Instrument cluster indicators - what are these things for??

[jocko]

Ok, I'm admitting complete buffoonery here, but I've never seen them come on (maybe a good thing) and I have no idea what they indicate...

In the pic of a full gauge instrument cluster - what are the little lights for that I've circled in yellow?

Here's why I'm asking. I've cruised around town wondering what that smell was that reminded me of some idiot smoking his parking brake by driving around town in with his parking brake on (what I moron!!)... OK, yes, it was me. So, as necessity is the mother of invention, I decided on a slick (ok, I think it's slick anyway) way of rigging up a parking brake indicator since my truck doesn't have one. And it will make up for senility, apparently. Then I noticed these lights, so wanted to rule out a factory option I just didn't know about (i.e. parking brake indicator in the gauge cluster?? or maybe they're something else). I can't find a parking brake switch anywhere (and have already started using an extra brake light switch to rig this puppy up - still in work,. maybe a thread to follow - but I think it will work out pretty good) but then I kept wondering about these 2 lights. I assume there are not blank spots for idiot lights in a full gauge cluster, but I've found weirder stuff on this truck already... (by the way, it's not my dash in the pic, but mine's the same)
thanks!
jocko

[jonzcustomshop]

they are for the BIG trucks, one is an overspeed indicator, the other is for the tandem lock.


and the overspeed light would be perfect for a parking brake signal!

[DPowers]

I think they are for big trucks since they used the same cluster. There is lettering there, but I can't remember what they say. Shine a light behind and let us know.

[losthope]

so i got curious and shined a light behind them on my truck and the left one has a bulb wired somewhere ??????(mines not big just c10)and it says tandom lock and the one on the right says overdrive and is empty no bulb or wiring !

[jocko]

Most excellent gents - thanks so much, that is what i needed to know. The plot thickens... maybe a better idea to use one of those, and re-do the lettering or something than my first plan.... (was planning on mounting an "old looking" LED that is approx 1/2 inch in diameter with an old faded aluminum trim ring - and hooking that up to be my "old school brake light" indicator, but now the wheels are turning - might be a better way!
Thanks

[jonzcustomshop]

Originally Posted by losthope

so i got curious and shined a light behind them on my truck and the left one has a bulb wired somewhere ??????(mines not big just c10)and it says tandom lock and the one on the right says overdrive and is empty no bulb or wiring !

it could be an overspeed, might have been a fleet truck at some point, and had that wired in to save the engines....

the overspeed wire will go to a little junction box in your speedo cable.
...re read your post....
you'll have to chase the wire, could be as simple as someone changing the bulb in the cluster, and plugging it in in the wrong spot.

[losthope]

re read post the tandomlock has bulb and overspeed has nothing ! i was thinking the same thing chase down wire see where it goes .....

[DPowers]

There you go....

[blackedoutharley]

I had my shift light wired to the "overspeed" socket and an oil pressure warning light in the "tandem lock" spot.

[aerotruk63]

Have my Overspeed hooked up to the dash lights, an incentive to slow down.

[LostMy65]

I think making the one on the right an oil pressure warning light, and the one on the left an overheating warning light would be good.
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[ChevySixty6]

I now have these lights lit up on my dash also. They weren't before i went in and cleaned up the cluster. In my haste to put it back together again, i neglected to put in two little green cardboard tubes. These were just long enough to go from behind the plastic face plate, down to the bottom of the cluster. It kept the light from getting to these. I still have the tubes and one of these days i might put them back in. I just don't feel like removing the whole cluster and with mine having a manual choke, i need to rethread that through there again. I've thought about putting a couple of stickers on them for the time being.

[jonzcustomshop]

that manual choke on a 456, did you remove the knob, and then remove the bezel? that is the easy way, which I figured out after doing one the hard way- pulling the knob and cable out of the housing, and the trying to push it back through the housing

[ChevySixty6]

Originally Posted by jonzcustomshop

that manual choke on a 456, did you remove the knob, and then remove the bezel? that is the easy way, which I figured out after doing one the hard way- pulling the knob and cable out of the housing, and the trying to push it back through the housing

Of course not. I did it the hard way by disconnecting it at the carb and then pulling the whole thing out with cluster. Maybe i will put those tubes in sooner since there's a quicker way.

Thanks, Jonzcustomshop.

[losthope]

On my 66 I rewired the whole truck and made the overspeed light up when my headlights are on because i have a habit of leaving my headlights on and not noticing in the early morning drives to work, The light that illuminates the regular dash gauge cluster is had to see in the morning and you can really see when the overspeed light is lit up....its kinda like my highbeam warning light except for my headlights

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by losthope

On my 66 I rewired the whole truck and made the overspeed light up when my headlights are on because i have a habit of leaving my headlights on and not noticing in the early morning drives to work, The light that illuminates the regular dash gauge cluster is had to see in the morning and you can really see when the overspeed light is lit up....its kinda like my highbeam warning light except for my headlights

Another good idea.
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[jocko]

Ha! Can't believe this thread is still alive - posted what I ended up doing a long time ago, but never put a link in this thread, here it is: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=419932

[LostMy65]

What I do instead of starting a new thread on a topic, I search, and then post in a relevant thread.
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[corvettejim1968]