Has anyone ever replaced the bulb and capillairry temp gauge with a eletric one from a 140-240? Can anyone think of a problem fitting it in? I have the spare parts to put a electric gauge from a 73 inst cluster and my old one is not working plus it would be nice not having to pull the whole capillairy and all when working on the 122's inst. cluster.

Just getting some feedback befor I attempt it.

Thanks.

Could be done but be aware the gauge doesn't run on 12 volts - it gets cut down to who knows what voltage by a silver relay looking doohickey that resides on the back of the 140 instrument panel. If you hook up 12 volts the needles will swing all the way over and probably fry quickly. Just make sure you get the voltage reducer as well if you go junkyarding.

John Mc.

PS I once put a 140 Rally instrument panel in my 63 122s and discovered the above caveat.

Yup, I've fried a gauge in my 145 testing it with straight 12v ;)

I've got an extra voltage regulator for the gauges but its is for both the fuel and temp, so I hope it works for just the temp alone.

As far as I rember they run at 8 volts. I used a solid state voltasge regulator from an electronics store. The original thing is hopeless. Think the solid state one was about ten dollars

Regards

I don't think the current draw or 1 or 2 guages makes a difference as the current flow varies depending on the reading of each gauge from ?? to darn near 0 (empty tank or cold engine) and that doesn't affect the other gauge.

In my 122 I put in a gas tank from a junkyard 142e as well as the rear axle, driveshaft, tranny, and engine, so I was using the gas gauge as well. I had the leather front seats from the 142e as well. Maybe I should have just gotten a 142e and been done with it?

John Mc

95 Jetta GLX (VR6/5spd factory hot rod)

71 1800e (bone stock, aftermarket rust and dents lavishly applied)

63 544 (currently stock except for 2.2 liter B20e motor. M41/OD and IPD sway bars awaiting spare time for installation)

What all was involved with the 142 axle install? I'm thinking of modifying a 240 axle to fit. Did you change the mastercycl. for the brakes also?

As much as I like the 140 series bodies, the 122 is much more attractive. With all the comforts of a newer car added, you'd have a sweet machine.

Thanks

It's been a few years and my memory on the specifics have faded a bit. Since both cars had two trailing arms per side, just different mounts and bushings it was basically a splice job on the two pairs of trailing arm links (cutting both sets in half, then welding the front half of the 122 link to the back half of the 142 link - maybe the lower link worked unchanged?), and (I think) moving the Panhard mount on the axle to the other side. The springs on both cars both sat on top of the axle. Your 1967 has a later style mounting that might be really close to a 140 series - maybe an 140 sedan axle would bolt right in. Also 1800e's were basically 122 chassis upgraded to all the 140 series running gear. But not as easy to find in junkyards. Not sure how much the axle mounting changed into the 240 series. Don't they have an axle suspended from a bigger arm with the spring behind mounted on the arm - like the 122/140 station wagons?

On my 122 I didn't but really should have put in a dual circuit master cylinder - just for safety's sake. The brakes worked fine just hooked up to the single circuit original system - the rear discs didn't lock up before the fronts at least. I never got around to re-doing the fronts hubs so it had two different bolt patterns. I found some early silver slotted 140 rims for the back that exactly matched the late 120 slotted rims on the front.

The car was a cheap beater hot rod I drove in high school, and I spent too much time in a local import junkyard finding things to 'upgrade' on it.

John Mc