101 - Series 3 Dash Instruments

[garrycol]

The 101 uses dash instruments that are variations of Series 3 instruments. The main difference is where Series 3 has a multi-display instrument containing fuel, temp and a blank with a red light, the 101 has fuel, temp and oil temp.

The water temp and oil temp gauges of the 101 are bulb style gauges rather than electric gauges. The 101 stuff is hard to find and expensive and the bulb tube often gets damaged when you pull the dash then the gauge does not work - I have two new gauges but the bulb tubes are too short on the water temp gauge as I suspect I was actually sent gauges for a lightweight rather than a 101.

Ideally I would like to change these two gauges to an electric version. I assume the standard series 3 water temp gauge is an electric gauge but does anyone know where I might find an electric oil temp gauge? - Both to fit in a standard 101/series 3 multi gauge.

Thanks

Garry

[Bowie69]

The oil temp sender on a lightweight is the same as the engine temp sender, just screwed into a boss on the sump instead

[garrycol]

3 minutes ago, Bowie69 said:

The oil temp sender on a lightweight is the same as the engine temp sender, just screwed into a boss on the sump instead

I assume they are bulb type gauges and not electric.

[Bowie69]

5 minutes ago, garrycol said:

I assume they are bulb type gauges and not electric.

Nope, electric. Available in 12 and 24V versions

[Bowie69]

So... to expand, you can just use a water temp gauge in the oil temp hole (the label is on the surround, not the gauge) and use a water temp sender in the sump, and job's a good 'un

[Snagger]

Those 3-in-1 gauges were standard for MoD SIIIs, certainly all the FFRs had them.  I got a similar one with modern gauge innards (no need for the original voltage stabiliser) from Holden Vintage and Classic.  It has fuel in the bottom arc, oil temp on one side and coolant temp on the other (left and right respectively, if I remember correctly).  It wasn’t cheap, but it has been perfect in operation.  Mine is 12v, but I think it is available in 24v.

I repaired the 24v oil temp gauge on my wife’s Lightweight FFR with a new gauge in the old cluster, and it had an electrical sender in the left side of the sump close to the oil cooler return like Bowie is saying.  On my 109 with the Holden gauges, I added a temperature sender to the oil filter housing of the 12J and later 200Tdi oil filter housing.

[garrycol]

14 hours ago, Bowie69 said:

So... to expand, you can just use a water temp gauge in the oil temp hole (the label is on the surround, not the gauge) and use a water temp sender in the sump, and job's a good 'un

Thanks for that - the numbers are the opposite way round on each of the gauges and positioned differently but should work fine.

[Snagger]

https://www.holden.co.uk/p/3_in_1_fuel_oil_water_temps

A bit dearer than when I bought one.  More than double, if I remember rightly.

[garrycol]

10 hours ago, Snagger said:

https://www.holden.co.uk/p/3_in_1_fuel_oil_water_temps

A bit dearer than when I bought one.  More than double, if I remember rightly.

Thanks for the information - yes is a bit on the expensive side and a little different to what I have but would probably work well.

[Snagger]

It has been 100% reliable over 15 years, and eliminates the voltage stabiliser on the back of the speedo.  The innards are modern, it’s just the face that is classic.  I prefer it’s layout, having both temperature gauges orientated vertically and both with high temp at the top - it is clearer and more intuitive than the genuine LR type.  I think the one in my wife’s Lightweight had the same configuration as yours, but had the C, N and H arcs rather than numerical values.