Even though I have not finished this project myself, I did enough to see that it will work and look stock in your dash.
The nice thing about this mod is that it is cheap to do and it requires absolutely no modification to your stock parts. You can use several gauges for this but with some you will likely have to cut into the cluster. I bought an Auto Gage 2356 because it is the smallest. $22 shipped to my door, that's not much of an investment. :2thumbs:
I do not have pictures of the entire process but it should be relatively straight forward. Ask if something is not clear.
Start by taking the voltmeter apart. Remove the bracket and bezel so all you have left is the gauge itself. In order to remove the housing, the pinched bezel holding the lens needs to come off. It's very thin so you can cut it with snips or bend the edge so the whole thing comes off. Either way, it'll be toast so discard. Unscrew the housing and remove the guts.
The needle is real sturdy but let's not tempt it either; while holding the needle in the middle, stuff some balled up masking tape to either side on the bottom to keep it there. You'll see what I'm talking about. It will make the rest of the process much easier. Remove the two tiny screws and the gauge face and set them aside, you will need these later.
I did not want to take apart a perfectly good ammeter so I used a spare temperature gauge face and needle as donor parts. It's all you need so if you don't have these parts look for used ones or use your existing gauge, it's up to you. I ground away the back of the rivets so the face came off the stock gauge housing. I then secured the rivets from the back with a drop of super glue. From the front the rivets still look as if they were secured. I drilled two small holes real close to them, 1-1/4" apart to match the new gauge. You are going to use those small screws to secure the stock gauge face to the new voltmeter. You will have to grab some tin snips and cut away a small portion of the face to clear the wound copper wire. When the screws go in, they just hit the side of the rivets. This is all out of sight once the gauge is installed by the way so don't worry if you need to drill a third hole to line it all up. ;)
Now you can secure the stock face to the new gauge. Test fit the gauge in the housing and bolt it in. Ideally you remove a small amount of the plastic around the studs so it sits a bit deeper and more secure in the cluster, but it will work as is. I think the new gauge moves the whole thing about 3 mm toward you so if that's a big deal to you, remove it from the back. Honestly, once the plastic lens covered all the gauges, it looked perfectly fine!
I grabbed a pic of the ammeter face online, opened it in Gimp, use whatever editing software you like, and started changing it. I used Volts first by the way. I removed the markings and left only the arch, inverted the color and printed it in true size. I then glued it to the face, bolted the voltmeter's gauge face to that and copied the markings. I removed the printed face and overlaid that on my laptop screen and adjusted the size to match so I could transfer the markings in the photo editing software. Hey it worked! :lol:
I took the alternator picture and used the markings, letters, and numbers to make a new gauge face. I printed one in black, stuck it on the gauge and used a few batteries to create a few different voltages. I hooked up a multimeter and got pretty damn close!
The voltmeter's needle is pretty broad and has a sharp crease in the middle. In order to superglue the stock needle onto it, you need to grab a dremel or small file and flatter the needle a bit. You also want to make the tip narrower so the new needle covers it completely. I have not done all of this yet myself but included a pic of the needle with some shaven off. I used masking tape run right under the needle to support the weight of the dremel spinning. Worked fine so don't worry about breaking it. I did end up finding another needle in great shape so I'll glue it on later. I also noticed the ammeter needle is bigger than the others. The spare needles I have are like the other three so now they will all look the same. Nothing wrong with that but again, it's up to you.
Now all I have to do is paint the gauge face in a white that matches the lettering on the other gauges and I need to print the black part of the face on some type of decal paper. Add them all up and we have one very nice voltmeter that looks like it came with the car! :2thumbs:
The new gauge face is not finished yet but feel free to grab it and make it your own.
Almost forgot...
It's very easy to line up the gauge in the cluster. Make it so it's snug but easy to move by hand. Take a ruler and lay it flush with the underside of whatever word you used on the gauge face. If you lined it up exactly as where 'alternator' used to be then the underside of volts or battery or whatever will line up with the top side of 'oil pressure'. All of the words on the 4 small gauges are staggered exactly by the height of the letters. Put the clear lens in place to figure out the final adjustment, tighten it down and done!
more
one more
:coolgleamA: :2thumbs: awesome job :bow: :yesnod: clever !! going to re do mine now , with the word battery :P
Nice job, would like to see a pic of cluster after you install it! :2thumbs:
Quote from: Charger4404spd on February 25, 2014, 03:48:18 PM
Nice job, would like to see a pic of cluster after you install it! :2thumbs:
X2
PS---how are you going to make the needle longer to match the other gauges?
Wanna make one for me. I see a business venture...
Quote from: Just 6T9 CHGR on February 25, 2014, 07:09:07 PM
Quote from: Charger4404spd on February 25, 2014, 03:48:18 PM
Nice job, would like to see a pic of cluster after you install it! :2thumbs:
X2
PS---how are you going to make the needle longer to match the other gauges?
A stock gauge needle will be glued on top of the short needle after it is filed down slightly.
Hi Dino,
Great work and very clever! You certainly have pointed the way forward on doing a voltmeter conversion at a reasonable cost. Hopefully, others will follow your lead on this conversion and being able to use high current alternators safely.
Dino, you're hired!
Very Cool! :2thumbs:
Awesome job on the write up as well :cheers:
Thanks guys :2thumbs:
The gauge face you see in the pics with the multimeter is just printed paper. I doubt my cheap printer is going to do a good job on decal paper so I'm going to take some decal paper to work and try the big printer. When I put the gauge in the cluster as is, it's almost impossible to tell it's not real so I have high hopes for the final product.
I'll keep you guys posted.
So Dino,
When can I expect my new gauge? Do you take paypal? 70 virgins? Bit coins? VC combat pajamas?
Quote from: twodko on February 27, 2014, 12:13:37 PM
So Dino,
When can I expect my new gauge? Do you take paypal? 70 virgins? Bit coins? VC combat pajamas?
How many out of that list can I pick? :icon_smile_big:
Here's the pic of the gauge in the cluster but a few things to note. The decal is just a piece of cheap printer paper made with a cheap printer and is all pixelated and wobbly. It was just a test piece to make sure the volt readings were accurate. The gauge is also not bolted tight in there either so it's off a bit.
Imagine this in your dash with a proper decal and I doubt anyone will ever notice.
Oh yes and I still have not stuck the stock needle on there either.
Quote from: Dino on February 28, 2014, 12:51:22 PM
Quote from: twodko on February 27, 2014, 12:13:37 PM
So Dino,
When can I expect my new gauge? Do you take paypal? 70 virgins? Bit coins? VC combat pajamas?
How many out of that list can I pick? :icon_smile_big:
Here's the pic of the gauge in the cluster but a few things to note. The decal is just a piece of cheap printer paper made with a cheap printer and is all pixelated and wobbly. It was just a test piece to make sure the volt readings were accurate. The gauge is also not bolted tight in there either so it's off a bit.
Imagine this in your dash with a proper decal and I doubt anyone will ever notice.
Oh yes and I still have not stuck the stock needle on there either.
nice work !! awesome job :coolgleamA: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
done the same with the printer paper :yesnod:
found this.they have in all colors
http://www.whitegauges.net/products/1968%252d1970-Dodge-Charger-Volts-Overlay.html
Quote from: cdr on February 28, 2014, 02:28:34 PM
found this.they have in all colors
http://www.whitegauges.net/products/1968%252d1970-Dodge-Charger-Volts-Overlay.html
Not bad at all, I would probably get one of those if it said battery. The scale is a bit strange but it works!
Dino, thanks.. I'm gonna do this to mine.. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Dino on February 28, 2014, 02:30:56 PM
Quote from: cdr on February 28, 2014, 02:28:34 PM
found this.they have in all colors
http://www.whitegauges.net/products/1968%252d1970-Dodge-Charger-Volts-Overlay.html
Not bad at all, I would probably get one of those if it said battery. The scale is a bit strange but it works!
Dino, I currently have email correspondence going with Amie from Whitegauges.net asking them about being able to change their wording from "Volts" to "Battery"....they are saying they should be able to do it. I also referred them to this thread.
Will keep all posted
Quote from: Just 6T9 CHGR on March 03, 2014, 04:54:00 PM
Quote from: Dino on February 28, 2014, 02:30:56 PM
Quote from: cdr on February 28, 2014, 02:28:34 PM
found this.they have in all colors
http://www.whitegauges.net/products/1968%252d1970-Dodge-Charger-Volts-Overlay.html
Not bad at all, I would probably get one of those if it said battery. The scale is a bit strange but it works!
Dino, I currently have email correspondence going with Amie from Whitegauges.net asking them about being able to change their wording from "Volts" to "Battery"....they are saying they should be able to do it. I also referred them to this thread.
Will keep all posted
Wow thanks Chris! :2thumbs: That would be the easiest way to go for most people. :yesnod:
Nice job Dino! This will come in especially handy since my alternator is directly charging the battery, bypassing the main harness, and throwing the amp gauge off. :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Quote from: moparsr2fast on March 03, 2014, 08:35:03 PM
Nice job Dino! This will come in especially handy since my alternator is directly charging the battery, bypassing the main harness, and throwing the amp gauge off. :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Yep it won't read right that way so might as well disconnect the whole thing and make it a voltmeter. :icon_smile_big: :2thumbs:
Whitegauges.net is making me a decal overlay with the "Battery" wording for $10 shipped. Ill post up pics when I get it.
Quote from: Just 6T9 CHGR on March 11, 2014, 05:47:51 PM
Whitegauges.net is making me a decal overlay with the "Battery" wording for $10 shipped. Ill post up pics when I get it.
Great! I was hoping something would come of this as I really don't care to make this thing myself, I'm busy enough as it is! :lol:
I'm dying to see it. Do you happen know what grading they will be using? Same as the volt version with only the word changed? If they use the stock font then $10 is pretty hard to beat either way.
Yes the same scale. Anything over 13 will be a good enough indication for me ;)
I got it with the stock black background & white lettering...supposed to be same font..
This is their white version
(http://www.whitegauges.net/product_images/l/_pic1__79196_thumb.jpg)
Cool! I gotta stop messing with the Challenger(s) and get a Charger back on the road.
Troy
I ordered the black one a couple of days ago. It will say volts rather than battery, but no biggy to me. Great idea!
Dino, would like to see how you extend the needle. Pics? :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Charger4404spd on March 13, 2014, 08:21:07 PM
Dino, would like to see how you extend the needle. Pics? :icon_smile_big:
I have not touched this little project since I posted the how to so the needle is not yet glued to the other. Reason is I need a finished decal before I can do this to make sure it looks like the other gauges. The original ammeter has a longer and wider needle while the other three have the same type. I am using one of the smaller ones for this gauge so they all match. I never saw the purpose of that bigger needle really.
As soon as I have a decal, either my own or from whitegauges.net, I will post the finishing touches of the project including how to make sure the needle is where it is supposed to be. This will work for either the small or larger needle as well.
Chris did you get that decal yet? :icon_smile_big:
Nope not yet...supposed to have went out today....
I have a spare oil psi gauge...Ill have to swipe that needle
Curious as to why you had to use tin snips to shape the new gauge face? That face is not on there now right? Just the bare voltmeter screwed to the original faceplate no?
Correct, just the bare voltmeter. The reason the Charger's stock faceplate needs trimming is because of the size of that coil on the voltmeter. It sticks out quite a bit from the needle and it's important to keep the needle a certain distance from the gauge face. You could try to avoid that but it would require a ton of adjusting on the gauge and the stock cluster housing and I'd rather cut into a spare rusty gauge face. :yesnod:
OOOhhh...you cut the stock faceplate, not the plastic new gauge one....in the pics it looks like you cut the plastic one to fit the stock faceplate Thanks
:thumbs:
Is there a trick to getting the clock adjusting knob off the shaft going into the clock. I'm about ready to put the new voltage meter in and pulled the cluster today. I put a small screwdriver in through the knob to hold the shaft and tried to unscrew the knob. It would not budge, so I may have stripped it in my attempts to get it off. At any rate it now will turn but not back off. Is there a trick, or did I just screw up again?
Quote from: RECHRGD on March 18, 2014, 07:05:36 PM
Is there a trick to getting the clock adjusting knob off the shaft going into the clock. I'm about ready to put the new voltage meter in and pulled the cluster today. I put a small screwdriver in through the knob to hold the shaft and tried to unscrew the knob. It would not budge, so I may have stripped it in my attempts to get it off. At any rate it now will turn but not back off. Is there a trick, or did I just screw up again?
If I remember right, there's a wee little tiny set screw in the end. I filed down a stud welding stud in the shape of a flat head and then bent the other end like an Allen wrench.
Troy
Quote from: Troy on March 19, 2014, 10:27:20 AM
Quote from: RECHRGD on March 18, 2014, 07:05:36 PM
Is there a trick to getting the clock adjusting knob off the shaft going into the clock. I'm about ready to put the new voltage meter in and pulled the cluster today. I put a small screwdriver in through the knob to hold the shaft and tried to unscrew the knob. It would not budge, so I may have stripped it in my attempts to get it off. At any rate it now will turn but not back off. Is there a trick, or did I just screw up again?
If I remember right, there's a wee little tiny set screw in the end. I filed down a stud welding stud in the shape of a flat head and then bent the other end like an Allen wrench.
Troy
Yes, there is a very very tiny set screw. It takes a jewelers screwdriver to get it out. IIRC, hold the knob steady and then turn the set screw.
Quote from: tsmithae on March 19, 2014, 11:15:24 AM
Quote from: Troy on March 19, 2014, 10:27:20 AM
Quote from: RECHRGD on March 18, 2014, 07:05:36 PM
Is there a trick to getting the clock adjusting knob off the shaft going into the clock. I'm about ready to put the new voltage meter in and pulled the cluster today. I put a small screwdriver in through the knob to hold the shaft and tried to unscrew the knob. It would not budge, so I may have stripped it in my attempts to get it off. At any rate it now will turn but not back off. Is there a trick, or did I just screw up again?
If I remember right, there's a wee little tiny set screw in the end. I filed down a stud welding stud in the shape of a flat head and then bent the other end like an Allen wrench.
Troy
Yes, there is a very very tiny set screw. It takes a jewelers screwdriver to get it out. IIRC, hold the knob steady and then turn the set screw.
Thanks... I did find the screw but thought it was just a slot at the end of the shaft. So, I held the jewelers screwdriver with some pliers and turned the knob, so I've probably messed up the knob. I'll see if I can hold the shaft with a small needle nose and then try to break set screw free. As usual, one step forward and two steps back. :brickwall:
Quote from: RECHRGD on March 19, 2014, 01:06:44 PM
Quote from: tsmithae on March 19, 2014, 11:15:24 AM
Quote from: Troy on March 19, 2014, 10:27:20 AM
Quote from: RECHRGD on March 18, 2014, 07:05:36 PM
Is there a trick to getting the clock adjusting knob off the shaft going into the clock. I'm about ready to put the new voltage meter in and pulled the cluster today. I put a small screwdriver in through the knob to hold the shaft and tried to unscrew the knob. It would not budge, so I may have stripped it in my attempts to get it off. At any rate it now will turn but not back off. Is there a trick, or did I just screw up again?
If I remember right, there's a wee little tiny set screw in the end. I filed down a stud welding stud in the shape of a flat head and then bent the other end like an Allen wrench.
Troy
Yes, there is a very very tiny set screw. It takes a jewelers screwdriver to get it out. IIRC, hold the knob steady and then turn the set screw.
Thanks... I did find the screw but thought it was just a slot at the end of the shaft. So, I held the jewelers screwdriver with some pliers and turned the knob, so I've probably messed up the knob. I'll see if I can hold the shaft with a small needle nose and then try to break set screw free. As usual, one step forward and two steps back. :brickwall:
Try this first: As with any tricky screw you need to put a certain amount of pressure on it with the screwdriver or you're going nowhere...and neither is the screw. Grab the knob and slowly pull it toward you while you have the screwdriver in place. When you feel a good amount of tension, firmly push into the screw slot and give it a quick turn. Once the screw is loose just keep a bit of tension pulling on the knob until the screw is out. You may feel the need to pull harder when this fails but beware there is a limit on how much force you can place on it. It's pretty strong but let's not find out how strong exactly. :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Dino on March 19, 2014, 01:21:44 PM
Quote from: RECHRGD on March 19, 2014, 01:06:44 PM
Quote from: tsmithae on March 19, 2014, 11:15:24 AM
Quote from: Troy on March 19, 2014, 10:27:20 AM
Quote from: RECHRGD on March 18, 2014, 07:05:36 PM
Is there a trick to getting the clock adjusting knob off the shaft going into the clock. I'm about ready to put the new voltage meter in and pulled the cluster today. I put a small screwdriver in through the knob to hold the shaft and tried to unscrew the knob. It would not budge, so I may have stripped it in my attempts to get it off. At any rate it now will turn but not back off. Is there a trick, or did I just screw up again?
If I remember right, there's a wee little tiny set screw in the end. I filed down a stud welding stud in the shape of a flat head and then bent the other end like an Allen wrench.
Troy
Yes, there is a very very tiny set screw. It takes a jewelers screwdriver to get it out. IIRC, hold the knob steady and then turn the set screw.
Thanks... I did find the screw but thought it was just a slot at the end of the shaft. So, I held the jewelers screwdriver with some pliers and turned the knob, so I've probably messed up the knob. I'll see if I can hold the shaft with a small needle nose and then try to break set screw free. As usual, one step forward and two steps back. :brickwall:
Try this first: As with any tricky screw you need to put a certain amount of pressure on it with the screwdriver or you're going nowhere...and neither is the screw. Grab the knob and slowly pull it toward you while you have the screwdriver in place. When you feel a good amount of tension, firmly push into the screw slot and give it a quick turn. Once the screw is loose just keep a bit of tension pulling on the knob until the screw is out. You may feel the need to pull harder when this fails but beware there is a limit on how much force you can place on it. It's pretty strong but let's not find out how strong exactly. :icon_smile_big:
OK, I'll try that. First. I'll go out to the shop after a bit. Honeydo's first.......
Small update on the decal..still dont have it! :rotz: One of their printers went down so they got backed up & didnt get to mine till this Wednesday. Supposedly went out on Thursday...Still nothing as of today Saturday
I was able to do the mod including adding on the needle....
Quote from: Just 6T9 CHGR on March 22, 2014, 04:07:50 PM
Small update on the decal..still dont have it! :rotz: One of their printers went down so they got backed up & didnt get to mine till this Wednesday. Supposedly went out on Thursday...Still nothing as of today Saturday
I was able to do the mod including adding on the needle....
I am dying to see that decal! I can only imagine how eager you are. :icon_smile_big:
Good job on the gauge and needle, it looks to be spot on! :2thumbs:
Decal showed up today....looks just like the one you made Dino save for the part #'s ect :cheers:
Didnt put it on yet...temps dropped here so Ill have to wait to paint the face & fit it on..
That looks great! I'm going to order one right now, I can't make mine look that high quality with a plain printer. You have the PCG decals on the other gauges as well no? Does it match up well in color and sheen?
Hard to tell Dino as the cluster is still in the car.
One small observation I noticed. If you are using any other face plate than the orig Ammeter, you will have to notch out the face plate so the light from the adjacent bulb will actually illuminate the face of the gauge.
Looking at my above pic of the oil psi gauge face plate I used, you will see its notched out on the upper right side of the plate....the next nearest bulb to that gauge is in the upper RH corner.
Comparatively the Ammeter should have the notch in the upper LH corner to let the light in to illuminate the face....will notch my face plate first before I install the decal.
PS---it looks like they ripped off your Battery design!
PSS---my above statement about the notch seems to be inaccurate. Looking at some stock gauge pics, the ammeter isnt notched on the left upper corner...I think it should be to let more light into the gauge :shruggy:
I used a temp gauge face, the notch is the same...I should've mentioned that. My bad guys.
They did take my design but if they give dc members a good deal then I won't complain about it. :2thumbs:
I used a temp gauge face as well. Works fine....
Got mine done with the 'VOLT' label. Sorry for the picture quality. My resizing skills suck....
Quote from: RECHRGD on March 25, 2014, 11:42:38 AM
Got mine done with the 'VOLT' label. Sorry for the picture quality. My resizing skills suck....
That looks great! Not bad for the price of half a tank of gas huh? :2thumbs:
Quote from: Dino on March 25, 2014, 11:45:16 AM
Quote from: RECHRGD on March 25, 2014, 11:42:38 AM
Got mine done with the 'VOLT' label. Sorry for the picture quality. My resizing skills suck....
That looks great! Not bad for the price of half a tank of gas huh? :2thumbs:
Thanks Dino. The lettering ended up a hair off, but actually none of them line up perfectly. Good enough for me......
Looks great Bob. Job well done!
Quote from: Just 6T9 CHGR on March 25, 2014, 02:55:53 PM
Looks great Bob. Job well done!
Thanks, but it never would have happened without Dino's post and details. Thanks Dino!!!
Ok got the decal on. Not impressed with the fit of the decal. Had to do some trimming and the guide notch in the upper left corner didnt really fit correctly. Had to do some trimming. When its installed in the cluster Im sure you wont see the edges too much to tell its a decal.
Still think the PCG stuff fit much better. I contacted Dave P. there to see if he would do a custom one...no dice.
Over all its pretty much spot on with the voltage readings as seen in the pic. When the weather warms up Ill install it along with the new OER oil psi gauge I just got...now Ill have a mixture of PCG decals, OER screen printing & Whitegauges decals in my dash ;)
Nothing wrong with that Chris, Im sure it will look great once everything is installed. :2thumbs:
Is it the monitor or is the battery gauge print a bit pixelated and wobbly?
yes the font isnt as sharp as the oil psi gauge is :rotz:
Well since my communication with whitegauges doesn't seem to go anywhere I guess I'll just tweak my own and get some thicker decal paper to print on.
When are you planning on working on your cluster? If I am able to get a decal to look close to the PCG decals I'll send you one.
Their email sucks.....I found it better when I called them. Im sure it will look OK when installed
Dino, that's strange that you had to trim it. The 'volts' one that I bought fit fine.
Quote from: RECHRGD on March 30, 2014, 12:16:27 PM
Dino, that's strange that you had to trim it. The 'volts' one that I bought fit fine.
Not mine! That's Chris' :yesnod:
I fiddled with the design yesterday and the print was way better than the one they sent you Chris. Let me tweak it some more and I'll repost the design and instructions on how to print it for best quality.
This is what I'm ordering to print them by the way:
http://www.papilio.com/inkjet%20waterproof%20adhesive%20film%20media.html
You got me all self conscious now Dino! Called up WhiteGauges and they are looking into fixing it... :thumbs:
Small update.....they "fixed" the decal and are sending me out a new one....should have it tomorrow.
Silly question about the hook up of the voltmeter. Can you use the original ammeter wires in the harness? Reversing the black & red to match the gauge of course. Or should you run new wires tapping off say the fuse box?
Also figured out why my back lighting had different shades to it. 2 of the blue lenses were cracked.
Got some repro's (a little more blue than original) and tested out the new bright white LED bulbs. These will make a huge improvement!
Woah that looks great! You just reminded me to go find some leds for my cluster as well. My blue lenses are intact but originals. Would you still replace them? I may just do so.
Regarding the hookup, both red and black are power wires so if you're not changing the charging system like I did to mine, I would solder red and black together and take 12v for the voltmeter off keyed ignition. Ground the other side and done.
That makes sense. Got the new decal today...meh a little better I guess...check that....looks exactly the same :rotz:
Another thing I noticed is when its installed the far right of gauge looks like its cut off by the plastic gauge face....have to do a bit of grinding to move the entire gauge over to the left....
That's...quite lousy :rotz:
My decal paper should arrive one of these days so I'll see if I can do better.
It doesn't seem that my gauge has to move but it is a bit more forward than the stock one. I guess the cluster housings are not that precise either. Dremel time! :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Dino on April 09, 2014, 05:50:45 AM
That's...quite lousy :rotz:
My decal paper should arrive one of these days so I'll see if I can do better.
It doesn't seem that my gauge has to move but it is a bit more forward than the stock one. I guess the cluster housings are not that precise either. Dremel time! :icon_smile_big:
Yeah thats what I did with mine.....also tried to lower it as much as possible in the housing to get it to line up (lettering wise) with the other gauges.
This is as low as I could get it without the gauge bottoming in the housing...
Careful with that! The lettering is not on the same level for the 4 gauges. The top border of the letters on one gauge line up with the bottom border of the gauge to the right of it. They all stagger like that.
It still is staggered...if left alone it will be too much on the volt gauge
Gotcha! Just making sure you weren't trying to line them up. With the loose tolerances on these cars anything is possible.
Dash back in with LED's
Vast improvement over regular bulbs
(http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=109441.0;attach=216973;image)
Wow!!! Thats a huge difference like night and day!! Where did you get your LED bulbs?
Quote from: chargerbr549 on April 11, 2014, 12:43:12 AM
Wow!!! Thats a huge difference like night and day!! Where did you get your LED bulbs?
Why eBay of course! ;)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/110996849220?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
http://www.ebay.com/itm/120960153862?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
That's quite the difference! :2thumbs:
I'm unsure what to do with the blue lenses themselves, mine are intact but I'm not sure how much they have faded over the years. Where did you buy the lenses? If they are cheap I may as well get those as well as the leds.
Thanks for the links. :2thumbs:
The lenses I got locally from a friend that is a Mopar parts retailer
http://www.gothamparts.com/
I only replaced the 2 over the small gauges themselves. The others are the faded originals. Cant tell a difference. If they arent broken like mine were I'd leave em alone :Twocents:
Great! Led's are ordered, vinyl paper will be here on Monday. :2thumbs:
I just came across this DIY voltmeter conversion has anybody tried this, they talk about using a water temp gauge (robbed from another cluster of course) and putting an ammeter face on it or I think you could use a new decal and with a new voltage limiter and a special sending unit it will supposedly work as a voltmeter, for normal the needle would ride in the middle. It sounds like a slick deal and alot less work to do.
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=67781.0
Quote from: Just 6T9 CHGR on April 10, 2014, 08:12:28 PM
Dash back in with LED's
looks good , nice work ! :2thumbs:
Quote from: chargerbr549 on April 11, 2014, 06:25:34 PM
I just came across this DIY voltmeter conversion has anybody tried this, they talk about using a water temp gauge (robbed from another cluster of course) and putting an ammeter face on it or I think you could use a new decal and with a new voltage limiter and a special sending unit it will supposedly work as a voltmeter, for normal the needle would ride in the middle. It sounds like a slick deal and alot less work to do.
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=67781.0
It is a nice option but I don't think RTE still makes these. They used to do these years ago. If it's still around then it's a good alternative. :yesnod:
My point here was to make the mod a bit more affordable and give people the option to do this themselves. You'll be looking at those gauges all the time and knowing you changed your ammeter to a voltmeter AND keep it looking stock might be something to be proud of.
This mod basically costs you the voltmeter itself and the cost of making/ordering a decal.
Still, if the RTE ones can still be made, it's just another option and more is better in this case. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Just 6T9 CHGR on April 11, 2014, 07:20:22 AM
Quote from: chargerbr549 on April 11, 2014, 12:43:12 AM
Wow!!! Thats a huge difference like night and day!! Where did you get your LED bulbs?
Why eBay of course! ;)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/110996849220?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
http://www.ebay.com/itm/120960153862?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I ordered these yesterday and just realized I forgot all about the rest of the interior. A/C controls need bulbs as do map light, glove box, ash tray, ignition switch, trunk, hood turn signals, dome light, console and shifter lights. Any chance to replace the one in the radio without pulling it?
Besides the T10 and T11 bulbs, does anyone else know what bulbs I need?
Chris your new gauge seems to be getting more light than before, meaning more central. I would assume the thinner edged temp gauge face would do that but not the oil gauge face as it's pretty much the same as the ammeter face. Did you use the oil gauge face? I'm still contemplating adding notches to these gauges to get more light in.
Ash tray light is the same bulb as most of the dash lights (not the ones that go on the printed board). Map, glove box, dome, and trunk are different. I don't have a console so I'm not sure on those.
Also RTE still makes limiters. I bought one from them last year and their web page is still up:
http://rt-eng.com/rte/index.php/Main_Page
I used the oil gauge faceplate but I did in fact cut the light notch further to the upper left to let more light in.
I can tell you this, the high beam indicator & the brake warning light & turn signal indicators DO NOT like the LED's. With those installed putting on the high beams would make dash lights flicker & the brake warning bulb to remain dimly lit even though the E-Brake was off. Honestly didnt try the directional indicators but just assume it would make it go haywire.
Quote from: JamieZ on April 12, 2014, 03:55:20 PM
Ash tray light is the same bulb as most of the dash lights (not the ones that go on the printed board). Map, glove box, dome, and trunk are different. I don't have a console so I'm not sure on those.
Also RTE still makes limiters. I bought one from them last year and their web page is still up:
http://rt-eng.com/rte/index.php/Main_Page
It seems I'll be able to replace a bunch with what I have but I'll have to buy some different ones to do the entire interior.
RTE still makes the voltage limiter but to do the voltmeter mod you also need their special sending unit and I don't think they still have those.
Great company, they fixed my limiter after I ruined it for a good price. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Just 6T9 CHGR on April 13, 2014, 08:13:56 AM
I used the oil gauge faceplate but I did in fact cut the light notch further to the upper left to let more light in.
I can tell you this, the high beam indicator & the brake warning light & turn signal indicators DO NOT like the LED's. With those installed putting on the high beams would make dash lights flicker & the brake warning bulb to remain dimly lit even though the E-Brake was off. Honestly didnt try the directional indicators but just assume it would make it go haywire.
Good to know, I'll cut mine out a bit more as well.
I don't think I need leds in the indicators or brake light, the plain bulbs seem just fine, especially after I put new indicator lenses in last time. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Just 6T9 CHGR on April 11, 2014, 07:20:22 AM
Quote from: chargerbr549 on April 11, 2014, 12:43:12 AM
Wow!!! Thats a huge difference like night and day!! Where did you get your LED bulbs?
Why eBay of course! ;)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/110996849220?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
http://www.ebay.com/itm/120960153862?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I finally remembered why I bought the leds I did, I clicked those links. :lol:
What did you use for the a/c light bar?
Nice mod Dino. I may try it.
Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 01:03:25 AM
Nice mod Dino. I may try it.
Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?
You need to rewire it. The ammeter wires need to be soldered together. Then take keyed 12v from the ignition for the positive side of the gauge and run a ground to the other side.
Quote from: Dino on June 10, 2014, 05:21:34 AM
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 01:03:25 AM
Nice mod Dino. I may try it.
Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?
You need to rewire it. The ammeter wires need to be soldered together. Then take keyed 12v from the ignition for the positive side of the gauge and run a ground to the other side.
Are they put together under the dash or out in the engine compartment? I am thinking I need to go ahead and bypass my ammeter right now before I do ANYTHING else.
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 11:59:06 AM
Quote from: Dino on June 10, 2014, 05:21:34 AM
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 01:03:25 AM
Nice mod Dino. I may try it.
Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?
You need to rewire it. The ammeter wires need to be soldered together. Then take keyed 12v from the ignition for the positive side of the gauge and run a ground to the other side.
Are they put together under the dash or out in the engine compartment? I am thinking I need to go ahead and bypass my ammeter right now before I do ANYTHING else.
Under the dash, or behind the instrument cluster to be more precise. You need to tie them together to complete the circuit and it's easiest to just mate the two wires where they come to the ammeter. The red wire that runs to the ammeter is the one that runs to the starter relay on the engine side and has the fusible link. The black wire runs to the main splice behind the cluster that powers the rest of the car. Another black wire branches from that, goes through the bulkhead connector and runs to the alternator.
Unless you want to upgrade the charging system, just mate the red and black ammeter wires together. Some use a bolt and tape but solder and heat shrink would be a better way to do this.
If you do want to change the system let me know and I'll tell you what I did to my car.
The ammeter wires carry a lot of juice. If you're going to just wire them together then I'd do it in the engine compartment. The bulkhead connector is a prime source of resistance/heat for those wires and is typically melted because of it.
Troy
Quote from: Dino on June 10, 2014, 12:04:04 PM
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 11:59:06 AM
Quote from: Dino on June 10, 2014, 05:21:34 AM
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 01:03:25 AM
Nice mod Dino. I may try it.
Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?
You need to rewire it. The ammeter wires need to be soldered together. Then take keyed 12v from the ignition for the positive side of the gauge and run a ground to the other side.
Are they put together under the dash or out in the engine compartment? I am thinking I need to go ahead and bypass my ammeter right now before I do ANYTHING else.
Under the dash, or behind the instrument cluster to be more precise. You need to tie them together to complete the circuit and it's easiest to just mate the two wires where they come to the ammeter. The red wire that runs to the ammeter is the one that runs to the starter relay on the engine side and has the fusible link. The black wire runs to the main splice behind the cluster that powers the rest of the car. Another black wire branches from that, goes through the bulkhead connector and runs to the alternator.
Unless you want to upgrade the charging system, just mate the red and black ammeter wires together. Some use a bolt and tape but solder and heat shrink would be a better way to do this.
If you do want to change the system let me know and I'll tell you what I did to my car.
Upgrade. Upgrade. Upgrade. And I want that Ammeter wiring out of my dash altogether. Please. :)
Quote from: Troy on June 10, 2014, 12:26:53 PM
The ammeter wires carry a lot of juice. If you're going to just wire them together then I'd do it in the engine compartment. The bulkhead connector is a prime source of resistance/heat for those wires and is typically melted because of it.
Troy
It won't set the carb on fire if it shorts I hope. Lol!
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 11:34:08 PM
Quote from: Dino on June 10, 2014, 12:04:04 PM
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 11:59:06 AM
Quote from: Dino on June 10, 2014, 05:21:34 AM
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 01:03:25 AM
Nice mod Dino. I may try it.
Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?
You need to rewire it. The ammeter wires need to be soldered together. Then take keyed 12v from the ignition for the positive side of the gauge and run a ground to the other side.
Are they put together under the dash or out in the engine compartment? I am thinking I need to go ahead and bypass my ammeter right now before I do ANYTHING else.
Under the dash, or behind the instrument cluster to be more precise. You need to tie them together to complete the circuit and it's easiest to just mate the two wires where they come to the ammeter. The red wire that runs to the ammeter is the one that runs to the starter relay on the engine side and has the fusible link. The black wire runs to the main splice behind the cluster that powers the rest of the car. Another black wire branches from that, goes through the bulkhead connector and runs to the alternator.
Unless you want to upgrade the charging system, just mate the red and black ammeter wires together. Some use a bolt and tape but solder and heat shrink would be a better way to do this.
If you do want to change the system let me know and I'll tell you what I did to my car.
Upgrade. Upgrade. Upgrade. And I want that Ammeter wiring out of my dash altogether. Please. :)
To ensure having enough power to run the lights, radio, wipers and all that stuff without losing any power , at idle, you'll need a bigger alternator. This will require a few changes in wiring but even if you keep the stock alt, the wiring mod is still recommended.
Here's what I did: Under the hood I removed the black wire running from the P slot on the bulkhead to the alternator. Under the dash this is the same wire that runs to the main splice behind the cluster and is part of the power system inside, I removed that one as well. You can also remove the black wire running from the ammeter to the splice, it has no use from now on. I also removed the fusible link that runs from the starter relay to the bulkhead connector and on the other side the red wire going to the ammeter With those wires removed there is no more power going into the cab.
I ran a ga wire from the alternator stud to the starter relay stud. And another 6ga wire from the same relay stud to the battery through an 80 amp ANL fuse mounted under the battery tray. To get the power into the cab I ran an 8ga wire from the relay stud to a 50 amp maxi fuse mounted above the bulkhead connector. From there another 8ga wire goes through the firewall and to the main splice. In effect this replaces the fusible link and is now much stronger.
I'll try to post up a diagram soon but it may not be for a few days, I have tons of exams to do.
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 11:34:39 PM
Quote from: Troy on June 10, 2014, 12:26:53 PM
The ammeter wires carry a lot of juice. If you're going to just wire them together then I'd do it in the engine compartment. The bulkhead connector is a prime source of resistance/heat for those wires and is typically melted because of it.
Troy
It won't set the carb on fire if it shorts I hope. Lol!
The general idea of bypassing the ammeter is to keep the bulk of the entire car's electrical power from passing through the dash/gauge cluster. If you just connect the two wires it's still passing everything through the (usually corroded) bulkhead connector. If you connect the wires inside the engine compartment there's less to cause resistance (ie heat) so the odds of if shorting out are much lower. Besides, your battery, starter, and alternator are all under the hood. They don't have small wires with a restriction in the middle though.
Troy
Quote from: Troy on June 11, 2014, 10:10:40 AM
Quote from: Skull-1 on June 10, 2014, 11:34:39 PM
Quote from: Troy on June 10, 2014, 12:26:53 PM
The ammeter wires carry a lot of juice. If you're going to just wire them together then I'd do it in the engine compartment. The bulkhead connector is a prime source of resistance/heat for those wires and is typically melted because of it.
Troy
It won't set the carb on fire if it shorts I hope. Lol!
The general idea of bypassing the ammeter is to keep the bulk of the entire car's electrical power from passing through the dash/gauge cluster. If you just connect the two wires it's still passing everything through the (usually corroded) bulkhead connector. If you connect the wires inside the engine compartment there's less to cause resistance (ie heat) so the odds of if shorting out are much lower. Besides, your battery, starter, and alternator are all under the hood. They don't have small wires with a restriction in the middle though.
Troy
Rewire with heavier gauge? I am definitely bypassing that stupid Ammeter.
Quote from: Dino on June 11, 2014, 08:29:07 AM
To ensure having enough power to run the lights, radio, wipers and all that stuff without losing any power , at idle, you'll need a bigger alternator. This will require a few changes in wiring but even if you keep the stock alt, the wiring mod is still recommended.
Here's what I did: Under the hood I removed the black wire running from the P slot on the bulkhead to the alternator. Under the dash this is the same wire that runs to the main splice behind the cluster and is part of the power system inside, I removed that one as well. You can also remove the black wire running from the ammeter to the splice, it has no use from now on. I also removed the fusible link that runs from the starter relay to the bulkhead connector and on the other side the red wire going to the ammeter With those wires removed there is no more power going into the cab.
I ran a ga wire from the alternator stud to the starter relay stud. And another 6ga wire from the same relay stud to the battery through an 80 amp ANL fuse mounted under the battery tray. To get the power into the cab I ran an 8ga wire from the relay stud to a 50 amp maxi fuse mounted above the bulkhead connector. From there another 8ga wire goes through the firewall and to the main splice. In effect this replaces the fusible link and is now much stronger.
I'll try to post up a diagram soon but it may not be for a few days, I have tons of exams to do.
Looking forward to it.
Any one doing this , there's a gauge company here in Australia that makes an amp gauge that reads the same as decal, and not the load going through it, so you can use your stock face to gauge
Look up speco gauges $ 29 + 10 gst tax , will post photos soon
I finally got around to finishing that decal and it came out great! When printing it roughly 44 mm wide, it looks stock and it's crisp as if it came from the factory like this. Only problem is my cheap little printer will not print a true black, no matter what the settings are. It looks very dark blue so I will have to go to a print shop and see if they can help me out. I may end up with a bunch of extras if anyone wants one. They will be printed on special decal paper.
I'm using the one with the little bridge in the middle myself as it looks best in the cluster next to the other gauges.
Cool idea Dino...look much crisper than mine did. Although through the lense of the cluster you cant really tell that its slightly pixelated........
Yeah once the cluster is back in place, you can get away with the imperfections.
I went to kinko's today and they couldn't print on my inkjet vinyl paper so I had them print a sheet of each design on their own decal paper which was a bit different. BUT, the black matches the others so it looks real good in the cluster. I planned on buying different paper but I am going to leave it as is.
I think I'll make the holes in the cluster a tiny bit bigger so I can lower the gauge just a tad. I glued the needle in place so it's ready to go back in the car. With the clock though, I don't have my tach parts yet to do the mod.
:scope: :2thumbs: looks good :yesnod: :2thumbs: going to re do mine soon & use the word battery :yesnod:
After all the delays it's finally done and in place. I ran the ground to the cluster itself but have not decided where to get keyed 12v. Fuse box maybe.
That looks great, Dino!
VERY VERY NICE. I want!
:scope: awesome job Dino !! great stuff :cheers: :yesnod: :coolgleamA: :2thumbs:
Gauge on-order!
I suggested a few people do this and thought I should take my own advice :eek2:
OK finally did the DINO mod, pretty straight forward a few things to share from My experience:
- The delay for me was how I was going to attach the "hood' to the new gauge. When I tried to use the screws one side tore, in the end I just JB welded it, fast easy and can't tell
- It is a little thicker than the original but this wasn't an issue can't tell. I did cut down the posts however
- I was concerned about the positive side grounding out on the metal case. This was solved by using the rubber grommet supplied in with he gauge, fit in the hole perfect
- I did have to "wallo out" the holes just a tad to get the posts to fit properly with the extra heat shrink/insulation
- Also had the dimmer switch refurbished and installed LED lights...all good!
Ditto!
Looks good Tex! I suspect you left the "Alt" face to make it original as opposed to "volts"?
Quote from: AKcharger on December 13, 2018, 09:48:24 AM
Looks good Tex! I suspect you left the "Alt" face to make it original as opposed to "volts"?
Thanks! I just didn't think it was an important expense due to the fact that its an analog gauge and if the volts are low and there is a problem.. you'll know it quick (above halfway its ok ..below not ok) and its just a driver.
Technically the face reads "Alternator" and it still
is the alternator volts instead of amps
:2thumbs:
Oh source for decals whitegauges.net. They also have them in black
http://www.whitegauges.net/products/1968%252d1970-Dodge-Charger-Volts-Overlay.html# (http://www.whitegauges.net/products/1968%252d1970-Dodge-Charger-Volts-Overlay.html#)
Thanks Dino. Such an easy and great mod! While at it changed the speedo and temp gauge decals to metric and added a ground to the cluster.