Morris Minor Owners Club

I bought a new Dual Oil and Water Gauge,there was no fitting instructions with it,so can someone tell me where the "probe" to the right of the gauge in the picture is fitted??

Cheers Mark<br><br>

Sorry pic is upside down so its "probe" to left side of the gauge

If you've got the sort of head with a blanking plug below the thermostat (above the dynamo) you're in luck because it will just screw in there. Without that, you've got no quick and easy soloution. Our 1098 van has the tapping and has the gauge fitted, the other two (948s) don't and are awaiting me making up some sort of adapter.......

My Minor has a 1098 engine fitted so hopefully should have the blanking plug.ill go and have a look now

Cheers Mark

It will probably need an adapter to screw in to the head! Be VERY carefull with the connecting lead - and make SURE it doesn't fret on anything! If that gets broken - the gauge is useless.

That looks like the twin gauge out of an MGBGT. If it is I have a strong feeling that the pipe is for the oil pressure, which will need a T piece and pluming in to get working, as the temperature bit is electronic. If that's the case you'll need a temperature sender and wiring to get that part of the gauge working.

I've been looking at them for my Spitfire but have decided on separate gauges so they all match....

Waiting to be corrected or seconded.....

By "blanking plug" you mean the "Nut" thats at the front of the engine just above the engine no plate above the Dynamo.should be simple to fit then.
Thanks for the info

It's not a 'nut' - it's the head of a short stubby screw - that acts as a plug! Simple enough to fit - but you may need that adapter. The beauty of that gauge is - that it's NOT electronic! And yes - the oil pressure side will need a T piece and a connecting pipe - I assume you have that ?

This is the link for the gauge.you can see the rear of it in the pics,before I bought it the seller said it was a mechanical gauge and not an electrical one. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Smiths-Dual-WATER ... 588496ce37

Getting the pipe and adapters etc tomorrow

bmcecosse wrote:The beauty of that gauge is - that it's NOT electronic!

I stand corrected, but why would the supplier only supply one connecting pipe when two are required..?? I'm guessing it's something to do with the temperature gauge bit being fixed to the back of the dial while the oil is a removable fitting.

Very nice gauge, I was very temped myself...

Yea thats what I thought,but he didnt have the adapters needed to fit to a minor

Sometimes you would get both (though motor factors - in the days when they sold useful things - used to keep copper then plastic pipes in various lengths so you bought to suit your car) but the water temp pipe is integral with the gauge (and filled with a liquid) you often see the gauges at car-boot sales and auto jumbles with the capilary tube cut off at the back - no good to man or beast then!

I have one of those gauges fitted to my Traveller, in fact it has been on several cars. The capillary sensor does indeed screw into the cylinder head below the thermostat housing, or for engines without the hole there is a thermostat housing with the blanking plug available. A length of plastic piping for a Mini is required for the oil pressure gauge which replaces the oil pressure light sensor behind the distributor or can be used with the sensor if a T piece plus a thread adapter is available.
As has been said, take great care with the capillary tube which is far longer than required. I have wound mine around the heater trunking.
The only electrical part of the gauge is the back light.

I went to a mini parts dealer today to get the t piece and tube for the oil pressure,he reckoned that the water temp sensor is too long to suit a minor engine,he said that the sensors come in different lengths,has anyone else ever come across this??

Cheers Mark

Yes -I agree - the bulb looks too long - hence the need for the adapter I have mentioned several times..............

Sorry Roy I thought you meant the T piece adapter for the oil pressure hose

The adapter for the temp sensor has a male thead at each end with a collar around the middle. One end screws into the head and the capillary nut screws onto the other end. It should be easy enough to get one made.

It looks to be the same as the one fitted in my Sprite which does indeed have an adapter. Maybe Moss sell them.

mike.perry wrote:The adapter for the temp sensor has a male thead at each end with a collar around the middle. One end screws into the head and the capillary nut screws onto the other end. It should be easy enough to get one made.

I hesitate to disagree with Mike, but I think the temperature gauge needs a male to female adaptor - it looks like a male thread at the end of the capillary on the photo. Moss show (and the usual culprits sell) 11K2846 as the adaptor, with 12A1768 or AED172 as the washer that goes between it and the head. It would not do any harm to put a couple of turns of PTFE tape around the gauge's male thread, but the washer does the job for the adapter.

The oil pressure gauge may need a male-male adapter - and make sure that if you use any plastic pipe, it's rated for hot oil at high pressure. You can empty a sump surprisingly quickly if a pipe blows off - though the gauge should alert you that it's happened.

Kevin

It is indeed a male -female adapter.