24 replies to this topic

[spiguy]

Hi folks.

 

I have a nice working original smiths 60's oil pressure / water temp gauge. It was my dads when he had his minivan in the 60's, and my mum got it for him as she worked in the Smiths factory. It is the type where the water gauge uses a thin capillary tube (think it's filled with napthalene).  I would love to use this in my current mini, a 92 Spi cooper, for aesthetic and sentimental reasons, rather than buying a new one. I have tested both the oil pressure gauge and the water gauge and all still works well.

 

Question is this. He also gave me a thermostat housing, also from the van, with threaded hole for putting the capillary attachment into. Looks to me like it would fit (the bolt pattern looks the same and the stub pipe position looks the same too). However, the 'shape' of the top is a bit different. The one on my car looks to have a more voluminous bulge (can't think how to describe this) than the one for the temp sender. I just wondered if this would cause any issues with flow restriction.  I figure that as long as the effective volume of the bulge is not less than the stub pipe opening, it shouldn't matter? The van was an 850 engined car.

 

I had a look on minispares and don't see any housings for such a temp sender, so don't know if there is any other option anyway.

[Guess-Works.com]

The housing will fit, however, your temperature sender will be on the 'cold' side of the thermostat, so will not show any appreciable temperature until the thermostat opens.

[nicklouse]

Just fit it in the correct place on the head. As you will then have correct readings.

Pics of the housing you have would be good. You also need to think of contact with the stat.

[Spider]

Just fit it in the correct place on the head. As you will then have correct readings.

 

I'm not sure the SPI's had that point in the head like the early cars.

 

If it does, then this is the perfect spot, but you'll also need an adapter as the hole in the 1275 heads isn't deep enough for the bulb to go in to the seat. Mini Spares have the adapters.

[nicklouse]

So they have a set up like this?

Mine but never used the adaptor and I belive the top bit is MPi both might be but I have no idea.

[spiguy]

I'll get a pic up soon. I also don't think there is anywhere in the head for the bulb, will double check tomorrow,  niclouse - that sandwich plate looks interesting, don't think mine has that extra hole.

 

GW - I don't really mind too much about only reading after the stat opens, that would do OK, it's mainly the oil pressure function I'm after, a hot reading only would be fine.

[spiguy]

So they have a set up like this?

Mine but never used the adaptor and I belive the top bit is MPi both might be but I have no idea.

 

Doh!  Just realised, that sandwich plate is the same as mine! 

[spiguy]

Could I maybe get a 5/8 T piece and fit both the bulb and current CTS to the current location underneath the inlet manifold?

[nicklouse]

Not a good idea.

But get pics of the housing that you have been given.

[spiguy]

This is a pic of it with the end of the capillary tube from the gauge showing the bulb:

 

 

Just occured to me though, there is no rad bracket tapped hole on this anyway so how would I secure that ? Maybe make a small bracket to attach it to the nearest housing bolt?

Edited by carlukemini, 26 March 2015 - 10:59 PM.

[nicklouse]

That is an early metro stat housing. There is normally a black plastick plug in there not the thread converter. It is actually what I thought you might have. My concern is with the bulb fitted you will not be able to fit a stat.

[nicklouse]

Here is how I used mine. Might be slightly different.



Still have it somewhere.

[spiguy]

hmmm. It may be the same as the one from an early metro, but it was definitely from my dads 60's van! he only had it from the early 60's for a few years, selling it when the subframe broke (was used in my grandfathers building business).

 

So, how else can I plumb it in? I don't have the traditional sender hole in the cylinder head, being an SPi...

[Spider]

There are also these

 

http://minisport.com...th-temp-adaptor

 

they were fitted to a number or cars including the very early 997 Cooper, but should be fairly easy to obtain.

[timmy850]

There are also these
 
http://minisport.com...th-temp-adaptor
 
they were fitted to a number or cars including the very early 997 Cooper, but should be fairly easy to obtain.

My car had one of these fitted. The early 850 heads didn't have a temp sensor hole below the thermostat like the later heads had. My dad would have fitted it in the early 80's in Australia...

 

Edit: Early and later referring to Australian cars

Edited by timmy850, 27 March 2015 - 06:54 AM.