Author Topic: Gauge glass removal?  (Read 413 times)

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Offline TurboFource

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Gauge glass removal?
« on: Sunday,December 15, 2024, 12:24:04 PM »
Cleaning up gauges …. There is some “patina” inside …. how difficult is it to remove the bezels etc and touch it up? They are 52 years old so a little patina doesn’t keep me up at night …
The more I do the more I find I need to do....remember your ABC’s …anything but chinesium!

Offline Lumbes

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #1 on: Sunday,December 15, 2024, 12:55:55 PM »
Should be as easy as rotating the bezel so the retaining ears become free and it pulls off.  I took out my rpm gauge about 2 years ago after installing a 123 electronic ignition and had the whole gauge apart, pretty sure it was as simple as that to remove the glass. 

Offline TurboFource

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #2 on: Sunday,December 15, 2024, 01:06:12 PM »
Thanks Lumbes, is my tach not going to work with the 123?
The more I do the more I find I need to do....remember your ABC’s …anything but chinesium!

Offline Lumbes

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #3 on: Sunday,December 15, 2024, 01:32:16 PM »
No problem turbo.  All the gauge's glass in the car should come undone the same way.   Mine would read idle accurately but anything more than half to WOT would cause the needle to jump around erratically.  Back then I found a page on the internet that was of an older print out on to how to alter the rpm gauge to respond better to electronic ignition.  Something about undoing a coil on the inside which I did, it helped but I still have mis reads at WOT at the higher rpms (5k+).  Cool trick with the 123 blutooth electronic ignition it sends live rpm readings to your phone so you can calibrate the rpm gauge if need be.  Being it wasn't the final solution I hoped for perhaps it won't be that critical if I don't find it again but I will look for a bit regardless.   

Offline Lumbes

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #4 on: Sunday,December 15, 2024, 02:35:54 PM »
I'm not having any luck finding that page of instructions I followed a few years back but I have been meaning to go this route since then.  No first hand experience but been reading it is a popular option when converting from points.
https://123ignitionusa.com/spiyda-smiths-tach-conversion-kit-works-with-points-style-distributor-and-new-electronic-distributors/

Offline Lumbes

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #5 on: Sunday,December 15, 2024, 04:29:30 PM »
Found the basic instructions I followed back then.  My tach has the loop internally, assume yours does as well.  Wasn't tricky to do and like I said it helped but did not solve the problem 100 percent. 

Offline TurboFource

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #6 on: Sunday,December 15, 2024, 06:24:30 PM »
Thanks!
The more I do the more I find I need to do....remember your ABC’s …anything but chinesium!

Offline Dilkris

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #7 on: Monday,December 16, 2024, 12:35:09 AM »
Please refer "Smiths Gauges", I posted in June 2021.
I have photo's on record if of any help.
Hardest part can be removing the chrome bezel - I ended up buying a cheap plastic/rubber strap wrench to assist with this.
Be VERY careful cleaning the actual face - the figures are VERY easily removed - I simply used a small sable paint brush.     
 

Offline Bryan Boyle

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #8 on: Monday,December 16, 2024, 07:26:28 AM »
Please refer "Smiths Gauges", I posted in June 2021.
I have photo's on record if of any help.
Hardest part can be removing the chrome bezel - I ended up buying a cheap plastic/rubber strap wrench to assist with this.
Be VERY careful cleaning the actual face - the figures are VERY easily removed - I simply used a small sable paint brush.     
 

Having done too many to count of these...basically to transfer over the half round bezels onto new gauges...couple things to have at hand:

1. a tiny flat head screwdriver.  Those tabs on the back of the bezel that hold the bezel on MAY BE a bit tight after half a century and who knows how much corrosion on the gauge case flange to make it easy to turn.  Relieving it A LITTLE by prying up under both ends of the 3 tabs will make it easier to rotate the bezel.

2. gaskets and o-rings.  At this point, they will be hardened and crumbly.  Get a stock of the proper size rings so when you put it all back together, you won't suffer from the rattling glass syndrome. 

3. As Dilkris mentions, a gentle sable paint brush to clean off the dust.  No solvents, no windex, no nothing.  What you got is what you got re the face.

4. If you're brave, and you want to pull the gauge bits out carefully, giving the inside of the case a light paint job of gloss white will help with illumination (nothing really helps a lot...on my turboesprit, I ended up buying post lights from aircraft spruce and mounting them on the substrate like in my cessna, then drilling out the plastic overlay so they poked through and wiring all up to the dimmer.  At least then I could see the gauges!)

Clean the glass really well (wear nitrile gloves to put all back together, nothing more aggro that lighting up the gauge and seeing a fat fingerprint on the INSIDE of the glass!), install new gaskets/o-rings. put bezel/glass/gaskets/etc face down on soft surface (microfiber cloth folded up works well), introduce gauge case to bezel, push solidly down and twist (or, if you've straightened up those small tabs...you only get one straightening until you weaken them...ask me how I know, position the case so the tabs are centered between the cutouts in the case flange) and re-tighten the tabs etc.

HTH.  Or, you can send them to me and I'll be happy to help...l9l.
Bryan Boyle
Morrisville PA
Commercial Pilot/CFII/FAA Safety Team
Amateur Extra Class Operator & FCC Volunteer Examiner
Currently working on 3291R, ex 444R, 693R, 65/2163, 004R, 65/2678
http://www.lotuseuropa.us for mirror of lotus-europa.com manual site.

Offline 2766R

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #9 on: Monday,December 16, 2024, 12:15:04 PM »
One more suggestion; apply a bit of glass cleaner around the back and front sides of the bezel.  Let it soak in for a couple of minutes. Capillary migration of the fluid should lubricate the interfaces and allow you to spin the bezel to remove without, hopefully, resorting to bending the tabs.  Worked for me on all 6 gauges.  BTW, all the O-rings were pretty much deteriorated. YMMV

Gerry

Offline kram350kram

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #10 on: Tuesday,December 17, 2024, 08:25:33 AM »
There is an on-line site, specifically     https://www.blocklayer.com/gauge-templates#google_vignette     that you can make gauge faces. Takes some time to get the hang of it, but they come out pretty good. I used for updating some gauge faces on my V-8 project. Printed on adheasive backed photo paper and reassembled. My Lucas Voltmeter face.  The site is really handy for a multitude of calulations, ratios, shapes areas, volumns, patterms, etc...

Offline TurboFource

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #11 on: Tuesday,December 17, 2024, 01:40:37 PM »
That looks great Kram! Thanks for the advice, Dilkris, Bryan and 2766R!
The more I do the more I find I need to do....remember your ABC’s …anything but chinesium!

Offline Dilkris

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #12 on: Wednesday,December 18, 2024, 12:26:38 AM »
There is an on-line site, specifically     https://www.blocklayer.com/gauge-templates#google_vignette     that you can make gauge faces. Takes some time to get the hang of it, but they come out pretty good. I used for updating some gauge faces on my V-8 project. Printed on adheasive backed photo paper and reassembled. My Lucas Voltmeter face.  The site is really handy for a multitude of calulations, ratios, shapes areas, volumns, patterms, etc...

Wow!!
I am passed this stage on my rebuild but what a brilliant website and program kram!!
I found myself playing with it just for fun !!


Offline TurboFource

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Re: Gauge glass removal?
« Reply #14 on: Thursday,December 19, 2024, 07:04:35 PM »
Thanx DMan!
The more I do the more I find I need to do....remember your ABC’s …anything but chinesium!