cutting back of dash

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dart67

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I have a 74 duster that I would like to replace the oil idiot light with a oil gauge, can I cut the section of circuit board where the gauge would go?
Thanks
 
Are you sure that the proper hookup isn't there already?? The hole should be the same between the light and the guage, and it must have a 2 post system that is run through the circuit board! I don't think the circuit board would change unless it's not the same year guage and car! The change would be in the sending unit, which sends a signal to either the guage or the light, with a different sending unit for each option!! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's the way they're coordinated!!
 
I was going to put an aftermarket gauge in, if that makes a different
Thanks
 
You can LOOK at the board and tell. You can see the traces under the coating. I thought about trying to do this on my 67
 
Why not just bolt a new one to the bottom of your dash incase if you drill the board could make the other gauges not work. Or i could be wrong. I've just bought the gauges and mounted under the dash and left the stock one alone
 
I have done this a LOT, and yes you can cut the board as long as it doesn't interfere with something else (a gauge, light, or power supply to something)
I have even cut the board back for aftermarket gauges and used the old copper tracks as solder points to wire new gauges in so they all still use the main harness connector on the back of the cluster as a disconnect point.
Also cut the metal housing to make room in the back for electrical and gauge fitting, and all the lighting for everything (cluster back lighting, gauges, turns, high beam and signals all LED.)

You can tell this isn't stock.
All three gauges in the left OEM holes are mechanical aftermarket (Volts, Temp, and Oil pressure in both cars.
The OEM fuel gauge in the 72 (top pic) has been modified and moved to the far right where the oil and temp lights were.

The first pic is the Wife's 72 cluster and the second is my car.
The fuel gauge on the right in that pod is even connected using the original connections on the back of the cluster.
Also, in my car (bottom pic) you will notice the oil and temp lights got replaced by a clock, because I need to know what time it is frequently during the work day.
 

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Trailbeast, the way you did your wife's car was the way I was thinking about doing mine, so you soldered the gauge wire to the circuit board copper runners?
Thanks
 
Trailbeast, the way you did your wife's car was the way I was thinking about doing mine, so you soldered the gauge wire to the circuit board copper runners?
Thanks

Yep. for the gauges that needed it.
The gauge internal lights as well as every other light in that cluster uses the original copper traces to solder wires for the LED's to.

That way the OEM round socket still disconnects everything but the volt gauge (it is wired separately.) like to amp meter is in the original wiring.

The left side of the clusters behind the three gauges has the circuit board completely cut away and a 2x6 square cut out of the metal behind the gauges.
 
Trailbeast I'm going to look at mine and see about cutting the back out
Thanks for your help
 
Hey @TrailBeast, any chance you have pics of the back of your cluster?

No I sure don't, sorry.
A can tell you though that I mototooled out the entire drivers side of the metal back and circuit board both to put the aftermarket mechanical gauges in the three OEM holes in the face.
The sender/sensor and mounting studs hit the metal back otherwise.
Then I used the remains of the traces to solder to for the gauge wiring and the volt meter so everything still ran off the big socket connector.

I cut out the red lined area then used the green dotted tracks for the new internal lighting and volt meter for the new gauges.
The temp and oil pressure are mechanical so they had the lines that run to the motor instead of using electric.

backside.jpg
 
Word of advice...by all means, add a gauge, BUT leave the idiot light!
Unless you plan on studying the gauge the whole time you are driving, that red light will grab your attention faster than a dipping needle ever will.
I incorporate both in all my cars
 
Word of advice...by all means, add a gauge, BUT leave the idiot light!
Unless you plan on studying the gauge the whole time you are driving, that red light will grab your attention faster than a dipping needle ever will.
I incorporate both in all my cars

Yep, and it's easy to leave in thereas you just use both senders at the motor.
Tony I don't know if you ever got to see that bare metal speedometer face I bought from you after it was done.

newface.jpg
 

Both my 73 and the Wife's 72 are all done with white and LED's, but ya never know. :D
This is hers.

SANY0007 (2).JPG
 
Greg, did you just relocate the factory fuel guage on your wife's car? I can't find a 1.5" fuel gauge to save my life.
Oops. Just reread your first post and saw you relocated the factory gauge.

And is that a 2" clock in yours?
 
Are you sure that the proper hookup isn't there already?? The hole should be the same between the light and the guage, and it must have a 2 post system that is run through the circuit board! I don't think the circuit board would change unless it's not the same year guage and car! The change would be in the sending unit, which sends a signal to either the guage or the light, with a different sending unit for each option!! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's the way they're coordinated!!

Where a bulb socket mounts is totally different from where a instrument mounts. OEM instruments operate on reduced voltage too. All bulbs operate on 12 volts including that oil lamp.
If what this owner wants to do can be done, it will require butchering the circuit board and adding wires to replace some copper traces, and wires to add the new connections. The only thing that doesn't change is the gray wire from under dash harness to the sender.
 
Greg, did you just relocate the factory fuel guage on your wife's car? I can't find a 1.5" fuel gauge to save my life.
Oops. Just reread your first post and saw you relocated the factory gauge.

And is that a 2" clock in yours?

My fuel gauge is in the pod on top of the dash now, and hers is in the factory spot, just redone in white.
Yes, that is a 2" clock that I lit with LED and did the face white with black numbers and the orange hands.

I don't know why but I get an alter for post on some thing and not on others or I would have seen this sooner.
 
You sure about that? Looks like it's moved to the idiot light location.

The picture above is my Wife's 72 Dart cluster, not mine. :D

Strike that, you are correct.
Sometimes it's hard to remember where they were in the beginning.
 
Thanks! I'm planning on laying mine out like your wife's is. Except the 5 speed I'm using doesn't have the speedo gear hole opened up and rather than mess with changing gears to get the speedo accurate and deal with a bouncing needle I'm gonna take out the original speedo and replace it with a gps :D accurate speed AND navigation in my dash if I want it! :)

I might actually end up cutting out the whole face of the bezel and epoxy a piece of flat plastic or metal in there and cut my own holes.
 
Thanks! I'm planning on laying mine out like your wife's is. Except the 5 speed I'm using doesn't have the speedo gear hole opened up and rather than mess with changing gears to get the speedo accurate and deal with a bouncing needle I'm gonna take out the original speedo and replace it with a gps :D accurate speed AND navigation in my dash if I want it! :)

If you do that and atomic bomb goes off anywhere near it you won't have a working speedometer.
Ya gotta think these things through. :D LOL
 
If you do that and atomic bomb goes off anywhere near it you won't have a working speedometer.
Ya gotta think these things through. :D LOL
Well blast!!! (No pun intended) there goes that idea!!! Guess I'll just run with no speedo at all (that didn't come out right LOL) that way in such an event, I'm use to not having a speedo and can still drive!


Maybe not...
 
Well blast!!! (No pun intended) there goes that idea!!! Guess I'll just run with no speedo at all (that didn't come out right LOL) that way in such an event, I'm use to not having a speedo and can still drive!


Maybe not...
Running with no speedo can be painful also. :D
 
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