Durant Motors Internet Forum

Our Purpose

  Preserve the automobiles manufactured by the Durant Motor Company, provide enjoyment for each member with meets, tours & technical assistance.


This forum is provided by the Durant Motors Automobile Club located at durantmotors.org

How to Add Pictures             Rocky

General Discussion Forum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
View Entire Thread
Re: Restoring Dash Gauges

Bill the 1932 670 De Vaux, 1932 633 Durant and 1932 685 Frontenac had same Hayes bodies, same dash plates and black faced gauges.

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 Dominion built 614 Sedan

Re: Restoring Dash Gauges

What are the odds of running across an envelope after nearly 45 years marked "1931 Chrysler instrument decals"...I had forgotten that the fellow in San Diego had sent an extra set of decals in case I goofed when I installed them...I thought this was space age technoliagy back then... Anyway, still kicking this can down the road...My son Dean is checking in with a company that does all their Graphics and decals ect.


IMG-2005
IMG-2004

Where Are You From? Yuma, AZ / Leavenworth, WA

Do You own a car built by Durant? several

Re: Restoring Dash Gauges

A little progress, working with a graphic company in Yuma called "Sign Pro" they came up with some snazzy looking decals for the '32 Devaux instruments...Carlos used photos from myself and Bob's '33 durant instruments and starting from scratch did the art work by computer program, using the photos for sizing and layout....They were a little difficult installing mostly because gauge pointer stop pins could not be removed and the stop pins needed to project threw decals.



This is the mixed spicies of instruments that I needed to restore back into the original design face plates, no they are not silk screen, but looking at my original silk screen gauges they haven't held up all that well...The tempature gauge was not working but I was able to repair using a new tempature gauge's bulb as a doner (place the new gauge bulb in Ice water then sever the tube and solder it onto the old original gauge using a sleeve.


IMG-2067-1

Not sure Norm would have noticed it but after restoring the Oil guage and callabrating it I now see a typeo, Dang me, will have to redo that gauge.

IMG-2079-1

Another pic with gauges and newly machined cluster plate

IMG-2074

This was kinda fun, the old cluster plate was, I think nickle plated brass .020", well tarnished and etched, so rather than having it re-plated and taking the chance of burning threw the nickle when doing an jeweling or engine turned finish I picked up a piece of .030" mirror like stainless from McMasters and machined the plate to same specs as original and using an extra fine Craytex 1/2" rubberized abrasive rod (approx 400 grit)and the mill, was able to duplicate the same texture and appearance as the original.

IMG-2059

picture url




Anyway, this is some of what I've been up to lately, and Hey, I have just about got all the wood done in the DeVaux that will be needed.

Where Are You From? Yuma,AZ / Leavenworth, WA

Do You own a car built by Durant? several

Re: Restoring Dash Gauges

Bill -Those gauges look great. Yeah 160lbs of oil pressure would probably promote leaks. You got a black sharpie? Ross

Where Are You From? Orygun

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1930 6-14

Re: Restoring Dash Gauges

Thanks Ross....Don't think that I haden't thought about the black sharpie, but as it were when Carlos found the time he produced some decals with the correction and it only took a few minutes to back up and replace the decal and recallabrate....Thought I would mention that I found with the dial face oil and tempature gauges that you don't want to reinstall the pointers/needles until you are set up to callabrate the gauge, with the oil gauge you would hook it up to your shop air pressure regulator and adjust the pressure regulator to a given amount then install the the pointer on your gauge at that same amount, then adjust your regulator up and down and see if the two gauges are in sink...With the tempature gauge you would put the either filled bulb in boiling water and install gauge pointer at 212 degrees...I used the instructions for the Temp. gauge repair at https://www.ply33.com/Repair/tempgauge , It is an interesting method and worked for me, I would suggest to look for a new mechanical gauge to use as a doner that has a large sensing bulb, this will give a greater pointer travel....Oh, and to complicate matters my '32 Devaux has a 3/16" asphalt loom over the capulary tube so I had my hands full to quickly install the new loom over the capulary at the same time I made the switch to the new doner.


IMG-2086
IMG-2087
IMG-2088

Where Are You From? Yuma,AZ / Leavenworth, WA

Do You own a car built by Durant? several

 

The Durant Motors Automobile Club