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I am in the fortunate position of having the Telegauge gubbins in my vintage fuel tank. I'm missing the dash display but can see that the original operation demanded nasty high specific gravity liquids that sound largely carcinogenic.
I note Willie is doing modern versions of the thing for 500 quid, but I doubt they even re-use the vintage parts.
Has anyone encountered, or indeed bothered trying to get one working safely on a shoestring? My first thought was to take the stuck-tight setscrews out and see what's in there, but I'm anxious about using a heat source on them...
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Location: Ripon
I've just looked up the indications of 1,1,2,2-TETRABROMOETHANE and I think I'd wear a full hazmat suit if I was within 100 yards of it!
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hi jonE
im in the position were i have the original hobson telegauge. black face with 7 hp austin on the front. the gauge works. but no parts for the tank.
its fitted to tracys 1927 chummy. along with plenty of other rearities of collected up from shows over the years.
i bought it around 20 years ago at the international beaulieu. it was priced up at £50.00 and i beleive we paid £40.00 that was alot of money back then.
but there again, £500.00 for a repro is alot of money today.
tony.
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Tony - perhaps we ought to barter/exchange for something of yours.
Although realistically, what would you do for fluid? Would you actually be interested it trying to get one working?
Someone mentioned glycerine was a possibility but why wouldnt they have used that in the first place?
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,922 Threads: 90
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Location: Ripon
My guess for not using glycerine would be that the surface tension would stick it to the sight glass making a reading inaccurate if not impossible?
Mercury might be a better if also poisonous material but the density may be too great?
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The deadly liquid is used (in my experience ) as an indicator in glass tube which is incorporated in the instrument.
I have a car with both fuel gauge and temperature gauge in the same face.
They are not easily repaired and need the skills of an instrument repairer used to doing temperature gauges.
When you have a repaired gauge it is filled with the 'red ' liquid using a 'dropper' and last time we did one we were very very careful.
But we are still around,
Further details from me if you send me an e-mail assuming what i have described is your gauge.
John W
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I've made a bit of a mistake here.
My gauge, pictured is an auto vac.
I didnt think telegauge ever made a 0 to 4 gauge for the austin 7 ?
It's a small tank.
Thanks tony.
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Location: Far West of New Zealand
22-11-2021, 01:42 AM
(This post was last modified: 22-11-2021, 01:43 AM by A G Wood.
Edit Reason: spelling
)
Jon E, Mike Costigan
I believe there is (or was) a safe alternative to the original fluid obtainable from vintage aircraft part sources. I gather the Telegauge principle is used in some of their instrumentation too. I cannot find my source material but I seem to recall looking up the price of the safe stuff out of curiosity and being unpleasantly surprised...
