Temp Gauge Help
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Aurora Illinois
Temp Gauge Help
Purchased the Wells TU-5 temp sending unit and thought I had the problem solved. Turning on the ignition, the needle shot up straight to 240. Even when the sending unit was ambient temperature, and I added two 100 ohm resistors in line, it still pegged. Does this mean the 90 ohm resistor on the gauge is open ??
Question#1 Can the gauge be taken out without removing the cluster ?
Question#2 Can the cluster be pulled out enough to get at the gauge, without removal of steering column,etc. ?
$50.00 will get the gauge rebuilt. $59.00 can get a reproduction.
Any thoughts ??
Thanks Sparky
Question#1 Can the gauge be taken out without removing the cluster ?
Question#2 Can the cluster be pulled out enough to get at the gauge, without removal of steering column,etc. ?
$50.00 will get the gauge rebuilt. $59.00 can get a reproduction.
Any thoughts ??
Thanks Sparky
Racer
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 366
Likes: 133
From: huntersville n c
temp gauge
I bought the Wells sending unit too. It read 220 plus. Got another one and it reads 100 and lower. I lost my original sending unit....it worked fine. I just think these units aren't accurate. I put a temp gun on my hot engine and it recorded 180. 59 navy
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,640
Likes: 0
From: DeBary Fl. Amateur Radio Operator K3CQR
Sparky, re: ? 2, I understand you can buy 3 longer screws for the cluster that with small hands will give the room to remove the gauge. BTW, am fimilar with your town, former home to Stoner Mfg Co and Vendo after they bought Stoner. I was in the vending machine business in the 60 & 70's. My Dad started in the 40's. Bill.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,554
Likes: 381
From: Strongsville, OH
2016 C2 of the Year Finalist
You can check if the gauge is the problem by doing this test:
With the key in "on" or "accessory", disconnect the green wire at the sender - the gauge should peg to full cold (infinite resistance). Then ground the sender wire connector to the engine, and the gauge should peg to hot (zero resistance).
The green wire goes through the multiple connector on the engine side of the fuse block, and those terminals frequently become corroded, which will screw up the gauge reading.
(From a previous post by John Z)
You can move the cluster out some to work on the gauge by using four 5 - 6 inch lengths of ¼” x 20 treaded rod or similar bolts to replace the bolts now holding the cluster to the dash. Two screws also hold the column collar to the underside of the dash and need to be removed. The length of the wires and the steering column will limit how far you can move it out to work on but should give you room to remove the two screws to get the oil/temp gauges out. (It would be much easier if you"d remove the column to). You'll have to disconnect the oil line and battery too before beginning the job.
With the key in "on" or "accessory", disconnect the green wire at the sender - the gauge should peg to full cold (infinite resistance). Then ground the sender wire connector to the engine, and the gauge should peg to hot (zero resistance).
The green wire goes through the multiple connector on the engine side of the fuse block, and those terminals frequently become corroded, which will screw up the gauge reading.
(From a previous post by John Z)
You can move the cluster out some to work on the gauge by using four 5 - 6 inch lengths of ¼” x 20 treaded rod or similar bolts to replace the bolts now holding the cluster to the dash. Two screws also hold the column collar to the underside of the dash and need to be removed. The length of the wires and the steering column will limit how far you can move it out to work on but should give you room to remove the two screws to get the oil/temp gauges out. (It would be much easier if you"d remove the column to). You'll have to disconnect the oil line and battery too before beginning the job.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Aurora Illinois
You can check if the gauge is the problem by doing this test:
With the key in "on" or "accessory", disconnect the green wire at the sender - the gauge should peg to full cold (infinite resistance). Then ground the sender wire connector to the engine, and the gauge should peg to hot (zero resistance).
The green wire goes through the multiple connector on the engine side of the fuse block, and those terminals frequently become corroded, which will screw up the gauge reading.
(From a previous post by John Z)
You can move the cluster out some to work on the gauge by using four 5 - 6 inch lengths of ¼” x 20 treaded rod or similar bolts to replace the bolts now holding the cluster to the dash. Two screws also hold the column collar to the underside of the dash and need to be removed. The length of the wires and the steering column will limit how far you can move it out to work on but should give you room to remove the two screws to get the oil/temp gauges out. (It would be much easier if you"d remove the column to). You'll have to disconnect the oil line and battery too before beginning the job.
With the key in "on" or "accessory", disconnect the green wire at the sender - the gauge should peg to full cold (infinite resistance). Then ground the sender wire connector to the engine, and the gauge should peg to hot (zero resistance).
The green wire goes through the multiple connector on the engine side of the fuse block, and those terminals frequently become corroded, which will screw up the gauge reading.
(From a previous post by John Z)
You can move the cluster out some to work on the gauge by using four 5 - 6 inch lengths of ¼” x 20 treaded rod or similar bolts to replace the bolts now holding the cluster to the dash. Two screws also hold the column collar to the underside of the dash and need to be removed. The length of the wires and the steering column will limit how far you can move it out to work on but should give you room to remove the two screws to get the oil/temp gauges out. (It would be much easier if you"d remove the column to). You'll have to disconnect the oil line and battery too before beginning the job.
Will try some mentioned tests, and check hot and cold resistance of sender. Then if I feel gutsy, I'll pull out the cluster. Will post results.
Sparky
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,576
Likes: 118
From: Conroe Texas
- Drop the column down
- Remove capacitor under oil gauge
- Disconnect the oil line
- Replace 2 or 3 of the cluster mounting screws with long 1/4x20 bolts
- Remove the rest of the cluster mounting screws
- Push cluster towards driver's seat.
- Disconnect the tach cable
- Push cluster closer towards driver's seat. You may also need to disconnect the speedo cable
- With the right sized small wrenches, remove mounting screws that hold the Oil/Temp gauge pod to the back of the cluster housing
- Carefully withdraw Oil/Temp gauge pod from cluster being careful not to damage the faces of the gauges, or the oil line
The problem with the gauge that I dealt with, was the lack of a reference ground. The gauge was installed into the gauge pod with fiber spacers that prevented it from grounding to the gauge pod, which meant when the gauge pod was installed in the cluster housing, it didn't pick up the ground that comes from the ground wire at the top of the cluster.
Jeff
