HI: Thanks to you all for your input. It usually reads zero, then kicks up to about the right reading and eventually read full scale and so on. I have a voltage monitor on the gauge itself and it doesn't show a short. The gauge is totally intermittent with a mind of its own, apparently. I will check again for short but reading zero is a problem.
I think the meter movement bearing mounts are the electrical connection to the meter coil so I am suspicious of many years of operation making the connect.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP
Jerry