Dial/ Indicators

[sshukes]

Anyone ever remove the front of the dials/indicators so that they can be cleaned? Or is that not possible? Thanks

[focodave]

I restored a used oil pressure gauge I bought, so I know the front cover can be removed and re-installed successfully.
I removed the front cover and glass so that I could clean the gauge face and the inside surface of the glass. Turned out looking like new!
You need to be very delicate and careful so as to not ruin the thing.
It takes a very sharp, small, flat-blade screwdriver or an old knife you don't care about to gingerly pry the cover's lip away from the gauge.
You will be bending the cover metal away from gauge assembly a little at a time, working your way around the perimeter of the cover using multiple passes to bend a little more with each pass around the perimeter.
It will finally become loose enough that you will be able to pry the cover off the gauge without kinking the ring or breaking the glass.
To re-install -- you simply start bending the metal of the cover back over the gauge working you way around the perimeter a little at a time.
I used a flat-blade screwdriver -- both the flat of the blade and the blunt rounded handle -- to swedge back the cover metal to hold it back onto the front of the gauge.
I think you would only want to try this whole operation once, as you are bending very thin metal each time you try to remove/install the cover with the glass. The metal will only withstand so much bending before it gets ruined.