[Diesel42]

Well done and innovative. Any provision for the 24v guys coming in the future?

[amaurer]

Originally Posted by Diesel42

Well done and innovative. Any provision for the 24v guys coming in the future?

For the electrical set, no - impossible to get in 24V.

For the mechanical set, this could be done on a one-off basis...:

• I can change the resistors on the LEDs for 24V
• I can supply a 24V EL wire controller
• If you want a voltmeter set, I can add resistors to step the voltage down to a 12V scale. You'll have to leanr to live with readings equal to half the actual voltage however.
• If you order an ammeter set, it should work fine with no mods.

There would be some delay, and maybe cost, for this, as I don't have line on 24V controllers at the moment, although I have no doubt they're available.

[weez440]

ok i can't wait any longer, i think i am gonna order the bracket and el wire tonight. also have you tried any different speedometer? i think i might do some measuring when i dig into it and see what i come up with.

[joeyg1973]

He's working on both a speedo and a tach.

[weez440]

ok that sounds promising, the only bad thing is that the speedometer is shaped kinda weird, oh and i just sent the money for a bracket and el light. one more thing OFF THE LIST (i seriously have a list)

[amaurer]

Originally Posted by joeyg1973

He's working on both a speedo and a tach.

Aw man, now I have to get off my ass!

[joeyg1973]

Hahaha! Just give the same timetable I give everybody that asks me when it will be done. It'll be done when it's done.

[cmiller114]

How about....

[amaurer]

Originally Posted by cmiller114

How about....

Thats exactly the idea, but somehow worked into the original speedo face. I've got some parts on the way to try things out - its a tough chore though, there isn't much free real estate on the stock face.

[weez440]

are we gonna be able to get these parts to mount it and use it with the bracket you already sold us? cause i was looking at that speedo too as i think if you can make it work it would look good.

[weez440]

got the brackets and el wire today, now just waiting for the autometer cluster i ordered and i can have some accurate gauges thanks for everything.

[DrSlug]

Im going to order a set tomorrow once the pay goes in, should be a good little project while im off sick in a few weeks.

How long has this taken for people to install the full kit of electrical with the EL wire?

[rutbeer]

I prefer the stock look, and think I know what you are trying to create. Given the limited real estate though, you could always come up with something like this.
IH8MUD.com - View Single Post - FZJ40
Seems like you could CNC a face plate to have similar edge profiles to the factory one, but give you a little better configuration. As long as it isn't just a bunch of round holes like most of the aftermarket gauge deals, it would be pretty sweet. I think the key is a custom face plate with screen printing on it instead of using the autometer faces themselves. I actually like what Lance has done, but you are after the tach as well.....I'm interested to see what you come up with.

[Vitesse_6]

I will repost my finished product since the database error

I used some SunPro gauges, I needed to cut new holes in the mounting plate to accommodate the gauges, I think they are a little large for the stock window, But they work and serve their purpose.

[amaurer]

FYI, having installed some more of these now, the darkness in the corners of your speedometer is a common problem:

There are two little "wings" at the end of the speedometer face that are bent upwards slightly, which blocks the light. Bending them flat allows more illumination. I need to add that to the instructions.

If you need still MORE illumination, adding some washers between the speedo bracket and the cluster will open it up a LOT.

[Vitesse_6]

Im totally happy with my setup, Obviously its an improvement

Like I posted in my original post, I should have used more of the EL wire, I had almost 1 foot left over, But I wound it more or less how you suggested.
Thanks again!

[nspctr1]

Great Job, I'm gonna be ordering the radio pod setup in the near future. I already have the aftermarket cluster....

[DrSlug]

Well I've put mine in over the weekend, very happy with finished product, although Im thinking I may of stuffed up the fuel gauge. When I turn on the ignition the fuel gauge shoots slowly all the way to full, then slowly goes back to a position( this takes about 5 minutes). I wouldnt be too concerned otherwise, but unless some magical pixies have come along and topped up my truck with diesel, they is about a quarter of a tank more in there than when I removed the cluster. Anyone else had trouble with this? Im thinking I might go to the wreckers and grab another fuel gauge off another truck to see if it happens again.

I was really hooked on getting the electrical gauges at first, mainly cause I didnt like the idea of running a hose from the engine for the oil. Well silly me, turns out the previous owner had installed a mechanical gauge, and left the hose behind the original cluster all hooked up, with a cap on the end. So my next question is, how much would you charge me for sending out the set of mechanical gauges only. The more I think about it the mechanical look closer to stock, so the idea is definately growing on me.

Funniest thing also happened while installing this, I found out my heater fan does actually work. I was surprised at how much excess wires were found behind the old cluster.I spent half the day cleaning up everything going to the fuse box, in the end having about 3 metres of excess wire pulled out and binned.

Like to say thanks to Drew for the excellent customer service, very easy to deal with considering the distance. Look forward to hearing back about a price for the mechanical gauges

[amaurer]

Originally Posted by DrSlug

Well I've put mine in over the weekend, very happy with finished product, although Im thinking I may of stuffed up the fuel gauge. When I turn on the ignition the fuel gauge shoots slowly all the way to full, then slowly goes back to a position( this takes about 5 minutes). I wouldnt be too concerned otherwise, but unless some magical pixies have come along and topped up my truck with diesel, they is about a quarter of a tank more in there than when I removed the cluster. Anyone else had trouble with this? Im thinking I might go to the wreckers and grab another fuel gauge off another truck to see if it happens again.

I was really hooked on getting the electrical gauges at first, mainly cause I didnt like the idea of running a hose from the engine for the oil. Well silly me, turns out the previous owner had installed a mechanical gauge, and left the hose behind the original cluster all hooked up, with a cap on the end. So my next question is, how much would you charge me for sending out the set of mechanical gauges only. The more I think about it the mechanical look closer to stock, so the idea is definately growing on me.

Funniest thing also happened while installing this, I found out my heater fan does actually work. I was surprised at how much excess wires were found behind the old cluster.I spent half the day cleaning up everything going to the fuse box, in the end having about 3 metres of excess wire pulled out and binned.

Like to say thanks to Drew for the excellent customer service, very easy to deal with considering the distance. Look forward to hearing back about a price for the mechanical gauges

Are you Nick? I haven't sent many electrical sets to Australia recently, so I'm guessing so, which means you have a late-model truck with the three-post fuel gauge?

The three post fuel gauges are a funny little thing - they contain their own cheapo voltage regulator which grounds through a little copper tab poking out of the back of the gauge, which was designed to just press against the circuit board in the original cluster. On p12 of my instructions, there is a note to make sure that you bend this tab outwards a little bit so that it is pressing against the bracket when its installed - this gives it a ground path.

The behavior you describe is what would be expected if the gauge was not grounding properly. I'd correct that ASAP, as you risk burning the gauge or the sender as they're presently being overvolted.

Of course, for that tab to ground properly, you need to ensure the bracket itself is grounded as well - ensure that you connected the "Ground" terminal in the harness to one of the bracket screws.

If you did both of those, maybe sand the copper tab a bit, or the bracket, so ensure they're not oxidized and failing to make contact.

Nothing else it could be, really...

PM sent regarding the gauge swap.

[Trollhole]

Originally Posted by amaurer

The three post fuel gauges are a funny little thing - they contain their own cheapo voltage regulator which grounds through a little copper tab poking out of the back of the gauge, which was designed to just press against the circuit board in the original cluster. On p12 of my instructions, there is a note to make sure that you bend this tab outwards a little bit so that it is pressing against the bracket when its installed - this gives it a ground path.

Learn something new every day. Thanks.

[DrSlug]

Argh, well reinstalled my cluster today with the mechanical gauges this time, and cant work out why the temp gauge doesnt work. I was so careful with the cable, so I know for certain I havent damaged it by bending too much. Any suggestion why it wouldnt be working? I did try to put the sensor in a bowl of hot water to see if that would give me a reading, nothing.

Might have to pop the electrical temp gauge in instead, what a bugger!

[amaurer]

Originally Posted by DrSlug

Argh, well reinstalled my cluster today with the mechanical gauges this time, and cant work out why the temp gauge doesnt work. I was so careful with the cable, so I know for certain I havent damaged it by bending too much. Any suggestion why it wouldnt be working? I did try to put the sensor in a bowl of hot water to see if that would give me a reading, nothing.

Might have to pop the electrical temp gauge in instead, what a bugger!

Ouch, sorry to hear that. I have to confess that I personally buggered a temp gauge trying to install it in my friends truck, it happens to the best of us.

I never figured out how I did it honestly, I thought I was being super careful as well. It you happen to notice a sweet, not all together unpleasant, smell while you were working with it? I've determined the magic smoke in that tube smells quite nice when it sneaks out.

The replacement gauge is an Autometer 2361, but they really gouge you on the price compared to the 3-pack. I'll check the garage and see if I have a spare temp gauge laying around.

[PabloCruise]

That is some nice customer service!

[amaurer]

Originally Posted by PabloCruise

That is some nice customer service!

Don't speak too soon - I'm all out

Musta used the last one to cover my own f*up.

[Seth_O]

Originally Posted by amaurer

Thats exactly the idea, but somehow worked into the original speedo face. I've got some parts on the way to try things out - its a tough chore though, there isn't much free real estate on the stock face.

Any update on the speedo/tach combo? I need to redo my gauges (oil and temp don't work) and have already decided this is the route I want to go, but would like to add a tach at the same time.

[amaurer]

Originally Posted by Seth_O

Any update on the speedo/tach combo? I need to redo my gauges (oil and temp don't work) and have already decided this is the route I want to go, but would like to add a tach at the same time.

No update, I'm afraid, and honestly it'll be a while yet. Pesky life/career have gotten in the way of my R&D efforts .

That said, if I can get the paint color nailed down, I'll have reproduction OEM tacho bezels with aftermarket gasser tachs available sometime before year end, though this will require the ever-unpopular cutting of the dash.

[jaymundy]

Got my kit the other day. VERY nice! One question though: Do you have a pin-out diagram for the wire cluster? I couldn't locate one in the instructions.

Cheers!
J

[amaurer]

Originally Posted by jaymundy

Got my kit the other day. VERY nice! One question though: Do you have a pin-out diagram for the wire cluster? I couldn't locate one in the instructions.

Cheers!
J

I'm not sure I know exactly what you mean... the barrel connector?

[joemck7]

I just received/installed just the EL wire kit from Drew. Directions were fantastic, disassembly/assembly was very straight forward. The light is AMAZING. Definitely NOT too bright at night and the dimmer control on my 75' works great.

Drew, I honestly think that if you sold the kit with 2 "no solder" wire taps and a mini-tube of cement, you could sell this for $40 in a heartbeat. It is really that good. I also feel great because the cement I used holds tight but can easily be taken off with some mild chemical so the upgrades on my OEM cruiser are still "bolt-on" in my opinion. While I had the cluster apart I painted the needles back to orange...who knew they werent supposed to be faded yellow?

I think I may start taking the cruiser out at night just so I can SEE how fast I am going :-)

Thanks Drew!

[Turbo45]

amaurer THOSE LOOK TOTALLY RAD
GOOD WORK !!!!