Suggestions for an Oil Temperature Gauge?

[Orig65Tiger]

I want to do an in-dash installation of an Oil Temperature gauge. I'd appreciate any suggestions relating to brand or model or supplier of a gauge that would look nice alongside the stock Tiger instruments. I've looked at AutoMeter, VDO, Smith, egauges, etc. but have not found any that qualify. Has anyone come up with a nice looking, in-dash, Oil Temp gauge setup? (probably a 2 1/16” gauge)

Thank you--Jim

 

[Duke Mk1a]

https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/...currency=USD&gclid=COb9__uL7rwCFRQV7AodVkIAfw

Take apart and paint needle red, then it will be perfect. It requires a sending unit and voltage stabilizer (just like the one already mounted under your dash for the other instruments )

https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/s/instruments-gauges/smiths-cobra

 

[hottigr]

Nice find, Duke.

Spotted this one- not a matching instrument, but it has the right "look"...know nothing about it, however:

 

[cobrakidz]

To make it match could you buy a new gauge and then send a spare Sunbeam face to a gauge restoration shop and have them convert it? Probably easier said than done.

 

[Maliburevue]

I had one of these mechanical Smiths oil temp gauges on my first Tiger in the 70s. I picked this one up in case I wanted to do it again. I swapped the angular bezel for a standard Smiths curved bezel to look more like the original gauges. The needle would need to be painted to match. A hole would need to be drilled into the side of the oil pan and a fitting with external threads welded in to match the threaded nut.

 

[66TigerMK1A]

I had one of these mechanical Smiths oil temp gauges on my first Tiger in the 70s. I picked this one up in case I wanted to do it again. I swapped the angular bezel for a standard Smiths curved bezel to look more like the original gauges. The needle would need to be painted to match. A hole would need to be drilled into the side of the oil pan and a fitting with external threads welded in to match the threaded nut.

Here's a similar gauge on e-Bay U.K. right now... in Celsius and has Jaeger logo... I've always liked the mechanical 270° gauges for accuracy... still needs the pointer painted though...
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/RARE-JAEGER-OIL-TEMPERATURE-GAUGE-WITH-SENDER-AND-CAPILLARY-TUBE-/400666869562

Jim
B382000446

 

[Tucker]

Nisonger

Try Nisonger. They are currently refacing (silk screening) an alpine clock as well as converting a Ammeter to Voltmeter to appear period correct for me.


http://www.nisonger.com

Tucker

 

[Orig65Tiger]

Some great replies! The Smiths gauge would be a great match with a red pointer. I will call Nosinger on Monday. They show that gauge on their website.

In the meantime, does anyone know how the remove the chrome bezel and glass on a Smith or Jaeger gauge? That would be helpful in case I end up needing to repaint a needle myself. I don't have any uninstalled guages to examine.

Thanks to all,

Jim

 

[Alger]

Bezel removal

The chrome bezels often have small tabs that you need to bend downwards to remove, although on some of the gauges on my Austin Healey the bezel just needed to be rotated until the tabs matched up with spaces in the gauge housing.

 

[TigerBlue]

O T G Why?

Bonnie and I have a couple Tigers. One personalized and the other modified. I have never considered adding an oil temperature gauge to the personalized Tiger.

TigerBlue is the modified car and monitoring oil temp seems like a good idea running open track events in California. Not talking 50 second autoX but lapping a race track in high ambient temps.

The PO was doing that too and he did the dash with a mix of SW and stock instruments including the oil temp. In this machine with an 8 Qt. pan, oil temp was always running about 10 degrees hotter than coolant temp. Adding an oil cooler from an RX7 reversed that with oil temp running lower .

I consider oil temp knowledge important information on track because the car is running very hard. But it is still secondary to water temp because losing coolant can result disastrous/destructive temperatures in a hurry.

Also the oil pressure gauge is a better tell tale that one of the engine bearings is eating itself.

That said I have not experienced problems and a recent tear down of the engine showed no evidence of oil system issues. The small block Ford is a pretty trouble free engine when you maintain the fluid levels and it is tolerant of hard running.

So... in an application where red needles and stock appearance are important why bother with an oil temp gauge at all?

Rick

 

[Duke Mk1a]

I had an oil temp gauge in my turbocharged BMW. Did not give me much info other than knowing when I could flog the car once the oil was up to temp (very important for a turbocharger). I was surprised how much longer it took for the oil to get to temp vs the coolant.

 

[66TigerMK1A]

I had an oil temp gauge in my turbocharged BMW. Did not give me much info other than knowing when I could flog the car once the oil was up to temp (very important for a turbocharger). I was surprised how much longer it took for the oil to get to temp vs the coolant.

I hear ya Duke...
When I installed the new motor a few years ago, I didn't tighten one of the -10 fittings on my front mounted oil cooler... it has a thermostat and it wasn't until a few outings later that I took a good long run and it finally it opened and started raining oil on the windshield !!