you could try RevingtonTR - they were recently advertising non-original capillary gauges at reasonable prices. Come to think of it, it might be worth getting one myself as a spare for when I have the same problem. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Graham, A few years ago, a friend of mine gave me a VDO temp sender and gauge (white dial, celsius scale). Not having a TR at that time, I put it on a shelf in my garage. When I obtained my TR, I saw a similar device in my car. Broken (off course...) Unfortunally the VDO didn't fit: the sender unit was a bit to short: it hardly entered the inside of the thermo'housing. Anyway, I had to buy an other one. The replacement was a little different: between sender and gauge there wasn't a coiled spring but some kind of braided copper wire. Well, it works perfectly in these summer conditions we have overhere (as in the whole of Europe!): it's hot under the bonnet. And it shows on the gauge. Okay, when you go for the Revington -non original- option, I wonder: isn't it possible to put an electric (and more authentic Triumph) sender and gauge unit in your TR? Just for the time being, that is? cheers, Menno Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Problem with going the electrical route (apart from appearance, including flat glass instead of curved), is that they work on 10 volts so you need the voltage stabilisor which is a whole new can of worms. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j-eichert Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Hello, Going the electric route: the voltage stabiliser is very simple, just a 3pin (input-output-ground) device. And as he has a orginal unit: Can't you use this domed glass with the newer electric instrument? I would personally prefer this route, but the first generation of tehse (with the TR3- appearance) is even rarer than the capillary ones. But as far as i know, there are specialist capable of replacing the whole tube + sender. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJN Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 I don’t see the problem of going to an electric temp gauge. I managed to get a set of gauges from a very early 4 which had domed glass. I’ve fitted the temp and fuel gauge together with a voltage stabiliser to my 3a. All work ok at the moment.(except the fuel gauge works in reverse. A winter project to fix that. Any suggestions?). At least I can read the dial now without having to estimate the average of the wildly flapping needle. Fitting the domed glass to a flat gauge is not generally a problem and the glass can be readily bought from some of our major suppliers. As far as potential problems with the voltage stabilisers are concerned I’m now in the same boat as all 4, 4A, 5 and 6 owners. And they seem to cope. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nigel Lay Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 You can get a 'classic mini's' temperature guage innards into the Triumph housing, it is a fiddle but then by using the standard voltage stabiliser and a mini sender (which will screw straight in) away you go all for the cost of a couple of quid from your friendly scrapman. I have done two now but only for friends. Believe me it is a fiddly job and really you want two mini guages as you are bound to break the needle off the first one you try to modify! Nigel (with TS952 - and original capillary guage!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve R Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 .All work ok at the moment.(except the fuel gauge works in reverse. A winter project to fix that. Any suggestions?). Try http://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/electric/electr_1.htm An excellent site with clear photos and instructions. It's how I fixed mine. Steve R Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Richardtr3a Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 I can not believe that I am reading all this. The guage is connected by a capillary. This is a small copper pipe filled with a special chemical and protected by a wire wrap which looks like a coiled spring but is only a protection and has nothing to do with temperature sending. Usually the bulb breaks off the capillary at the housing end and you have to send away the guage and bulb for a new capillary to be fitted. The address for my man is in my office and if you would like it Iwill look for it tomorrow. You must have the correct capillary for the look of it and the simplicity. Yours Richard Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gjfoote Posted August 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2006 I can not believe that I am reading all this. The guage is connected by a capillary. This is a small copper pipe filled with a special chemical and protected by a wire wrap which looks like a coiled spring but is only a protection and has nothing to do with temperature sending. Usually the bulb breaks off the capillary at the housing end and you have to send away the guage and bulb for a new capillary to be fitted. The address for my man is in my office and if you would like it Iwill look for it tomorrow. You must have the correct capillary for the look of it and the simplicity. Yours Richard Hi Richard, Thanks - the contact details of 'your man' would be very useful - you can Email me at graham.foote@clarks.com if you like? Cheers Graham Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Richardtr3a Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Hi Richard, Thanks - the contact details of 'your man' would be very useful - you can Email me at graham.foote@clarks.com if you like? Cheers Graham Keith Swindells 30 Warwick Avenue NewtoN le Willows, WA12 8PS 01925 224592 Yours Richard Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Herrod Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 Problem with going the electrical route (apart from appearance, including flat glass instead of curved), is that they work on 10 volts so you need the voltage stabilisor which is a whole new can of worms. I hope you will forgive me for butting into this post My car is fitted with domed guages which I assume are from a TR4. Both the temp and fuel guage are electric, but I'm sure that there is nothing to reduce the operating voltage to 10V. This might explain why the fuel gauge (which, I believe measures current) reads full at something like three quarters of a tank. Can anyone comment on what other effects there may be and what bits I should be fitting and where to reduce the voltage. Cheers Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 On our (sorry - my wife's) TR4A, the voltage stabilisor is on the o/s footwell panel. I assume this is the standard location but never (alas) having owned a TR4 I don't even know if they had one. If no-one else responds, I'll have a look at the manuals when I get home tonight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 PM me and i will send you scans of wiring and instructions for fuel gauge wiring and a complete wiring diagram for TR4+4A using voltage stabiliser.Dont have enough space left to post pictures for some unknown reason!! Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nigel Lay Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 Dave, I have got a 'bog standard lucas bi-metal strip one' off a Minor (they are all the same except possible for the mounting bracket). This one would bolt virtually anywhere or there was a guy on ebay flogging the fancy solid state ones. The one advantage with the original is that it is not polarity sensitive. If you want it PM me with your address & I will post it off to you. Nigel (with TS952) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.