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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Water Temp Gauge

Jumped the gun a bit here.
I had the radiator repaired and filled up with clean anti-freeze.
Next planned project was to remove the instrument panel and give it a nice wrinkle finish.
Slight problem, to remove the temp.gauge the book say's
drain the cooling system and remove the capillary from the block.
Have any members got around this by removing the chrome ring on the front of the gauge leaving the gauge in place behind the panel.
Thanks for looking
Stew
s johnson

If it's clean coolant, why not catch it in a clean container and pour it back in when you've finished?
Far easier than possibly damaging the gauge as I'm sure they don't come apart easily.
Are we talking A series engine? If so then you don't have to drain that much off for the level to drop below the capillary connection in the block.
G Hawkins

Hi Stew. Good luck with the dash painting - just done mine this last Saturday, and quite pleased with the result. Secret is to be able to heat it to 25c, and keep it there. Strange stuff this wrinkle paint! John.
J M Hutton

>>> Have any members got around this by removing the chrome ring on the front of the gauge leaving the gauge in place behind the panel.

I'm not so sure that the gauge will fit through the hole even with the chrome bezel removed? The gauge casing has a flange on it.

Jim
J Smith

Id jack the front end up high in the air then drain off a couple qt of anti remove gauge then add it back into the system when your done
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Unless the gauge is fairly new, removing the chrome bezel would be virtually impossible with the gauge in-situ...and maybe impossible, anyway.

As Jim said, it probably would fit through the hole, either.

Rather than draining the coolant, you could remove the sender, put your thumb over the hole, then bung up the hole with something. A spare sender for an electric gauge would do the trick, or a rubber bung. You would need to remove the rad cap first to release any pressure in the system.

I replaced the electrical temperature sender on my B at the weekend and probably only lost a teaspoonful of coolant.
Dave O'Neill 2

I recently removed my gauge. No need to drain the radiator. As Dave says get take the rad cap off, remove the sender and block the hole with a bung I used a cork from a wine bottle!

The gauge comes out into the cockpit, its a faff as you have to carefully free the capillary tube from all the various clips in the engine bay. Don't break the capillary!! You also have to disconnect the oil feed from behind the gauge.
Bob Beaumont

When you're removing the capilary make sure you don't short out the battery with it. Best to disconnect the battery at both calbes. A bit of a bother but you will keep all of that hard to replace Lucas smoke where it belongs.
Martin Washington

An excuse to buy wine Bob!
Graeme Williams

Yes, Graeme, you get the "glass half full" award.

Charley
C R Huff

Thanks for all the replies lad's.
I think that I will be going the way of the " Bung " still have an assortment of them from wine making days.
It still amazes me how far reaching we are when comments come from so far afield.
Stew
s johnson

This thread was discussed between 05/04/2016 and 07/04/2016

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