adriantr4 Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 Hi Back from a long run in the '4. Car running well but on switch-off the oil pressure gauge is stuck reading 50. It was working fine during the journey. Any suggestions? It is 60 years old, so .... Thanks, Adrian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 Well, if it was me, I would 1st uncouple the pipe from the back & see if it drops to zero. If it does then you have a blockage in the pipe somewhere. if it doesn't then remove it, take off the glass & dial, & see why it stuck. Repair / lubricate as necessary & replace. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 When it comes to the mechanism inside, this document may help. https://www.triumphclub.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/A-Gentlemans-guide-to-Smiths-gauges_Pt_1_1v3.pdf Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rcreweread Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 Adrian - if you don't fancy stripping your oil pressure gauge down, then I have a number of refurbished small instruments, as per the attached photos - there is only one oil pressure gauge which I think is correct for a TR4A, except it has the wrong bezel - you could easily swap the bezel with your existing - very affordable at only £75 plus P&P - all the instruments in the photos are at this price. I also have 2 complete sets of the 4 correct 4A small instruments which are £300 the set, again all refurbished but I won't split these. If any of these are of interest to anyone, then please PM me your contact details . Cheers Rich Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John L Posted August 31, 2023 Report Share Posted August 31, 2023 I have a couple of the gauges on my TR5 that cloud up when first out in the day and then clear later, I want to take the glass out and clean, but I have been unable to find the seal that is fitted between the glass and the chrome outer ring, does anybody have a contact/supplier for these please? John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted August 31, 2023 Report Share Posted August 31, 2023 I use simple 'O' rings 47mm ID X 2mm cross section Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted August 31, 2023 Report Share Posted August 31, 2023 Cleaning the glass may not change anything. The dials steam up because there is damp air inside the gauge and the water vapour condenses on the glass when the glass becomes cold, and disperses again as things warm up. The gauges are not sealed and there is nothing to stop damp air getting in, so the only cure would be to keep the car in a low-humidity environment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted August 31, 2023 Report Share Posted August 31, 2023 +1 my fuel gauge does it often. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
adriantr4 Posted September 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2023 Thanks to all posters, much appreciated. Drove car again - guage now working again, so I suspect fair wear and tear. I'll keep monitoring it. In today's news: sealed beam unit that is just under a year old has failed. Another poor after-market product? Lastly, I have bought o-rings on eBay, very easy and cheap. Again, thanks Adrian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ralph Whitaker Posted September 1, 2023 Report Share Posted September 1, 2023 (edited) 23 minutes ago, adriantr4 said: Thanks to all posters, much appreciated. Drove car again - guage now working again, so I suspect fair wear and tear. I'll keep monitoring it. In today's news: sealed beam unit that is just under a year old has failed. Another poor after-market product? Lastly, I have bought o-rings on eBay, very easy and cheap. Again, thanks Adrian I had a run of failures with sealed beam units, not on the TR, but on the Mini I restored for my daughter. After buying 4 that each lasted no more than a few weeks I bought a set of Wipac Quadoptics which take bulbs. Truly excellent lights and never changed a bulb in 4 years. Original Lucas units lasted years, the re pros are rubbish, ditch them and buy a set of the PL700s from better car lighting with halogen bulbs. Not cheap, but look right on a TR. Ralph PS, don`t be tempted to buy the cheaper PL700s from ebay, they look OK but are not optically correct and the beam pattern is rubbish. Edited September 1, 2023 by Ralph Whitaker Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith1948 Posted September 1, 2023 Report Share Posted September 1, 2023 Hi Adrian 1 hour ago, Ralph Whitaker said: I had a run of failures with sealed beam units, not on the TR, but on the Mini I restored for my daughter. After buying 4 that each lasted no more than a few weeks I bought a set of Wipac Quadoptics which take bulbs. Truly excellent lights and never changed a bulb in 4 years. Original Lucas units lasted years, the re pros are rubbish, ditch them and buy a set of the PL700s from better car lighting with halogen bulbs. Not cheap, but look right on a TR. Ralph PS, don`t be tempted to buy the cheaper PL700s from ebay, they look OK but are not optically correct and the beam pattern is rubbish. Make sure you install headlamp relays if uprating to halogens or there is a risk of the switch wiring overheating. See the Moss relay info in the link below https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/media/pdf/117-515_instructions.pdf As for sealed beams, there are often second hand ones for sale at auto jumbles but make sure you get right hand drive ones. There are often LHD ones for sale that dip the opposite way. There should be info on the back of the unit or an arrow in the lens pattern pointing to the left of the car (direction of dip beam). If the units are dropped or knocked you can get a hairline crack in the glass and then air gets in, the unit fogs up and no longer works. I have used sealed beams for over 30 years and fitted the relay system some years ago now. Only had a couple go in that time and second hand ones (Lucas etc) have been ok. Keith Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted September 1, 2023 Report Share Posted September 1, 2023 (edited) Using relays to minimise voltage drop makes good sense but if the Halogen bulbs are legal ones with normal wattage, there is no more chance of overheating anything than with the standard dim prefocus bulbs, as the current drawn is the same. Edited September 1, 2023 by RobH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith1948 Posted September 1, 2023 Report Share Posted September 1, 2023 8 minutes ago, RobH said: Using relays to minimise voltage drop makes good sense but if the Halogen bulbs are legal ones with normal wattage, there is no more chance of overheating anything than with the standard dim prefocus bulbs, as the current drawn is the same. Hi Rob Just going with what Moss information sheet was saying. One of our group had switch wiring meltdown with halogens a few years back. The sealed beam headlamps have been brighter since I did the relay upgrade from Moss on my 4A. Just be careful I think when 'upgrading' anything on a TR. There are usually secondary things you might need to change. The headlamp relay makes sense and has worked fine on my car for years now. It reduces the current draw through the switches which is a good thing I think. Keith Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted September 1, 2023 Report Share Posted September 1, 2023 Moss are trying to sell things Keith... Yes using relays is good as it does lower the switch and wiring currents in the old loom and minimises voltage drop but as I said, legal halogens make no difference in heat over the standard bulbs or sealed beams so ascribing the meltdown to that is just jumping to conclusions . Maybe the chap had fitted illegal high-wattage halogens, which are widely available, or else there was a wiring fault to earth which he had inadvertently caused by disturbing the wiring while fitting them? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted September 1, 2023 Report Share Posted September 1, 2023 2 hours ago, Ralph Whitaker said: don`t be tempted to buy the cheaper PL700s from ebay, they look OK but are not optically correct and the beam pattern is rubbish. +1 been there, done that Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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