8011 - Electrical Gauge Question

[shanehanlongmailcom]

Hi all. Just joined the forum...looking forward to asking plenty of questions and hopefully getting lots of advice

My father is the very proud owner of an 8011 Crystal but alas he is not much into wiring \circuits - so although his pride and joy starts and is pretty sound mechanically, the electrics need lots of attention.
So, I stripped almost every wire from it this weekend (father was seen in the vicinity mumbling something about how I'd taken the guts from his darling) and replaced with new. All external lamps now work but the dash gauges need some attention.
To begin - there's a gauge to the extreme right of the dash, which looks like a battery meter sort of thing. From memory, it has -50 +50 written on it I think. Does anyone know how this is wired?

 

[dave_peters]

You need to establish on the back of the key switch which you push in to turn on electrics which is the always live wire from the terminal on the top of the starter motor. The ammeter is connected into this wire. If it operates the wrong way- that is, it shows charge instead of discharge swap the wires. this can be checked by switching, on lights with the engine stopped when it will show discharge (-)

 

[shanehanlongmailcom]

Hi DaveP and many thanks for the reply. I want to break down your answer to be sure I get your meaning (not that it is confusing, but because I'm not the best with wiring )..

First, I don't have the gauge in sight, but because of your answer I presume that 2 input wires are required to the Ammeter (and one of them is not a ground wire) - this correct so far?

One wire comes direct from the key-switch (from the terminal that goes Live when I insert the key)?
And the other wire, comes from the starter from the always Live terminal?

 

[dave_peters]

Not quite
The ammeter, which has only 2 terminals, is in the wire from the starter solenoid to the key.
It measures every thing from or to the battery except the actual very heavy current to the starter motor. so it has to be in the cable that leads to the key switch from the starter solenoid large threaded terminal that the battery wire connects to.

 

[shanehanlongmailcom]

Not quite
The ammeter, which has only 2 terminals, is in the wire from the starter solenoid to the key.
It measures every thing from or to the battery except the actual very heavy current to the starter motor. so it has to be in the cable that leads to the key switch from the starter solenoid large threaded terminal that the battery wire connects to.

So, by IN the wire do you mean the single wire from the starter (which is always live) is connected through[/] the ammeter (think this is in series)? I.e. bring the wire from the starter to one of the pins on the ammeter, then break the wire here and wire it again from the other terminal to the switch?

Sorry for getting you to answer what you've already answered, but wiring is not my speciality. I appreciate you taking the time.

 

[dave_peters]

Yes, thats right, its connected in series in the live wire leading to the key switch.

 

[shanehanlongmailcom]

Thanks very much Dave P...will try that out when I'm at home next.

I've other problems with the speedometer, and temp gauge. I can post these as new topics or keep this thread going - what do you think is best?

 

[Renze]

go ahead, post them here... They are all gauge related

 

[shanehanlongmailcom]

Thanks Renze.

Next up, the temparature gauge.

There's a male spade connector poking out from the right side of the engine, near the front - a temp sensor?
A wire runs from this into the cab, but is joined to nothing.

The Temp gauge has no wires in it at all. This wire and the temp gauge could be happy together if I knew how to introduce them properly
How is this gauge wired up?

 

[dave_peters]

Take a fused live wire to the gauge, I can't remember how the terminals are marked, probably live to one marked+. The other wire goes straight to the sensor. To test the gauge, ground the wire to the sensor and the gauge should go to max temp.

Taco fault is probably the small gearbox on the front of the timing case under the temp sender. It has a fibre gear that wears out only fix is to replace it. Either that or the cable that drives it is broken.
Of course its always posible that the instrument is faulty!

 

[shanehanlongmailcom]

That makes sense Dave P re. the temp gauge. Will test it out.

Sounds like the taco issue is due to the fibre gear being worn then. Pretty sure the cable is sound as it looks pretty new. And I have seen the taco itself move albeit years ago.
Is it a difficult job to replace this fibre gear DIY?

 

[dave_peters]

Best to change the whole little gearbox. Easy to do, I doubt the gear is available now.