'53 Special temp gauge

[Aaron65]

Hello,

I disconnected the tube from the temp gauge at the cylinder head (right rear) on my 263. I'm getting the feeling I broke it...it's supposedly not electrical, and the gauge doesn't work anymore, and it did before. Any ideas?

Aaron

[Pete O]

The nut that holds the bulb in the head has to spin freely on the bulb and tube. The bulb is soldered on to the tube, and it's filled with a fluid that expands when heated, which causes the gauge to move. If the nut was binding on the bulb or tube due to dirt or corrosion, there is the possibility that the bulb got twisted off of the tube when you removed it. Or possbily the tube got kinked. I don't think this is a repair that can be done at home.

[Aaron65]

I think the bulb got twisted off. Where can I get a new bulb? That's gotta be a hard one to find! I almost think the bulb stuck to the head. Can I resolder that?

[The Old Guy]

This is not uncommon. You need to remove the bulb from the head, and send it to one of the people that repair this type of unit. Hemmings has a list of people that repair them.

[Pete O]

This would entail removing the gauge and tube, which is one assembly, from the instrument cluster so that you can send the whole shebang out to be fixed. You have to be a bit of a contortionist to reach up under the dash to remove the nuts (if I remember correctly, there are three) that hold the cluster to the dash. Then you have to disassemble the cluster and remove the gauge. Your have to thread the tube back through the firewall and cluster, being careful not to bend it or kink it in any way.

I was lucky enough to find a working temp gauge assembly, so I never tried repairing the old one. I don't know what kind of fluid is in the bulb. I think it might be something like ether, which has a fairly low evaporation point so that it will vaporize and expand with enough pressure to move the gauge when it's heated. But ether is highly flammable, so watch out soldering around it! I have no idea how much fluid to put into the bulb either. Too much or too little might affect the accuracy of the gauge. So like I said, this is a repair that is best left to someone who knows what they're doing.

[Buicksplus]

I have had several of these gauges repaired by a fellow called the "Temperature Gauge Guy". He advertises in Hemmings (along with a few others) and lives in Fl in the winter and Maine, I think, in the summer. He repairs the units for around $50 if I recall. He will replace whatever needs replacing, such as the tube, bulb, or the pressure gauge in the unit. Don't worry if you have damaged components, just pack it all up carefully and ship it.

I think the working fluid in these gauges is acetone. Refilling and soldering one is not easy without the skill and tools needed to evacuate and seal the thing. They usually break when removed because the bulb gets stuck in the bore -- and there is nothing to pull it with except the delicate little capillary tube. That process usually manages to let all the working fluid out.

Driving and old car without a temperature gauge is no fun. What else would you stare at for hours on your lovely dashboard?

Good luck!

[Aaron65]

50 bucks seems OK for a temp gauge I guess...not too many other options! I got a little nervous when my radiator cap went bad and was blowing antifreeze from around the seal! I'll look for that guy in Hemmings...thanks for the heads up!

[Patrick W. Brooks]

Hello Aaron: Believe I have an NOS temp. gauge for a 53 Spec. in the original box. Not only would it be unbroken but the face of the gauge would be new as well. If interested call me at 641-753-9134. Believe I have other NOS gauges for this model. If you call and I am not here let me know the time of day to call you. I am usually home in the evening. Patrick W. Brooks