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MG TD TF 1500 - Messko water temp gauge

I have a Messko water temperature gauge that mounts in the radiator cap. It was made in Berlin GE. Anyone know what cars came equipped with the gauge or was it an after market item?

Thanks

Tim
TD12524

TW Burchfield

Tim - As far as I know, none of the MGs came with this type of temperature gauge. Our TD (a 53) with the standard temperature gauge, but some previous owner had put one in the radiator cap, which I promptly removed and replaced the drilled cap with one that hadn't been molested. One of the things I learned about the type of temp gauge like you pictured is that most people have them reversed, with the temperature scale pointed toward the driver (which, of course can't be read from the driver's seat). It was originally meant to have the temperature scale should be to the front of the car so the scale could be read from the front of the car so the service attendant could see what the actual temperature was. All the driver needed to know when driving was that if the red column showed in the see through circle, the coolant was near the boiling point and needed to be attended to. Cheers - Dave
DW DuBois

Dave thanks for the info. The most important thing I'll take away from your comment is that the temperature marks should be facing forward. You saved me from a lot of, "You know you've got that temp gauge facing he wrong way don't you?" comments.

Regards

Tim
TW Burchfield

Tim "You saved me from a lot of, "You know you've got that temp gauge facing he wrong way don't you?" comments."

Unfortunately, probably not. First, those things were popular when our grand fathers were first driving when in side cabins didn't have any kind of temperature gauge. Second, most people don't know which way it should face and everybody has their own opinion about it. I got my information from someone, my grandfather's age. Unfortunately, the person who told me which was the gauge should face has long since passed away (as has my grand father). So, when someone does tell you that it is facing the way you have it, just smile and say "your vote makes it 50/50. Cheers - Dave
DW DuBois

Apparently the firm of Messko still exists:
http://www.reinhausen.com/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1074/1304_read-3324
It seems that Messko stands for "MESSen und KOntrolieren": "Measure and control".....
Just my 2 eurocents....;^)

Nick (TD3232)
Nick Herwegh

Dave, I just looked a several photos with the radiator gauge installed on various vintage cars and all of them had the temperature gradations facing the driver. Reminds me of the Buffalo Springfield song, "Nobody's right if everybody's wrong."

Nick, the words Messko-Hauer Oberursel are printed at the bottom of the face of the gauge. They probably come from the fact that Messko Hauser was founded in 1911 by Albert Hause in Frankfurt am Main. And Oberursel is the town where the company was/is located.

Regards

Tim
TW Burchfield

This thread was discussed on 03/02/2017

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