Front Grille Upside Down Downunder ans Oil and Temp Twin Gauge

[Pommie Stag]

Can anyone please tell me the correct way up for the front grille on the stag.

Am i missing the blindingly obvious? it does seem to have a top or bottom as the slats are different.

Secondly i am fitting a smiths twin oil pressure and water temp gauge, wow how hard is it to get to the oil sender! any tips on removing the sender i am going to fit a "T" piece so i still have an oil light.
Does the temp bulb fit straight into the original tapping or is a modification required?

Thanks in advance.

Pommie :?

[Sheepdip]

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To answer the latter, the twin oil pressure/water gauge is a good move, until recently I just had an oil pressure gauge but now know the exact temperature rather than "normal and a bit".

1) Fitting the oil pressure is fairly easy, I found it better to remove the oil transfer cover(single bolt), fit T piece and switch then replace and connect gauge. Warning - the cover has 2 sealing O rings to replace, and must be lined up. Fiddly but much easier I found.

2) My temp gauge needed an adapter to fit the head. Screwing the adapter in was tricky as the flats require a spanner that won't fit in the space. I found a socket banged over the end gave enough grip to tighten. Make sure the adapter is long enough to prevent the sensor bottoming in the cover. Also you'll probably find the tightened sensor is a loose fit, so don't worry.

You'll now find theres no space for the old sender unit. If you have a Mk1 head, the RH head transfer housing had a blanking bolt that can be removed, else you'll either have to find an older cover or remove, drill and tap the Mk2 (as I did).

3) The lighting for the gauge is more or less a direct fit, however you'll find the light is weak. A friend has modified his with a high intensity green LED that he's happier with.

Good luck

Paul

[Marco Polo]

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G'day Mate,

Long time no hear!

On my car the slat with the narrowest slot is at the top of the grill. Also the leaping stag is the correct way up! Hope this helps.

Hows the roof coming along?

regards,

Raoul

[Pommie Stag]

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Hey Chaps thanks for the reply's

Paul great info on the twin gauge, had a dig round last night and thanks for some of the old posts i.e. the plumbers basin wrench for removing the old sender. I will try go to a plumbers merchant to see if i can get a 3/8bsp adapter they call them nipples in Oz too
Many thnks again for a speedy reply

Hello Raoul still about ,
the hood has been canned for now as its stopped raining on the Gold Coast, just clear blue skies of winter are here again so I am fitting a re veneered dash and centre console steering column bearing mods etc.

Thanks for the tip on the Front Grille i never thought to use the leaping Stag to give me a clue as to which way up!:dude:.
I will fit the narrow slat at the top today and that will be up for Australia, mine was incedently fitted upside down!

Hey mate you wouldn't know who a good courier would be to get some stuff over from the UK as i ordered a shed load of stuff from rimmers on there 25% off sale over Christmas and they have just got it all sorted and wow the price for post is massive.

[Marco Polo]

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If you shipped your furniture and personal belongingsfrom the UK to the Gold Coast, why don't you approach the company that shipped it for you? I just did a Google search and there were quite a few possibilities.

regards,

Raoul

[Sheepdip]

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Pommie Stag wrote:

Hey Chaps thanks for the reply's

Paul great info on the twin gauge, had a dig round last night and thanks for some of the old posts i.e. the plumbers basin wrench for removing the old sender. I will try go to a plumbers merchant to see if i can get a 3/8bsp adapter they call them nipples in Oz too
Many thnks again for a speedy reply


Hey mate you wouldn't know who a good courier would be to get some stuff over from the UK as i ordered a shed load of stuff from rimmers on there 25% off sale over Christmas and they have just got it all sorted and wow the price for post is massive.

Hi Pommie, Hope you find something, I managed to get the adaptor from the gauge supplier - just make sure the adaptor is long enough to prevent the sensor bottoming in housing (I can measure mine if you want :P)

Never ceases to amaze me how you guys outside the UK run these motors, we have enough trouble keeping them going with suppliers just down the road!

But they're worth it.

paul

[Marco Polo]

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Sheepdip wrote:

Never ceases to amaze me how you guys outside the UK run these motors, we have enough trouble keeping them going with suppliers just down the road!

But they're worth it.

paul

We just throw dollars at them instead of pounds! It hurts just as much trust me!

regards,

Raoul

PS Our government has just given every tax payer $900 to "stimulate" the economy! I will be using mine to "stimulate" my Stag!

[Pommie Stag]

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Hello Again,

Hey Raoul, thanks for the tip with the grille looking great and the Stag is up the right way too?!
Did ask the shipping co for a quote but they will take months, so have to settle for UPS and a mad price still its far cheaper than having the car re trimmed in OZ as most quotes I got were around $10k not including sundries?!!:shock: ONE QUOTE WAS $18K.:shock::shock:
I did want to try and keep King Kev's money in Oz but needs must.

Paul managed to find an adapter (nipple) 3/8bsp but in plastic!!!!!:? not so sure if i should use it. They tell me its rated at 150 deg cel but hey would you trust plastic on a Stag!! The only real way from what i can work out is to get stuff from the UK.

Took BT for a spin after new dash, coluum repairs and various other bits, Sunshine 28 deg cel and oil pressure @ 35 psi at hot tickover on the new gauge cant be bad!:dude:

Pommie

[Marco Polo]

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Pommie,

Have you got an "Enzed" or other type of hydraulic/gauge supplier or an aeroquip braided line supplier near you? Try them before going back to the UK.

A mate of mine who works for Goodrich sourced mine for me.

regards,

Raoul

[Pommie Stag]

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Will do Raoul didn't think of that, did try a couple of plumbers merchants but got the usual go away small fry we don't have time for you attitude.
We only deal with trade....
That might well be the go
Thanks need a new hose for the tractor too.

[Sheepdip]

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Well we whinge about the cost of delivery here, but at least it arrives nextish day in alittle red van, without par avion all over it. Do you have local suppliers?

I don't think I'd use plastic, especially so close to manifold! If you can't get locally not difficult to make. The one I have is atube about 1" long with a couple of spanner flats ground on it, male end tapped for transfer, female for sensor. I mentioned make sure its long enough for the sensor, otherwise it will bottom inside of transfer. There was a forum note a while back where someone had unknowingly cut the end off the sensor as it was to long....

Personally found it one of the best mods.

[Andrew S]

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Hi Pommie

The grill goes in only one way and the easiest way is to look at the small cut us where you would adjust the headlights. The Stag badge can be fiitedupside

Good luck

Andrew

[Dave M]

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Hi Pommie

A mate of mine machined an adaptor out of brass for my capillary temp gauge, its about inch and a half long with a male thread one end and a female thread on the other. If theres any machine shops near you Im sure they could make one for you asmy mate didmine on a lathe at home in an evening. Just give them the original sender and the new gauge as the threads were different on mine. One of the best mods Ive done, car runs normally at 75 and creeps up to 85/90 if stood in traffic on a hot day, loads better than worrying how close the needle is to the red on the standard gauge

Cheers

Dave

[TimShoubridge]

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I'm going to sound thick here, but can someone tell me what the thread size etc. is at both ends? I've got one of these gauges but seem to have come up against a wall with suppliers and have not fitted it yet. I thought it would be relatively easy to buy the adapter but it appears to be a minefield.

As I said, it may be me being stupid but I thought a simple tap on the old keyboard and the internet would deliver.

[Sheepdip]

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Not thick at all, I found the same problem.

I got my gauge from http://www.mgbhive.co.uk/on speaking to them they said they also had an adaptor(about £8) which they thought would fit and it did. Its a bit fiddly for the Stag cause the spanner flats are inaccessible - I jammed an old socket over it which worked. I've just had my RH cover tapped for the old sender and believe the man said it was 5/8" UNF but don't rely on that. Other than that, sorry no info.