Since we're complaining about SW gauges, how many have made OEM gauges read right?

I wanna keep my 36 Ford gauges and they are in super shape but I have to have gauges that read right.

I need speedo, gas, and water temp to read accurately.

I can't stand those little trio gauge sets hanging out from under the dash.

So has anyone really gotten the oem gauges to register right on the money?
I have to admit, the last set of VDO gauges I installed with the programmable speedo were really sweet.

 

The speedo should be no problem assuming you can get the right output from the tranny. Speedo's have been calibrated for 1000 revs per mile since the early 1900's, maybe even late 1800's.

Restorers who take the leap and switch up to 12 volts usually run their old guages off of a 6 volt regulator on a circuit of their own.

Then theres the option of switching in internals from newer units.

 

when I did my 39 chevy years ago I got the original gages to kind of read almost right most of the time...it was a battle though. On my 55 I didn't have any trouble at all, well, after replacing most of them once or twice.

On a 36 ford it will be a challenge to get them working properly, but I think it would be worth it. Maybe go looking at the restoration resources, like Hemmings?

 

ONe of the problems is gonna be the engine temp. It used some sort of Mercury tube, which has been broken for 30+ years. The speedo I can prolly get close, but the gas gauge I am gonna hafta play with resistors.

 

It's been almost 30 years since I did my 36 sedan. I used one of those old round white ceramic resistors that were sold for that purpose back then for the gas gauge. It was acurate enough that I never ran out of gas.

On the temp. gauge, you can get the capillary tube replaced and the gauge calibrated at a gauge shop. Mine still worked. They work exactly like an old Prestone antifreeze wall mount thermometer with the glass tube and are very accurate. I don't remember if it had the temp numbers on the gauge but I got used to where the level was under normal operating conditions. Just like todays gauges you don't know how hot things really are, just that it's in the normal range.

Same thing for the oil pressure gauge. Will a 60 year old gauge read 40lbs when it's actually 45lbs? You'ld have to have it calibrated to know for sure. But if the needle usually goes 3/4 of the way up the scale and all of a sudden it only goes 1/2 way, you've learned something and you need to investigate.

I had the stock torque tube so the speedo was unchanged.

 

At some time Ford switched to the King Seely system for gauges; don't know if this was b4 1940 or not. If '36 used them they operate with coils of wire wrapped around a bi-metal strip in the gauge and the senders. Bi-metal strip had contacts at one end that would open of close to position the dash gauge pointers. THESE SYSTEMS ARE CURRENT SENSITIVE and a resistor will probably not do any good. Call on or the gauge repair companies they can calibrate and send vback to you, I think the last quote I had for oil pressure was $65.00 from United Speedometer.

 

OR

Will a Brand new off-shore gauge read 40lbs when it's actually 45lbs? You'd have to have it calibrated to know for sure.

As to using resistors to control volatge, your asking for headaches if the load varies, because current changes will result in voltage drop changes.

Consider using an LM317 Adjustable voltage regulator to drop your 12 volt system to a rock solid 6 for old guages. This link leads to a page with a schematic and resistor selection.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Bill_Bowden/page12.htm
Dispense with the transformer and bridge rectifier at the bottom of the diagram and supply the reg with you +12 electrical connection where the +17 is indicated, choses the right resistors for R1 and R2 and you'll get a nice clean steady 6 V output.

Mike

 

Talk to the guys at williamson's in arkansas, there number is in hemmings under services. they told me they would retube and calibrate the curve face s/w temp gauge in my 32, for like 110.00. also they did my speedo about 15 years ago and it works real nice. good guys.

 

I've got all the original SW gauges in my Hupp working with 12 volts sans the speedo. It was missing the needle and I was never able to find a shop that could repair it. No problems with the oil, water or ammeter. They don't care about voltage. I did have to purchase a new sending unit for my new tank but it works fairly well. It will show empty with 1/4 tank left. I probably need to adjust the float. I replaced the speedo in the cluster with a 1960"s vintage SW unit. Everything looks original if you overlook the fact the speedo now goes to 160 rather than the original 80.

 

I wouldn't mind paying to salvage the old gauges. I just don't think you can replicate the coloring or the fonts etc in a new gauge. I love my gauges, now to get them to work correctly.


This is good info. Keep it coming.

 

There are several speedometer service companies out there that will upgrade you stock guages with modern internals so they read right. Plus, if you go to 12 volts, they can usually make them work with that too while they are upgrading them. I'm not sure, but I think that one of the companies that does this is called United Speedometer. I don't have any experience with them, but I remember reading an article about them, and I've seen plenty of ads. They'll restore the guages while they're at it. They're probably online. On the other hand, I think they're pretty pricey. There might be local speedometer shops that can do the same thing.

 

Here's their link.
http://www.speedometershop.com/

 

the stock gauges in my 50 Chevy work beautifully.

 

What do you think about making an auxiliary panel that's on the left side of the steering column and set towards the firewall quite a way?


I did one of these on my 32.
Easily seen by the driver, hard to see for those outside the car or in the passenger seat.

The doors open in the pic below, but when it's closed the gauges are out of sight.

 

We had the (2) gauge clusters for a 51 Chevy car sent to United a while back. They did BEAUTIFUL work... matched the fonts and coloring, yet with modern ranges. (Oil pressure up to 100#, water temp to 250°, etc.). Replated the bezels, and they were all electronic, but you couldn't tell from the front. The kickers was that it was just over $1000, and it took 13 MONTHS to get them back.

 

Yeah, I thought they were expensive. And damn, that's along time to have your parts.

Maybe a local speedo shop can do it.

 

I'm with you Jay. In our era you didn't have a hot rod until you added some Stewart Warner gauges to keep track of that mill.

 

Ford used King Seely 6 volt gauges well into the 80's After 55 when they went to 12 volt systems, they used an instument Voltage regulator to drop it to 6 volts. They are on most Ford cars and trucks, usually fastened to the back of the dash cluster. They work fine with any earlier Ford 6 volt gauges.

Another way, Radio Shack has a adapter made to plug into the cigar lighter, that has multiple output voltages, set with a switch. Last I bought was under $20. Set it at 6 volts, and hardwire it into the gauge circuit.

 

OK, well a thousand bucks is out of my price range.

 

Correct voltage has been covered quite well, which is important for accuracy. If your speedometer is off, that can be tweaked with the gearbox that is added at the speedo cable connection on the side of the tranny.

 

Another option for you would be to get a set of dual read, Westach Gauges from Haneline and adapt them to your 36 dash. I got a set and carefully pryed off the gauge bezels and did the same with the original bezels and mated the two. They are bolt in as original and easily mistaken for original gauges but much more accurate.

 

"I need speedo, gas, and water temp to read accurately.

I can't stand those little trio gauge sets hanging out from under the dash."

Yeah. What I can't stand is a dash with inop original gauges and aftermarket gauge with same function hanging below!
Extra gauges OK, redundant/inop gauges no.

Here's my take:
Speedo--no prob.

Water temp--money to rebuild tube, OR get the Argentine repo--no idea if they are good or not. Argentine gauge could likely be recalibrated with a pan of hot water on stove, moving the glass part of tube up or down in its cradle to align with numbers on face.

Electric gauges: Last night I was looking through the remains of a (probably) '36 Ford gas gauge, crudely altered to fit into a '32 mechanical gas gauge shell.
It had TWO adjustments available, both apparently changing tension on the innards in different ways. Both were toothed quadrants made to be engaged by a small screwdriver through little holes in the inner shell.
If I were playing with these problems, here's how I would attack them on a no-dollar basis: I would first wire in one of the little NAPA voltage regs made as replacements for the 1960's Fords. I believe these are true 6V, a bit low, but probably fine--I assume original gauges were probably calibrated at about 7V to read right on engine with generator running.
I would then T -in a mechanical OP gauge, wire the original gauge in dangling under the dash, and play with the adjustments until satisfied. For the gas gauge, just run a ground wire to the sender and yank float up and down while adjusting. Amp just reverse direction of wire through induction loop.
I think a few minutes fiddling would likely get your original gauges running on regulated 6V reading accurately. All you really need is to have the needles pointing to a good place for normal, and good response to the abnormal.

 

I haven't got that far yet.....just thinking out loud here...

What about taking one of those Cd-player cigarette lighter thingy mabobs (has selectable output voltage) and adapting it? Under your dash, have it plugged into a 12v source, select the output voltage to be 6v and tada! I don't know how much current the gauges draw......... Ford a cleaner and neater look, disassemble and place inside of some type of box...

 

OK, Bruce. I am with ya. Now where do you find this voltage reg that everyone is talking about? What is the technical nomenclature? I have a huge NAPA here in okc, but I don't wanna be the guy looking for a "hootis".

 

Really, I think I could get by with a fuel gauge and a speedo. If it starts knocking, it's too late anyway.


My ammeter is on the same gauge as my water temp if I remember right.....it's one of those dual face gauges.

 

I can dig up NAPA numbers tonight, also a common junkyard part. This is a tiny matchbox-size voltage reg dropping gauge voltage to 6V on 12 v Ford over many years.
All the '36 gauges, the removable works part, are odd shaped, since they go into a double gauge housing. Amneter is a loop design, just pass the wire through the loop wrong way for neg ground.
The gauge I was looking at last night had a curious double case--inner case slid into outer case, inner case has the holes for adjusters. These were factory adjustment locations, as Ford instructions just call for discarding gauges with psychiatric problems. Probably cost fifty cents back then...

 

It's called an instrument voltage regulator. NAPA has them in the Echlin catalog. I generally use the one listed for Ford trucks.

 

If there's a literate counterman who can find the illustration catalog that shows all the tuneup parts, there are several in there. They differ by style of terminal--blade, screw, etc. I have a late one from a junked pickup that has snap fasteners just like a 9V radio battery!

 

Just curious but why would Ford use 6V for so many years? Is there an advantage to using a lesser voltage on an instrument?

 

No Idea. But Mopar did too.