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Water temperature and oil pressure gauges

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 3:42 pm
by casadecabra
I've at long last fitted the dashboard to my 1934 Le Mans 9 two seat. Can anyone please help with the following:

a) The original route of the capillary tube from the water temperature gauge to the radiator
b) Ditto for the oil pressure gauge to the engine

Thanks
David B

Re: Water temperature and oil pressure gauges

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 5:10 pm
by Peter McKercher
The oil line goes through a slot in the top of the passenger toe panel and under the firewall cross piece so it can be easily removed . See photos.
The photo with black carpet is the Le Mans and with red is my Nine Sports.

The capillary tube runs through the steering column opening in the firewall, then is clipped along the bottom of the bonnet centre rail running to the radiator. I don't have a photo as I currently have all those pieces off my Le Mans. However, you can see the capillary tube in the second shot where it exits through the steering column opening and in the third shot where it is looped under the fascia to take up the slack.


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Re: Water temperature and oil pressure gauges

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2022 2:31 pm
by casadecabra
Thanks for that Peter. Water temperature gauge now in place. Need more tubing to connect oil pressure gauge.

Dashboard in place and looking good - just need to connect everything now!

David B

Re: Water temperature and oil pressure gauges

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2022 2:37 pm
by Peter McKercher
Looking good David.

Re: Water temperature and oil pressure gauges

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2022 6:06 pm
by mikeyr
actually, looking REALLY good

Re: Water temperature and oil pressure gauges

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2022 11:01 pm
by Phillip
Wow David...that is beautiful and one of the most correct in the details that I have seen in a long time.

Wonderful job!

Re: Water temperature and oil pressure gauges

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2022 4:00 am
by cdk84
Well, it's UNANIMOUS: the dash looks stunning.

Where did you find an Aric water temp gauge, or did it come with the car?

Keep cracking on: your progress is Gorgeous to witness.

Regards,

David

Re: Water temperature and oil pressure gauges

Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2022 5:07 pm
by casadecabra
Thanks everyone for all your encouraging remarks about my dashboard. I just need to finish the rest of the car to the same standard now before I get too old to drive it!
David (cdk84) - the temperature gauge (a Jaeger) came with the car when I first aquired it many years ago and I've no reason to believe it isn't the original. It wasn't working but at the time (late 1960s) I was working for Negretti and Zambra, an aircraft instrument firm. One of the old timers there said he could fix it and gave it back to me a few days later. It lay in a box for fifty odd years until I unearthed it a few years ago. Much to my amazement it still works perfectly but I'm terrified that the copper capillary tube might fracture during installation.
As you can see from the photos the dial was past its best so I photographed it and did a lot of work with Photoshop and a CAD programme to produce the result in the second photo. I then printed it with archaeval quality ink on conservation grade card and lacquered it to produce the final dial. Anyone is welcome to use my image - I used the same technique for the rev counter dial. Probably someone who knows their way around silk screen printing could produce a more authentic dial.

David B

Re: Water temperature and oil pressure gauges

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2022 12:01 pm
by jeans_old_man
I've done the same with some of my dials but I print onto waterproof self-adhesive labels using a laser printer and stick them on the back of the original dials. The waterproof labels are not suitable for inkjet printers.