Electrical: Has anybody installed an ELECTRICAL oil pressure gauge in a Studebaker?

[jnfweber]

I am replacing the original gauges in my 1957 President Classic with "classic" SW gauges similar to those in the 56-61 Hawks. I want them to match each other and be as close to what was in the earlier Hawks as possible. I cannot find a matching mechanical oil pressure gauge, but there is an electrical gauge and sender which looks very good. I have already received an temperature gauge and the ammeter and fuel gauges will be no problem. I will probably sell the original gauges to someone in the club, although I don't know if they work. They do look nice. Has anyone had experience connecting and using the electrical oil pressure gauge?

[RadioRoy]

It's no different than putting one in any other brand of car. Put the sending unit in the hole in the engine where the mechanical gauge originally was. It should be an 1/8 inch pipe thread. Make sure there is adequate clearance because the engine moves around a bit when operating.

BTW, whenever you are working on any of the wiring, it's always a good idea to disconnect one battery cable - usually the one that goes to ground.

[PackardV8]

I want them to match each other and be as close to what was in the earlier Hawks as possible.

Then why not just use '56-61 Hawk gauges? They're still thick on the ground. I've probably got all four gauges around somewhere.

jack vines

[jnfweber]

Then why not just use '56-61 Hawk gauges? They're still thick on the ground. I've probably got all four gauges around somewhere.

jack vines

Jack,

Thanks for the suggestion. The problem with the gauges from the Hawks is that they require the reflector boxes for illumination and I don't think these boxes would lend themselves to the horizontal in-line arrangement of the gauges in the '57 sedans. I need drop-in gauges which have their own light source. It might be possible to cut a hole in the back of the gauge for a light, but it might interfere with the gauge itself.

I have a Golden Hawk dashboard, complete-with-all-gauges, tachometer, and original sender, which I will post on the forum, and if enough interest is shown, will list it on ebay. It has been in dry storage for 20 years and still looks great.



Jack, in Montana

[Mike Van Veghten]

Back in the "day" the electric gauges weren't so accurate. But I believe that's changed, and it's 50-50 on which gage is "better".

While I'm happier with the mechanical gauges, as noted, todays electric gauges are fine and as accurate...as long as the manufactrures Quality Control is up to snuff. That is, cheap gages are cheap gauges. The SW's should be fine.

Mike

[StudeRich]

Jack did you notice that Dave's '57 Parkview Wagon has the original Chrome Bezel (rings) to properly fit the Hawk Gauges in the larger holes in the panel?
I think when Chuck Potter put those in there while he owned it for a couple years and restored it before I bought it back, he must have destroyed the originals to get those bezels.

He then modified the light box as needed to mount the gauges and give enough light to the side windows of the Gauges.
But if the new Gauges have no windows I guess you can't do that.
It's a bit late now that you have New Gauges, but I would have used Jack's and Chuck's method.

Very nice Golden Hawk Dash you have there, could it be a '58? It looks to me like it has the larger Radio opening like '58 to '61 Hawks have.
It is hard to find one with the Vacuum Gauge, Tach and Clock all in there AND in good shape with '57-'58 Switches and all, if you sold it complete it would bring good money because everybody and his Brother want these for '53-'55 C & K's.

[E. Davis]

Jack Weber:
Jack, I sent you a PM

[jnfweber]

Jack did you notice that Dave's '57 Parkview Wagon has the original Chrome Bezel (rings) to properly fit the Hawk Gauges in the larger holes in the panel? Very nice Golden Hawk Dash you have there, could it be a '58? It looks to me like it has the larger Radio opening like '58 to '61 Hawks have. It is hard to find one with the Vacuum Gauge, Tach and Clock all in there AND in good shape with '57-'58 Switches and all, if you sold it complete it would bring good money because everybody and his Brother want these for '53-'55 C & K's.

Good suggestion, Rich. I have the original instruments and bezels as pictured above, and the new S-W gauges will fit well inside the bezels, although they look almost as good without them. I don't suppose anyone would wish to buy the old instruments and bezels, and I don't have any idea whether they work or not, they probably would if the senders are correct. Both the old temp and fuel gauges are S-W, so they are probably just as good quality as those in the Hawks. The amp and oil gauges are just "idiot lights". I don't know why anyone would want them unless they are authenticity freaks. Who would try to restore a 57 4 door sedan unless they were idiots like me?

I'll bet if you remove the back of the housing for the gauges in Dave's wagon you will find that it had to be extensively modified to fit in the reflector boxes, which would also require a lot of drilling of holes to mount the gauges horizontally, as they were vertically mounted in the Hawks. And the lighting of the gauges through the slits in their backs was never very bright.