QuestionInside edging strip of oil pressure/temp guage has come loose so needle can't turn fully; have loosened from dash an inch or so to limit of cable play, but cannot get silver rim off to allow me to remove the glass and glue strip back on; tried WD40, Rubber gloves grip, not sure how it is held, but can't get it off. Immobilising my car!
Not strictly technical, but any ideas, please?
Allan Reid 1973 UK MG Midget
AnswerHi Allan
The "dual gauge" is a pair of mechanical gauges inside a single casing.
The temperature gauge has a metal tube coming out of the back, with a spiral wire to give it extra protection. This tube is FRAGILE. If you bend it and straighten it a couple of times it will fracture, letting all the fluid out, after which the temperature gauge will no longer work.
The oil pressure gauge has another tube, but it is not so fragile and easy to replace.
There is a clip holding one of the tubes to the firewall behind the dashboard. You must remove that clip so that you can then CAREFULLY pull the gauge out of its hole and see what is holding the rim. There will be 3 chromed ears bent over. DO NOT try to straighten them. They will snap off making the rim useless. Just ease them from behind with a small screwdriver, one at a time. Now you should find that the entire chromed rim can be rotated about 10 or 20 degrees until all 3 ears line up with 3 slots in the casing of the gauge. It takes both hands, one holding the casing and the other holding the rim.
Off she comes, and all will be revealed.
It is a fiddly job, but with patience you can do it.
