Old Chevy truck oil pressure gauge.

GPster · May 11, 2004, 09:36:20 PM

I've come to find that Chevy didn't use the full-pressure 235 six in trucks until '54. The engine that I'm using in my '51 project is a full-pressure 235 out of a '53 car. The gauge in the truck dash was for the "babbit pounder" and only reads to 30#and I know my engine will peg-it. The '54 and probably the first series '55 gauges are 0 - 60# which makes it sound simple but nothing ever is. The '54 gauge cluster has the gauges in the same positions as the earlier cluster but the face of the cluster is different. Would anyone know if the newer gauge will fit in the old cluster? If it will and the swap meets don't turn one up anyone know where I could find a new one? Most of the places that I've looked don't show anything or just have replacement faces. If I can't go this way anyone know if a '54 or '55 first series instrument cluster will fit in a '51 dash? How about the speedometer? I suppose that I'd like to have them match. And while I have your attention how about the Charge/Discharge gauge? The '51 was 6V, The '54 was probably 6V and I figure the '55 was 12V. The truck will be 12V with a low amperage alternator. I don't think this makes a difference in just a charge/discharge and for the simplicity of this truck I'm not considering a voltage gauge but should I also look for a '55 amperage gauge (or a '54 if it was 12V too). I just trying to find out what I should be looking for. Thanks for the education. GPster

OldSub · May 13, 2004, 12:47:59 AM

Awful timing!

Until Sunday afternoon (Mother's Day) I had a '47 Chevy pickup sitting in my yard. I'm sure the guages would be the same as yours.

I still have a '54 and a '55 1st so it would have been easy to take them apart and compare.

You might look for a GMC dash. They had pressure oil much earlier, and may be even closer to your guage panel than the '54-5 would be.

I have a '52 GMC but someone long since took the gauges from it...

Though it isn't here, so I can go look at it, I have a '51 Chevy truck (1-1/2 ton) with a '54 or newer 235 in it. I haven't actually looked, but I don't recall thinking the dash had been changed. It may just be pinning the old guage at full pressure. Even the full-pressure motors didn't run much pressure.

GPster · May 13, 2004, 08:35:34 AM

Was the '47 a Mother's Day gift to somebody or was getting it out of your yard a Mother's Day gift. I haven't dug the gauges out for the '53 car that I junked for the engine but it used to peg the oil pressure gauge in it. I don't remember the scale on the gauge but becuse the engine held enough oil pressure to peg the gauge in a 73,000 mile car I have my hopes. Also the engine was cleaner than everything else on the car. Thanks for the info. Sometimes when I gather up to many answers by myself I lose track of what the question was. Sumner said that he might still have the speedo and gauges from his truck, but I can't remember if he started with a Chevy or a GMC or how old it was. He said to remind him to look in about 4 months so he could get his house finished. I can't remember when he told me that. WZjunk was going to cut the top off a '54 to make a fenderless roadster pick-up but it's probably not any easier to see under the back side of the gauges just because you don't have a roof. I wonder if he got his Mother's Day project done? GPster

OldSub · May 13, 2004, 10:18:39 AM

Quote from: "GPster"Was the '47 a Mother's Day gift to somebody or was getting it out of your yard a Mother's Day gift.

Getting it out of the yard!

Sumner's truck started life as a GMC. I know the guages are a lot different in '54-5, but I don't know that they are any different before, except in cosmetics and perhaps the oil pressure guage.

But I really don't know, I'm just guessing...

GPster · May 13, 2004, 10:34:11 AM

I took your advise on the GMC realm. I've been looking on Ebay under Chevrolet truck and there were so many listings under Chevrolet/GMC that I forgot that GMC might be listed by itself also. The only gauges listed under GMC were a set from a '54-'55 and they were intirely different,like from a flat dash. They might have been from a BIG truck becuase it looked like it might have had a tach too. Might try Sumner again Can't remember all of the conversation. Might have been about the speedo. One's suppose to appear to fill out the package I bought so I probably don't need one now(?). GPster

OldSub · May 13, 2004, 09:13:04 PM

Quote from: "GPster"The only gauges listed under GMC were a set from a '54-'55 and they were intirely different,like from a flat dash.

The dask in '54-55 and later GMC's is completely different. This is what my '55 1st looks like. I don't think its what you need.

1FATGMC · May 13, 2004, 09:48:05 PM

Quote from: "GPster"Sumner said that he might still have the speedo and gauges from his truck, but I can't remember if he started with a Chevy or a GMC or how old it was. He said to remind him to look in about 4 months so he could get his house finished. I can't remember when he told me that.

I moved everything out of storage and into storage in the new house recently. Now all the junk is in my way, but at least I'm not paying to store it somewhere else every month. I think I remember where the gauges are though. I'll look in the morning. I'll see how high they read, but I'll bet it is only 30. If you want them they are yours.

c ya, Sum

paul2748 · May 13, 2004, 10:50:07 PM

The June issue of Street Rodder had an article about a company that redoes old guages - can change your guage to show higher pressure but maintain the stock appearance. Company is Williamson's Instrument Service, 479-369-2551. Don't know anything about company or cost.

GPster · May 13, 2004, 11:56:20 PM

Quote from: "paul2748"The June issue of Street Rodder had an article about a company that redoes old guages - can change your guage to show higher pressure but maintain the stock appearance. Company is Williamson's Instrument Service, 479-369-2551. Don't know anything about company or cost.

One of the catalogs I have shows having restored gauge set and you can get them with a 30# gauge or a 60# gauge and set up for 6V or 12v but they show them only as a complete cluster. I figure some outside outfit is doing them and this supplieris only a middle man. I tend to be simple and cheap. I'm not above putting an old used gauge in place with tree other old used gauges if it told me what I wanted to know. I'm trying to act more professional than someone that just waits for a red light to come on. Thanks for the info so far, I wonder if they have a WEB site, I'll have to check. GPster

enjenjo · May 14, 2004, 12:22:58 AM

When you are up here this weekend, remind me, I have some 55 to 59 pickup Oil pressure guages, you can see if they are similar enough to use.

1FATGMC · May 14, 2004, 05:04:37 PM

Hey I remembered to look twice this morning and forgot twice. I'm at the store now so I'll have to look tonight or tomorrow.

Sorry, Sum

1FATGMC · May 14, 2004, 07:21:09 PM

Quote from: "1FATGMC"Hey I remembered to look twice this morning and forgot twice. I'm at the store now so I'll have to look tonight or tomorrow.

Sorry, Sum

My wife let me have a few moments off from the store and I found the gauges. I sent you a PM as I need your e-mail address to send you some pictures.

c ya, Sum

parklane · May 16, 2004, 01:39:45 AM

Not sure if 47-53 are the same diameter as the 54. If they are, you can do what I did with my 54. Chev school buses well into the 80's are the same dia. as the 54, but I think the tabs on the back were in a different position, so I used the tabs off the 54 so the gauges would sit in the dash in the right position. hope this helps.
John