'70 dash bulbs

[mikeyT]

I had a blown bulb in my dash cluster, so replaced it. I discovered that the original bulbs that backlight the gauges have this green condom on them as a filter. I replaced all the bulbs (seeing as how they probably had all been there for 20 years/335K km and it's a major PITA to get my stubby fingers in behind there to unhook the speedo cable), no filters; the difference in brightness is amazing. The dimmer actually has a purpose, now.

I replaced the bulbs in my heater controls as well; didn't even know they were normally illuminated!

 

[lumpy70]

I am in the process of replacing all my dash / instrument bulbs with LED's;
http://www.superbrightleds.com/1157.htm
(about halfway down the page)

I got some the other day and they are VERY cool. Different colours available of course, less draw than an incandescent lamp, and virtually no burnout.

They have some 24V ones as well.

Craig.

 

[Canuck]

I replaced the bulbs in my heater controls as well; didn't even know they were normally illuminated!

Where do the the bulbs sit in the heater controls? Mine are burned out and I just haven't gotten around to installing new ones yet.

 

[Stone]

On the heater controls, you first take off all the plastic ends on the levers, and also the fan and AC knobs. Remove the panel the sits on top of your climate control (should be 6 screws on a 70 series). The plastic face on the climate control snaps out...there's two small tabs on top and two on the bottom of the face. Then there's a see-through piece underneath that's y-shaped and secured by 3 tabs. Carefully remove this as it easily breaks (if it does it's not the end of the world.) The bulb sits underneath this piece. HTH.

If anyone needs the part# of the green condom piece let me know, I have it at home.

 

[Greg_B]

Direct from Stones computer to mine, to this list...:

-Dash peanut green sleeve (condom looking thing for small bulbs) 90339-04014.

Look for a listing of odds and sods (like the above) on G&S's website some time in the near future...

Thanks for the link Craig.

gb

 

[mikeyT]

I am in the process of replacing all my dash / instrument bulbs with LED's;http://www.superbrightleds.com/1157.htm

Man, why didn't we talk before I started that job?! It'll have to wait another 20 years; I'm not jamming my fists in behind that cluster again before I have to.

Oops, I probably just jinxed myself. some gauge will go now.

 

[70sguy]

If you want to make it easier to get the speedo cable off the cluster unscrew the cable from the Tcase so you can pull some slack to get your hand behind there.

HTH

Sheldon

 

[crushers]

Sheldon,
now where were you for the last 20 years? that is the best tidbit of advice i have gotten in a long time.
thanks, with these meats i have had a hard time getting behind there. sheesh no more ripped knuckles...
cheers
Wayne

 

[mikeyT]

If you want to make it easier to get the speedo cable off the cluster unscrew the cable from the Tcase so you can pull some slack to get your hand behind there.
HTH
Sheldon

Well, how I actually decided to set about changing bulbs in the dash cluster is because I also had to change out my speedo cable. For the sake of future consideration, I made sure that there was some slack in the cable at the firewall end. This came in useful sooner than I thought, because I'd only replaced the one burnt bulb and, about one month later, another bulb burnt. It still was a tight squeeze getting in behind there, but nothing like the first time a month previous. There's just enough room to get my index finger on the tab that unlocks the speedo. The second time, I made sure that all bulbs were new. The next time, they'll all be LEDs.

Your advice is better yet, Sheldon.

Cheers.

 

[Canuck]

On the heater controls, you first take off all the plastic ends on the levers, and also the fan and AC knobs. Remove the panel the sits on top of your climate control (should be 6 screws on a 70 series). The plastic face on the climate control snaps out...there's two small tabs on top and two on the bottom of the face. Then there's a see-through piece underneath that's y-shaped and secured by 3 tabs. Carefully remove this as it easily breaks (if it does it's not the end of the world.) The bulb sits underneath this piece. HTH.

If anyone needs the part# of the green condom piece let me know, I have it at home.

Cool, thanks man. What kind of bulbs do the heater controls take? I'd rather have them on hand before I take the controls apart.

 

[Stone]

Cool, thanks man. What kind of bulbs do the heater controls take? I'd rather have them on hand before I take the controls apart.

Here's what I know so far...and it might be worthwhile to have the whole set on hand in doubles and triplicates. I keep a kit in the truck in case I burn some out:

24v bulb part numbers (70 series):

-Dash peanut green sleeve (condom looking thing for small bulbs): 90339-04014.

-Dash peanut bulb, Medium: 99134-12030.

-Dash peanut bulb, Small: 90981-11022.

-Rear combination signal: 90981-16015.

-Rear single-element signal: 90981-16014.

-Front marker light, single element: 90981-16016.

The climate controls use the Small Peanut bulb.

 

[mikeyT]

-Dash peanut green sleeve (condom looking thing for small bulbs): 90339-04014.

My advice would be to not put the green sleeves back on, in order to brighten up the normally barely adequate dash illumination. if it's a bit too bright, you can actually use the dimmer for the first time. Omitting the green sleeves would be analogous to the common fix for a 40-series dash cluster; removing the metal shields that go over the bulbs. Just my .02¢ x 0.85.

 

[Stone]

My advice would be to not put the green sleeves back on, in order to brighten up the normally barely adequate dash illumination. if it's a bit too bright, you can actually use the dimmer for the first time. Omitting the green sleeves would be analogous to the common fix for a 40-series dash cluster; removing the metal shields that go over the bulbs. Just my .02¢ x 0.85.

Except that the dimmers are not available in Japanese spec vehicles.

 

[mikeyT]

Except that the dimmers are not available in Japanese spec vehicles.

HA! I've got something over those BJ74s! You got the turbo, I got the dimmer! In your face!

 

[wesintl]

HA! I've got something over those BJ74s! You got the turbo, I got the dimmer! In your face!

HAHAHA that's too funny