805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
here is before...
LED Dash Light
- Thread starter 805moparkid
- Start date
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here is before...
Dartman1969
69 Dart Custom
You sure can tell the difference. I don't have all those fancy gauges in the way on mine. I would like to be able to see the cluster at night and I have never been a fan of the green dash lights.
~Michael
~Michael
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
if you can call it green lol
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
ok so i "restored" the cluster today! and while doing it i figured it would give some tips along the way so here it goes...
Cluster Resto on the Cheap!
first off removing it...
its easiest to drop the column, the two nuts and bolt loosen the plate from the dash, then loosen the three bolts on the firewall... this will give you enough room to drop the cluster...
you also need to remove the battery cable so you can disconnect the amp gauge connections, and the 2 plug in's on the back... Oh! and the brake system light on the far left...
so after getting it out here is what i did!
Cluster Resto on the Cheap!
first off removing it...
its easiest to drop the column, the two nuts and bolt loosen the plate from the dash, then loosen the three bolts on the firewall... this will give you enough room to drop the cluster...
you also need to remove the battery cable so you can disconnect the amp gauge connections, and the 2 plug in's on the back... Oh! and the brake system light on the far left...
so after getting it out here is what i did!
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
ok first i would blow it off becasue it hasn't seen the light of day in over 45 years lol...
so first is to remove all the light sockets on the back so they dont break!
then lay the cluster on its face...
there are some screws around the out side of the housing holding the bezel onto the housing, think they were 1/4" heads...
with those out you can now remove the bezel and lens from the housing...
next remove the "face plate" from the housing, exposing the complete gauge faces...
then remove the gauge nuts on the backside, a 3/8 nut driver works great... there will be two nuts for the temp, fuel, and amp gauge...
once you have removed them you can now remove the circuit boards on the back... again 1/4 heads, if i remember 3 on the right and 2 on the left...
now with the boards off it exposes the back sides of the "lens covers" (the blue ones)... if you are doing an LED light or anything other than the stock lights you can remove them for better color and a much brighter light!
simply get a ball or cone diegrinder and buzz the little heads off... now they were plastic studs that get melted down to hold the lens in so dont worry, you can glue them back in it you want...
so you can now also remove the speedo by removing the 2 screws in the bottom rear of the cluster... SAVE THAT GASKET!!!
so first is to remove all the light sockets on the back so they dont break!
then lay the cluster on its face...
there are some screws around the out side of the housing holding the bezel onto the housing, think they were 1/4" heads...
with those out you can now remove the bezel and lens from the housing...
next remove the "face plate" from the housing, exposing the complete gauge faces...
then remove the gauge nuts on the backside, a 3/8 nut driver works great... there will be two nuts for the temp, fuel, and amp gauge...
once you have removed them you can now remove the circuit boards on the back... again 1/4 heads, if i remember 3 on the right and 2 on the left...
now with the boards off it exposes the back sides of the "lens covers" (the blue ones)... if you are doing an LED light or anything other than the stock lights you can remove them for better color and a much brighter light!
simply get a ball or cone diegrinder and buzz the little heads off... now they were plastic studs that get melted down to hold the lens in so dont worry, you can glue them back in it you want...
so you can now also remove the speedo by removing the 2 screws in the bottom rear of the cluster... SAVE THAT GASKET!!!
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
ok so now remove the high beam lens (grind head off) and pop off the green and red lenses for the oil light and blinkers...
now onto the bezel and lense!
you will see more of the (i call them rivet heads) holding the clear plastic into the bezel... you will need to carefully take all the heads off those to get the clear lens out...
once you get them separated look thru is to see how dirty and scratched it is...
will get it it later... now your method if restoring the bezel and housing can go alot of ways... im not worried about that little chrome edging so i end up doing it painted but if you want that you can either try to cover it or may look into a new dash bezel...
so i just thru them in the bead blaster and went to work! once they were all clean and etched they were ready to be cleaned and painted!
now onto the bezel and lense!
you will see more of the (i call them rivet heads) holding the clear plastic into the bezel... you will need to carefully take all the heads off those to get the clear lens out...
once you get them separated look thru is to see how dirty and scratched it is...
will get it it later... now your method if restoring the bezel and housing can go alot of ways... im not worried about that little chrome edging so i end up doing it painted but if you want that you can either try to cover it or may look into a new dash bezel...
so i just thru them in the bead blaster and went to work! once they were all clean and etched they were ready to be cleaned and painted!
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
ok so now you can start cleaning and sprayin! again you can use what ever you want but i chose Flat black and High Heat aluminized paint.
spray the inside of the housing thoroughly with the aluminum for a good reflective surface. for the bezel i used the alumnum in place of the chrome so i just sprayed the outter edges where the chrome was and the backside of the bezel that will be inside to help reflect... now while thats drying i moved onto the lens...
as you can see it was really bad, and for around 75 bucks i can buy a new one... but were doing this on the cheap so here we go with some elbow grease...
using a very soft wheel, i think its cotton, use the blue plastic polishing compound... becare full to hold it parallel to the wheel so it wont grab it and fling it... any ways work it slowly and move so it wont get hot... go till your happy!
spray the inside of the housing thoroughly with the aluminum for a good reflective surface. for the bezel i used the alumnum in place of the chrome so i just sprayed the outter edges where the chrome was and the backside of the bezel that will be inside to help reflect... now while thats drying i moved onto the lens...
as you can see it was really bad, and for around 75 bucks i can buy a new one... but were doing this on the cheap so here we go with some elbow grease...
using a very soft wheel, i think its cotton, use the blue plastic polishing compound... becare full to hold it parallel to the wheel so it wont grab it and fling it... any ways work it slowly and move so it wont get hot... go till your happy!
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
now with the housing dry we need to get to the gauges them selves... now if you need to replace any this is the time! now its not correct but i used Race hemi color paint to do my needles... a very bright orange which is good...
you can see the before and after pics... dont get that orange on the black lol... also if any of the gauge needles are bent and touching the face bend them out so they no more than 1/8" from the face...
now you can lightly wipe the faces with a damp cloth, lint free would have better...
you can see the before and after pics... dont get that orange on the black lol... also if any of the gauge needles are bent and touching the face bend them out so they no more than 1/8" from the face...
now you can lightly wipe the faces with a damp cloth, lint free would have better...
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
ok so now you can back mask and spray the bezel! once it is dry flip it over and re-install the plastic lens... now you can use some clear silicone on the "rivets" to help hold the lens in...
now that everything is dry you can simply reinstall all the gauges and the covers for the turn signals and oil pressure, and brake light warning light... again you can use a dab of the clear silicone...
slap it back together and there you go! a new cluster...
i should have made a new thread but if its good enough a mod can make it one im sure...
now that everything is dry you can simply reinstall all the gauges and the covers for the turn signals and oil pressure, and brake light warning light... again you can use a dab of the clear silicone...
slap it back together and there you go! a new cluster...
i should have made a new thread but if its good enough a mod can make it one im sure...
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
oh and here are the LED's are the mods performed... you can see how much brighter during the day and night they are...
Very professional. Looks like you've been doing that kinda thing thirty years.
Dartman1969
69 Dart Custom
Great job Ed. Want to do mine next?
~Michael
~Michael
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
Thanks SS... should be of some help to people!
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
well... i can... only took me two hours but i would take my time one yours...
CUUDAK
Well-Known Member
Very good! It looks alot brighter now!
Just my 2 cents but I used a fluoresent orange paint. It actually glows with the blue leds. looks like you may have used enamel. Looks good but from the pics doesn't look to be glowing? No pun intended!
A little late but the white really is brighter than the silver for some reason. I tried both.
Just my 2 cents but I used a fluoresent orange paint. It actually glows with the blue leds. looks like you may have used enamel. Looks good but from the pics doesn't look to be glowing? No pun intended!
A little late but the white really is brighter than the silver for some reason. I tried both.
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
good to know... we just always use that stuff for tail light buckets and stuff so its first in my head... but will put that away...
and yea it was just enamal
Dartman1969
69 Dart Custom
Thanks Ed I still have your address I will send it out first thing Monday morning.
I appreciate the offer and if I didn't have 8 hours in it already I would take you up on it. You did a great job on yours and a good description for the rest of us.
||~Michael
hemitheus
19? Plymouth Scampenstein
nice writeup. exactly how I did my ramcharger. Now if I could find a dash cluster that wasnt a wreck for my Scamp.
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
Robj
Well-Known Member
That's the same cluster I have. Is it really super bright at night? I read earlier that they can't be dimmed. I kind of like my dash lights about 1/4 of a turn off the bright setting. Not too dim but not too bright. I like the color a lot. Nice job.
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
their not brighter than the coblats, or any aftermarket gauges...
and your right, you can't dim them...
Robj
Well-Known Member
I like the look and cutting down on the heat is a nice bonus.
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
yea for sure.. as far as the brightness, i think they are passing now... im probably gonna up the bulb size at least up to a 4 LED vs the current 1 LED
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
ok so i got the new LED's! i just did the main speedo ones though... so its kinda staggered... before and after... will get a dark pic later...
EDIT: the pics are backwards....
EDIT: the pics are backwards....
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
ok and the at night pics from the small LED's to the brighter ones... camera freaks when it dosn't have the flash so they look really glare but its not, no dark spots, and not over bright
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