Folks Of Interest Early Stewart Warner gauge thread

Ok. What is this and where do I find more?!

 

I apologize if it's been covered earlier in the thread (I haven't had a chance to read all of it) but does anyone know the application of this Stewart Warner tach? I just bought it in an auction and I'll have it in my hands on Thursday. It was said to be NOS and looks like it might be, looks like some sort of WWII truck maybe? I bought the speedo next to it as well (they came as a pair) but I don't know if that's a Stewart Warner product or not.

 

Military tach, Model A speedo

 

Just wounder if that # - 8340566 - is like an military order number - the other 503E should be a standard #.

 

I've had many gauges with the tan paint on part of the letters & needle & have always wondered what the function of that was. Any ideas?

 

All of my SW books start at 509 series numbers, couldn't find any 503 series.
When you get it look at 12:00 on the dial up behind the bezel and see if there is a dial number (small and hard to see, you have to tilt it to see it) I may be able to cross that number.

 

I think that is from a later 50's boat.

 

Awesome, will do, thanks! I'm kinda hoping that paper tag has some kind of info on it too but I couldn't see anything from the auction listing, was kind of a shot in the dark.

 

Thanks guys!

 

Got my prize home today. Spins smooth as silk. Number at the top of the dial face is 420126, also has a tag with a part number that reads 418139, and a couple of ink stamps on the housing, one looks like an inspection stamp and one is instructions.

It's a cool thing. I don't know what I'll ever use it on but I love this kind of stuff.

 

Sorry I struck out on all of those numbers, I'll look again tomorrow.

 

Thanks for checking.

 

Tan numbers were usually Military, also back in the day mil-spec numbers weren’t listed in the general catalog or repair parts breakdown.
The military had their own repair manuals, I know we had a mil-spec manual but it got misplaced in my recent move after I sold the downtown shop and moved the “world wide headquarters” into my home shop.

 

in action, not in the showcase

 

Found the mil-spec books, one from 1937 and one from 1944 still nothing. 509 series listed but no 503 series.

 

The mystery remains. Those are some damn cool books though, thanks for the pics.

 

I bought a box of gauges at the last swap meet to get a tach that was in there. Also, were some Sun gauges and these two SW gauges. The top one in the bottom picture has a convex glass. I would like to off them to someone that needs them for their collection. Or I would trade them for a Sun water temp gauge to match the gauge in the top picture. Thanks, Gene.

 

That SW with the curved glass is an early big logo. About 1954-55.

 

A great place to store all my spare gauge parts.

 

Congratulations, that is like a jewelry box. That is the first picture that I have ever seen of one of those. They must be very rare. How did you find it?

 

What a great find.

 

I am hoping someone can help me find a couple more of these bezel things that allow a 2 1/4 gauge to fill a 2 5/8 hole. They look just like the 2 5/8 smooth bezels as well. They came attached to some wings gauges I purchased a while ago. They are different than what I have seen used in old Chris Craft boats.

Here they are in a 10 hole GM style panel.Don't mind all the pressure gauges. I didn't want to thread mechanical temp lines through just for a picture.

 

I've never seen those before, and I've seen a lot of SW stuff.

 

This is a pretty cool piece from my vintage Stewart Warner collection. It's a counter top display 1955 - 1957. Great advertisement piece for their Amperes and Oil Pressure gauges.

 

No Speedometer!?

 

Great set and display. Thanks for posting. FYI, there were quite a few Willys dealers who installed those SW aux gauges on the 1957 to 1965 Willys Truck and Wagon. Those rigs had a central mounted speedo with temp and fuel gauges, but just lights for amps and oil pressure.

 

@Squablow
Sorry I did not chime in earlier. Yep, that is a military issue tachometer that was primarily used in the Willys M-38 Jeeps. You have the SW inspection stamp, but part of the stamp missed because of the conture on your case. So it's easy to miss on yours. Here is a complete stamp.


These are definitely cool looking tachs and even have an hour meter as is common with military and industrial applications.




Most of the jeeps had the speedometer mounted in the center of the dash, with Fuel, Temp Battery and Oil in the corners. The larger dash panels had both the speedo and tach. There is a cool matching 60 mph speedo.

Here is the matching Stewart Warner pressure gauge. What's very interesting is its a mechanical gauge with a half sweep, which you do not often see.



If you like this kind of stuff, I'll post a photo of a dash I've been working on for weeks. I wanted to make a WWII/aviation dash for a hot rod. Just took a while to find all the old gauges.

 

Awesome @Speed~On, very cool info to have! I would like to see the dash you're putting together. I've only got this one piece, but I'm always on the lookout for more, would be interesting to see one in action.

 

Beanscoot, Speedometers are for amateurs