How NOT to refurb your gauges

[daveboy]

I have been putting off installing new decals on the gauge faces on my '52 3100 because it looked to be a real bear getting those gauges out and back in. This past Friday I decided I could do it. It took me over three hours to get them out, but it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be (very little cursing).

On Saturday, I spent the morning taking the speedo apart and painting, and installing decals on the gauge face and also the odometer. Then, the afternoon was spent doing the same on the cluster gauges. I also replaced the chrome bezels and the rubber gaskets on the face. Although time-consuming, I didn't really run into any difficulties getting the gauges apart and back together. I was so proud of myself. Sixty-two years of cigarette smoke, dust and who knows what else had really discolored those gauges and the inside of the glass bezels. But, now they looked GREAT!

Today, I decided to reinstall. The cluster went in first and although somewhat difficult, it only took me about three hours to get it fully installed, and tested. Moving right along, and so proud of myself, I began to install that speedo. I got everything connected and two of the four attachment nuts installed. This only took me an additional two hours or so! While lying in the floorboard and trying to get the third nut on the stud, I heard a pop! It's an old truck, and I was moving around, struggling and throwing my slightly too large for the space body around, so I wasn't too concerned. I got those last two nuts on and tightened, everything hooked up and I was one happy man.

I slid out of my cramped, twisted space and sat behind the wheel to enjoy the spectacle of my labor. When, suddenly something didn't look quite right in that cluster gauge. "Is that a strange shadow?" I asked myself. To my horror, I realized what the pop I had heard was. The glass has a huge crack running right across the middle of it!!!!! I guess I had tightened those attachment nuts up a little too tight. It took it quite awhile to object, but it seems that a couple of hours after I had last touched that cluster, the glass had decided to protest!

So, not knowing another other way to get just that one cluster out, I removed the speedo and then that cluster. It took me all day to install these guys and then remove them I am ordering new glass tonight for both gauges. I like to think of the silver lining behind the storm cloud. Someone help me find it.!!!

Lesson for anyone else who is contemplating refacing their gauges: Be gentle when you tighten those retaining nuts!

daveboy