Ooh, Lot's of fascinating gauges!

[Sidney'61]

Hi all, As I'm probably going to use the minro all the time when I pass my test I think it might be a good idea tofit some extra gauges for help, eg; pressure, temperature, etc... So which gauges will I need/will be most helpful? I was thinking, oil pressure/temperature, water temperature and rev counter?

[dalebrignall]

thats all you need really

[polo2k]

might be able to get away without thte oil pressure one as if the temp goes up then so will the water, and the pressure will start dropping off.
If you start running out of room for the gauges... start drooling

from http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk theres millions of different ones in the modifing section.
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ ... age=7&SA=1

Dont forget the Radiator cap is kinda a pressure gauge. ... if steam pours out, somthing is wrong

[alex_holden]

You don't need oil temperature on a Minor. I have a rev counter, ammeter, water temperature, and oil pressure. The rev counter is nice but not really essential. Some people prefer a 'battery condition meter' (basically a voltmeter) to an ammeter. I would recommend having one or the other especially if you're still using a dynamo and you're planning on commuting in winter. Water temperature can be useful if your car's cooling system isn't working very well. IMO oil pressure is the most important.

[eastona]

I have a speedo, a petrol gauge...that's it

a temperature gauge would be nice, and I think would be the first gauge I'd fit.

Andrew

[eastona]

oh, and maybe an ammeter if I had a dynamo

Andrew

[simmitc]

So much for being short of space - that gauge is available in 7, 9, and 12 foot sizes. I was hoping for about 2 inches

[polo2k]

Lol thats the capiliry tube, its like a mechanical sensor.

(hope you wernt messing about and if so, didnt mean to be condecending)

[rayofleamington]

I have a speedo, a petrol gauge...that's it

a temperature gauge would be nice, and I think would be the first gauge I'd fit.

Same here. I've used Minors as my everyday car quite a lot over the years and pretty soon you get 'in tune' with the car.

If the battery goes low, it will turn over slowly.
If the oil pressure runs out, a light comes on.
If it overheats, you can smell it. (not very reliable!). When it runs out of water the heater goes cold - by which time your engine is likely to be extremely hot.

If I was inclined to fit a gauge, the first would be temperature. I have on occasions stopped to check the engine temp / water in the radiator after smelling burning - only to find the car was fine and the smell probably came from elsewhere.
On one occasion I stopped to check the water due to a hot smell and lack of heat from the heater (indicative of coolant loss) - the rad cap had been faulty allowing very high pressure. I got a very hot shower!!

For winter use with a dynamo, you can get a drained battery if you do a lot of short runs or spend hours every day in traffic with the lights, wipers and heater on. As long as you have a decent battery you should get some warning of low battery when the cranking speed is low. If you need a new battery anyway then you can end up needing the starting handle, but that's usually the fault of the battery, not the dynamo!
To compensate for winter I sling an extension cable through the letter box and leave a charger on the car overnight - this only needs to be done once or twice over winter and is much less hassle than an alternator conversion (and dynamo's are more reliable).

My every day car doesn't have a fuel guage - it has a dipstick for the fuel tank. That one is air cooled so at least I don't have to worry about coolant leaks

[ferret76]

Where does the water temperature sender go? I've seen something about it going into the block, but where?

[polo2k]

theres a bolt/ blanking plate in the side of the head near the thermostat (bottom of the bowl it sits in) you can fit the sensor that the mini engines have

[twincamman]

If you can find the oil pressure and water temperature guages out of a late 70's Mini 1000, they match the black face speedo well.
Alternatively, fit the combined gauge from a Midget, but be warned, they're expensive new.

[Kevin]

To compensate for winter I sling an extension cable through the letter box and leave a charger on the car overnight

Its about time you moved back indoors Ray and parked the car outside again