tale of $5.28 wasted....

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nashvegas99

nashvegas99

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So, after receiving my (new to me) fuel and temp gauges and putting them in the 65 valiant cluster...I thought, self....(that's typically where the trouble starts) why don't you do the radio shack circuit/voltage reducer mod you've been reading about. So, off to radio shack for the good ol' "7805" (as they call it in the industry - haha) for $1.99 and the capacitor 75uf 25v $1.29 and a little heat sink to protect everything. Then, off to the work bench with my soldering iron and solder, 3 pieces of wire and cold water. didn't have any beer...I think that's where it all went wrong. after finally getting the voltage reducer and the wires soldered together, I tried to solder to the input of the voltage reducer slots and the dang things wouldn't solder. so, I tried to use spade terminals but they weren't thick enough and wouldn't stay secured. now, I'm trying to figure out what to do and my 12 yr old daughter comes through the garage and says, "whatchadoin daddy (not that she really cared, but hey i'll take it)..."I'm trying to get my gauges to work and save $50.00...."momma, daddy's gonna be mad in a little bit, don't go out in the garage". So, at this point I realize that she is correct and I'm gonna screw something up trying to skimp...so, I'm just gonna have to break down and buy the $48.00 instrument voltage reducer and put it in properly.
 
I have all but given up on the "save some money" methods damn near everyone else can get away with....just never happens for some of us....
 
you should have watched ALLLlll the Mcgiver episodes!!!????????????????
yea me too... try to save a buck and I always shoot my darn foot bout off!!!
 
nashvegas99 said:
input of the voltage reducer slots and the dang things wouldn't solder. .
Click to expand...

They will if you know how and use the "Right Stuff."

Also, since before both of use were born, "Nokorode" (actual brand name) makes an electrical "additional" flux. It's a great help in some of these cases.

You must get them CLEAN down to fresh brass and copper. Scrape, using a knife, etc.

(On my 67, the brass contact fingers for the IVR were not making contact with the PC board, I had to solder bridge them across)

Also, you can "get back" away from the contacts, scrape down to the copper PC traces, and just solder right to the board

You need some solder MADE FOR electrical work What Radio Shack sells is not all that bad for this purpose

Below is mine. I did not spend too much time being "showey." I also soldered on to the board traces in several places to get rid of the factory pins. A couple of mine were broken, and many loose. I elected to use Molex style connectors instead of the original

In the bottom photo, the black wires are grounds which are run off in a pigtail, bolted to the column support. That is how these wires were soldered, just scrape through the coating, down to clean copper beneath.

Heat and tin the copper trace. Heat and tin the wire, then lay the wire on, heat, and solder the two together.

The blue / white is ignition / 12V coming into the cluster and the IVR. In my case I used an RTE replacement which still "plugs in"

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/attachment.php?attachmentid=1714669337&stc=1&d=1383154832

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/attachment.php?attachmentid=1714669336&stc=1&d=1383154832
 
i'll have to take a picture and post it. my cluster is different than that one. I'll have to post the pic so that maybe somebody can point out and tell me where it is and isn't ok to solder. I don't want to screw anything up.
 
nashvegas99 said:
i'll have to take a picture and post it. my cluster is different than that one. I'll have to post the pic so that maybe somebody can point out and tell me where it is and isn't ok to solder. I don't want to screw anything up.
Click to expand...

Just look at the traces, you can follow where they go under the coating.

In the sample photo below, whether like yours or not, pretty much "anywhere" under the green coating you can scrape down to a copper trace

attachment.php
 
"I tried to solder to the input of the voltage reducer slots and the dang things wouldn't solder."

Sometime the soldering iron either "DOA" or "POS".. Get a proper soldering iron "one with temperature control" with tip to accommodate the area to be solder. The bigger the area, require bigger tip and vice-verse. Add some flux or solder paste due to old solder joint.
 
The male spades on the original mechanical limiter are/were oversized because they are also supporting that limiter. Those female connectors in the board are/were springy to absorb shock / vibration. Otherwise the board would have cracked or the limiter would have fallen out years ago.
 
all the smoke got out of my dash on an old 666 fury i had once trying to do that once .... only once
 
Too many people try to follow that AllPar web page showing how to solder in a Vreg chip. Much simpler to buy the <$30 "voltage limiter" on ebay. It allows adjusting the voltage and doesn't molest your circuit board, plus much faster.
 
I've soldered many components and built many circuits using proto boards or ready to solder boards, never again, I'd just buy the premade setup and enjoy more time driving.
 
BillGrissom said:
Too many people try to follow that AllPar web page showing how to solder in a Vreg chip. Much simpler to buy the <$30 "voltage limiter" on ebay. It allows adjusting the voltage and doesn't molest your circuit board, plus much faster.
Click to expand...

Yep,sometimes/most times when you start with a $5.00 part it costs much more than the $30.00. Cheap doesnt always equate to"inexpensive"
 
67Dart273 said:
Interestin' So this basically an replace the old 7805 but without the heat?
Click to expand...

That is correct, a switching regulator uses an inductor, diode and capacitor in closed loop PWM to convert the voltage. Losses are typically only a few percent. The regulator I suggested also supports a high voltage input range so it will survive load dump and other transients well.

A 7805 is very old style, it tosses off the extra voltage in heat. The new module has same pinout, does not require external caps.

The + $50 IVRs sold are similar, but are not high volume, nor as compliant.
 
On my car the regulator is outside of the guages, and I built this one and didn't have a problem one with it.
It did it's job then, and now serves as the power supply and charger (5v-1amp) for the Kindle Fire mounted on a swivel down mount on my headliner.
Not everyone is capable of doing everything on these cars.

For example, I can build my own stockish motor, build a trans, do all the electrical and electronic upgrades I want, body and paint, all suspension and steering along with my own alignments.

BUT, I wouldn't have a clue what cam or how much compression is needed for it unless I asked you guys and gals.

(yes the picture outside the window is fake)
 

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I think the pics may have uploaded. If anyone can look at them and see if the wires are going to the right places, i would appreciate it. I used large spade connectors to put in slots in case it isnt right or there is a problem and that way i can just take them out and no harm no foul.
 

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nashvegas99 said:
I think the pics may have uploaded. If anyone can look at them and see if the wires are going to the right places, i would appreciate it. I used large spade connectors to put in slots in case it isnt right or there is a problem and that way i can just take them out and no harm no foul.
Click to expand...

No reason to do this at all, and you may be creating more trouble for yourself. As I've said many times, the brass spring contacts for the original IVR prongs MAY NOT BE making contact with the board traces after all this time. But you've created more work

Look at the left hand contact. Follow that trace up. I circled a screw. All you had to do was put an eyelet end on that wire and attach under that screw

Same with the far right contact. Follow it up to the stud / nut I highlighted

Now follow the trace off the middle contact, around to the left and up, to the 'X' This is a nice wide spot of copper you could have scraped a spot clean and easily soldered the wire right there

Additionally, (you might check) as far as I know, the tab /heat sink on a 7805 is same as the ground pin

Last, I cannot tell from your photo. Make darn sure the heat sink is not in danger of contacting any of the other traces. It appears to me that it is "on top" of them, protected only by the thin coating on the traces. There is no reason to mount that on the board at all. The mounting tab is ground, so if there's a clear spot on the cluster casting, that would be better
 

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