(Home) Mason coolant temperature alarm for Spacecruiser

I have an Ace fitted with a temp alarm but I would like to know if an alarm is available for the Space Cruiser. My petrol Ace uses the same engine as the Space Cruiser, the only diference being that the Ace is Injection. I fitted my alarm because I had a heater hose burst causing overheating and the eventual need for a new radiator. Before I bought my Ace I had a Space Cruiser which suffered from overheating after a good run. A temp alarm on my Space Cruiser would have put me at ease when driving and given me good warning as to when it was going to overheat. I had to carry a 5 gallon drum of water in the Space Cruiser at all times because when ever I switched of the ignition the water would boil and pour out of the expansion tank draining the system. I am sure many Space Cruiser owners would love to know if an alarm is available or if the Town Ace alarm will fit.

- (#10466) Bill, 27 Apr 04 12:28

The so-called "Mason alarm" has two distinct functions - to get the gauge to work (which I call gauge expander) they way you need it to in an older car, and the over-temperature alarm itself.

The alarm is so sensitive that you need a coarse adjustment as well as the user-operable fine adjustment.

The work which I have done so far has produced two different succesful versions of the device. These provide the right gauge expansion and coarse alarm adjustment for, broadly speaking, the "new shape" Aces and the 1990-ish version before those. In a couple of borderline cases I've had to swap the type fitted. Note that the price goes up to £27 on 1 May.

Earlier Aces, with the "upright" temp gauge, have a very different and difficult instrument system with vibrating contacts and I am still testing prototypes. Spacecruisers probably fall into this category. Without getting my hands on one to make measurements I'm not optimistic. If anyone knows one way or the other, or can help in any other way, let me know.


- (#10466) Dave Mason (Sussex), 28 Apr 04 04:00