Do yourself a favor

[TrailBeast]

Keep me as far from your temp gauge as possible.
This is one of those times where you have to pick between screaming, cussing and throwing tools, or just laugh and chalk it up.

I put new mechanical aftermarket white gauges in my cluster a couple of years ago and a year or so later the temp gauge quit working for no apparent reason.
The gauges I used come in a cluster of three gauges, so I ordered another set just for the temp gauge.
I decided I wanted to swap all the dash the LED's and even a few in custom places in the cluster for the exact effect I wanted, so I started building the LED's and putting them inside the gauges.
I used super glue to tack the new LED's in place until the RTV could set up and hold them permanently in place.
Well, the super glue and heat from bench testing the LED fogged the lens in the temp gauge, and I knew if I put that in I would be annoyed every time I looked at it so I ordered a whole new set of the gauges to get another temp gauge.

This time I didn't use super glue, but a little duct tape on the lighting wires to hold the LED's where I wanted them till the RTV set up and that worked great and I was happy with the way things were progressing.
I started putting the cluster back in the car (remember the mechanical gauge part?)
The battery positive was disconnected but the capillary tube for the temp gauge flopped over onto the positive post of the battery and burned the tube for the gauge ruining the brand new gauge (again)

I took that in stride and controlled my frustration and just wrote it off to (that's what happens sometimes) and ordered another set (just for the temp gauge again):violent1:
This included pulling the cluster again, redoing the LED's in it (again) and reinstalling everything (again).
Well the other day I installed a remote central door lock system and after getting everything installed, wired up and back together and tested I still needed to put the fuse block back in place and pushed it up in place to mount it where it was but the back of it touched the capillary tube for (Guess what) and blew the gauge again.

I have another set on the way.

So keep me away from your temp gauge or else apparently.

I had reconnected the battery for testing the door locks.
This next gauge is going to get the capillary tube covered in plastic wire wrap before it goes in.

 

[AJ/FormS]

TB, are you talking about the lower line of gauges.

I always thought that capillary tube was an air tube, and the gauge just measured the changing air pressure in the tube, due to the sensor action. If that's true, couldnt a guy just reconnect the ends of the tube, and away we go?

 

[67cudafb]

Time for electric gauge and sending unit

 

[Bulldozer]

the question is , where are you going to mount the 3 oil pressure and volt gauges

 

[krazykuda]

Do you disconnect the ground wire from the battery before working on it??? #-o


You need to insulate the capillary tubes so you don't keep grounding and blowing them.... :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Put some sort of insulating coating on it, like convoluted tube or something...

 

[TrailBeast]

TB, are you talking about the lower line of gauges.

I always thought that capillary tube was an air tube, and the gauge just measured the changing air pressure in the tube, due to the sensor action. If that's true, couldnt a guy just reconnect the ends of the tube, and away we go?

Um,,, the copper temp guage tube (not oil pressure)

Do you disconnect the ground wire from the battery before working on it??? #-o


You need to insulate the capillary tubes so you don't keep grounding and blowing them.... :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Put some sort of insulating coating on it, like convoluted tube or something...

I disconnected the positive cable, but the ground was still connected.
Read the last line of my post again. (twice if need be)

This kind of stuff just doesn't happen to me normally, but every once in a while the **** hits the fan.