Moral Dash Question

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jhdeval

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So none of my gauges are working. I had them tested and they are shot. All I have to say is **** balls.

Now comes the moral question. Everything on my car is 100% original and in good shape. The dash is original and very nice the electrical connector is nice etc but I need gauges. I have started buying some autometer classic chrome dashes. Right price right look for me. My friend just gave me a LARGE piece of old growth oak about an inch thick. I want to use that cut to a similar shape as the original plastic bezel and mount my gauges and indicator lights. I believe I may have found some pins that will fit into the original pin connectors but if they don't should I cut the original connector and wire a new one? I feel like I am destroying something. So far I have not been able to find the temp and gas gauge at a price that I can afford nor can I afford the repair cost of the speedo.

So what do you think to cut or not to cut?
 
What year is the car? If you can find a suitable replacement, swap out so as not to meddle with the stock wiring. If you have a hand at fabricating, you could create a new dash cluster and drop those Autometers in there.
 
That of you could hit up eBay right now. There is a 70+ Rally dash with harness, last time I check it was at like 105
 
If none of your gauges are working it is probably the gauge voltage regulator.

An easy fix.

I bet they tested them with a 12v supply. The gauges are 5v.
 
jhdeval said:
So none of my gauges are working. I had them tested and they are shot. All I have to say is **** balls.

Now comes the moral question. Everything on my car is 100% original and in good shape. The dash is original and very nice the electrical connector is nice etc but I need gauges. I have started buying some autometer classic chrome dashes. Right price right look for me. My friend just gave me a LARGE piece of old growth oak about an inch thick. I want to use that cut to a similar shape as the original plastic bezel and mount my gauges and indicator lights. I believe I may have found some pins that will fit into the original pin connectors but if they don't should I cut the original connector and wire a new one? I feel like I am destroying something. So far I have not been able to find the temp and gas gauge at a price that I can afford nor can I afford the repair cost of the speedo.

So what do you think to cut or not to cut?
Click to expand...

there are plenty of people who have working clusters for ya after this...
 
Thank you for the out pouring. I did take a look on ebay. There are 2 up there that weren't there a few days ago. I am watching them now. BlackBrick that would be awesome if the price is right.

By the way I am an old hand in wood. Metal not so much. I could easily fab up a full replacement and wire it with no problem.
 
JH - what year is your car? I am pulling a 65 Cuda apart on Sunday and I think the gauge panel is complete.
 
Luckily enough BlackBrick it is a 65 Plymouth Barracuda. I would certainly be interested. I am doing everything on my own for the most part and on a shoe string.
 
I am gonna throw this out there also I need a passenger side rear tail light. If you or anyone may have one kicking around.
 
I dont know what tests you've performed to reach your "its shot" conclusion. I understand the shoe string part all too well.
If you would like some help with bench testing your panel, return that IVR for refund, whatever.. email me. Happy moparing is the goal.
 
Well Redfish the tests started with testing the sender on the gas tank. I checked it at the tank and I am getting resistance from it and it is with the viable range. The next was to test that I was getting the same resistance a the connector it read close to the same. Then I tested the gauge itself I got a response of open or infinity. That tells me the gauge has and open or broken connector. I am not sure how to test the temp sender so I tested just the gauge an received the same response. This was all done with the cluster out. As for the speedo I made sure the cable was spinning and it is but the speedo still does not respond. I can manually spin the gear and it does respond. I think the input is rounded. I don't really see any square to it.
 
I choose to test every circuit on the workbench and know the instrument panel is completely functional. Some are easier to remove and install than others though.
If you can turn the speedometers input shaft and the needle bounces it's probably fine. A bad cable or speedometer drive gear will show a false good at the dash. In other words it may spin while there is no resistance yet the slightest resistance will stop it.
I've never seen a speedometer with its square input rounded out. I suppose it could happen with age and a bad speedometer head. 99% of the time the cable is the fault. Good luck
By the way, If the fuel gauge is burned open, I can rewind/restore it.
 
RedFish I am very competent with a solder iron. If you can tell me or show me what I am looking for I am sure I can solder it back. Any ideas on the temp gauge?
 
The winding inside the gauge is nichrome and insulated with silk. It's length dictates the resistance and solder wont stick to it. I pay 25 dollars per foot for that wire in small quantities. Approx' 16 inches reqd' per gauge.
With the instrument panel on a workbench... 3 length of wire and alligator clips., First chassis ground to the pot metal housing. 12 volt supply to the appropriate pin ( a inline fuse in this wire is recommended. ). The 3rd wire is used to supply a ground path BRIEFLY to corresponding pins for sender signal. With a little time you can place the 12 volt supply and gorund path where needed to check everything, Pins, copper trace, bulbs...
I will attach the chassis ground wire with ring terminal rather that clip and leave it on the panel for use in the car.
in the car... Temporarily attach the amp gauge wires together ( off the gauge )and tape them. Hook up your chassis ground wire, the panel harness connector then the negative battery cable.
Take sender wires off senders and connect directly to ground ( again BRIEFLY ) to verify cars wiring.
We have systematically verified every component except the senders..
 
Very frustrating. I tested the gauges like you recommended and came back with some interesting results. In the dash I checked that the demonivr unit was getting 12 volts and sending 5 volts back and it definitely is working. I checked the resistance of the temp and fuel gauge pins to ground on the Fuel I got 75 ohms and on the temp I want to say 12 ohms. With the gauges in place and plugged in I checked resistance again and got the same values and also checked for voltage with the key in the on position and got a voltage less then 5 volts which is to be expected with a resistance in place.

Looking at some of the replacement gauges though I am seeing 75 ohms reads empty. Does that indicate that my float/sender is bad?
 
don't know if it's been asked yet but have you checked to make sure your sending unit ground strap is intact?
 
I could not find the strap so someone else recommended using a rubber hose clamp with some wire under it ran to a good ground. I did that and ran it to a small screw that I put into the frame rail.

Also if the ground was bad shouldn't I get no resistance?
 
The sender itself should show zero resistance to ground. The sender signal at the wire connection will be somewhere between 10 and 73 ohms, depending on fuel level in the tank.
 
RedFish yes I found that range also but I am getting 75 ohms at the dash wire harness. This as far as I can tell is not outside the acceptable range but it definitely shows empty. I know I have some gas in there though. I have at least 10 or so gallons would should show about half a tank. This leads me to believe the send maybe bad. Does that make sense?
 
75 ohms is slightly out of range but ... that small amount could be in you meter. I put the lead together and my meter will zero than show 1.6 ohms. All readings are adjusted accordingly.
Resistance across any gauge on the workbench is 20 ohms. My meter will show 21.6 to 22.0 on just about every gauge I check if the internal winding is good. Hope this helps
 
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