Coolant Temp Gauge Vibrated to Death?

[tbryanh]

I installed a Stewart Warner mechanical coolant temp gauge about 5K miles ago into the 6.9. It quit working. First it went out of calibration by about -50 degrees, then it eventually was pinned at the coldest reading.

I bought the gauge about 4 years ago for a different vehicle but never installed it till now. It was safely stored. I am not thinking this has anything to do with it.

I installed a VDO version of the gauge from Napa. Will this one vibrate to death too?

 

[GOOSE]

I have the electrical temp gauge from Napa, is working perfec after 7-8,000 miles.

 

[Garbage_Mechan]

I have had a mechanical VDO on the 86 for about 300,000 miles no problems.

Routing is a big issue for the capillary tube. Also, be sure the capilary tube doesn't wind up being the errant ground for something else. Electrical current flowing through the tiny copper tubing will raise heck with it quick.

 

[tbryanh]

The Stewart Warner has a thick pvc tube protecting the capilary. No kinks or nicks on the tube. The metal gauge panel is grounded with a wire running to a common ground near the fuse panel. The light for the gauge gets its ground from the faceplate and the bracket that mounts it, so it does not appear the capilary is acting as a ground wire.

It appears I had bad luck.

 

[subway]

Yes vibration can kill them, I have done so by using a sawzall on my dash. A more extreme example but it took out several guages. I don't believe it is common since the guages should be designed for it but there are always manufacturing defects that can happen as well.

 

[Agnem]

I know a lot of stalthwarts insist that a mechanical gauge is the only way to go, but I'm a big fan of electrics for this very reason. I've never had an electrical gauge fail in anything, ever. Sure a sender might go bad after extensive miles, but it's easy to replace.