New Gauge Bezel Source and Installation?

[61Lark]

Does anybody have a source for the bezels used on the 2 1/16" and 3 3/8" Stewart Warner gauges used in the Hawks and Avantis? I'm need of two speed bezels and about 6 of the smaller gauge bezels.

Also, does any one know of a good way to crimp the bezels on? I imagine there is a tool, but does anyone have a source?

Thanks,
Nick

[52 Ragtop]

I bought a few of the smaller bezels years ago at a speedometer repair shop in LA. The guy there told me to buy a small ball peen hammer and just keep going around the bezel tapping it lightly and it will peen over. If I recall, I did it on a piece of hardwood with a terry cloth towel down to protect the bezel. take your time and they come out just fine.

Jim

[DEEPNHOCK]

I knew a VP at Stewart-Warner (still know him, but he's not at S/W) and asked him for some bezels once.
He had them sent to me in a big paper mailing envelope...from Mexico.
Nice enough, but not folded over and crimped....

I bought a few of the smaller bezels years ago at a speedometer repair shop in LA. The guy there told me to buy a small ball peen hammer and just keep going around the bezel tapping it lightly and it will peen over. If I recall, I did it on a piece of hardwood with a terry cloth towel down to protect the bezel. take your time and they come out just fine.

Jim

[jlmccuan]

I too, would like to find a source for new Avanti style bezels. It would be much easier to disassemble the gauges if you didn't have to worry about re-using the bezels. My crimping tool is almost finished and will be a big improvement over the way I have been doing it.

[Paul Keller]

Used an old, coroded chrome dash trim (believe Stude' called them bezels also) set (two gages per trim set from a '62-'63 Hawk) and cut one end w/ an approx. 1/8" wide slot. Then clamped the "tool" in a vise (w/ wood as padding, so as to not flatten a side of the "tool"). Then placed the gage-bezel into the "tool' (as it would be nomally assembled to the chrome trim) and grraaaduaallly , sqeezed the crimp closed, rotating the gage/bezel often to get as even a crimp as possible. The chrome trim is fairly soft, so it needs to be done very gradually - It took four or five rotations of the gage to get enough of a crimp to hold.
Paul K

[(S)]

its not that hard

I've always used a large hose clamp so the bezel is held tight, and so you can do the crimping evenly. Some tape on the edge helps and I usually leave sections not crimped 'tight' for easy service next time.

Shop ebay for cheap bezels, watch out for ones that do not match what you have.

[61Lark]

Paul are you talking about using an old set of bezels or the chrome pieces that the gauges sit in in the dash?

I'm going to try the hose clamp trick. I like that it supports the edges while installing.

I called Stewart Warner last week and was told that they didn't have the bezels. They referred me to Bob's Speedometer in Michigan. They said they might have them used, but they were $50-$60. The Gauge Guys in Bloomington, MN will crimp on new bezels for $25 a piece which is much better, but that's still spendy if you want to do all 7 gauges on an Avanti that are crimped. I'm still looking.

Nick