Questions on restoring Tach Dash Cluster.... - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

bagged91 · 01-29-2004, 06:28 PM

Here is a pic of the cluster I bought for $25 last week. I am getting ready to start restoring it but I don't want to screw anything up.

How do you SAFELY clean the faces of the instruments?
What do you use to recolor the needles?
Clean the glass?
Best way to remove printed circuit without damaging it.

Anybody have any idea of what the guage next to the oil pressure guage is? It appears to be a factory style guage but there is no label on it. Would that be the Vaccum guage? If so, what & where does that get hooked to?

bagged91 · 01-29-2004, 06:33 PM

It reads 0 - 30......

bagged91 · 01-29-2004, 06:34 PM

Here's the tach...

**CPNE** · 01-29-2004, 06:42 PM

That cluster is out of a series 40-60 truck. that gauge is either air pressure or vacuum, can't tell from the pics. It should be labeled, but perhaps the steel backing plate has been replaced with an unlabeled series 10-30 one.

You may have issues with the idiot lights in the gas guage as they mean different things in big trucks.

I think all these items are easilly corrected but I don't have specifics, but now you know and can ask the questions.

Good luck with it.

SWEET7T · 01-29-2004, 07:59 PM

Be gentle when cleaning gauge faces. You don't want to jack around the needles and knock them around (if you pop the needle off of the fuel gauge, you will have to recalibrate it since it just slides on). Windex and a rag works for me.

To repaint the needles, I used some model paint from Walmart Testors 1367 Flour. Orange and a model brush. Take some note book paper and cut a slit in it so that you can slide the the paper under the needles and paint away. For the temp gauge, I put a small piece of masking tape down and cut the little square out over the orange square on the 'hot' side. Looks good and is easy to read.

Also use Windex on the clear plastic. If it is scratched, might as well order a new one. It makes quite a bit of difference of a new one compared to a scuffed up one!

I don't know if that is an air pressure gauge or vacuum either

If it is vacuum, you hook it to one of the ports on the carb BELOW the butterflies (Where your brake booster is/would hook up).

Killer score on the price!!!

**too much stuff** · 01-29-2004, 08:13 PM

The extra gauge is a vacuum. As far as cleaning the lens, bad scratches can be wet sanded with 2000 grit paper and machine buffed. (on the face only) That will work pretty good. If you are going to use the vacuum gauge, you will need a different lens. if you want to get rid of the vacuum gauge, let me know. Eric

Rod · 01-29-2004, 08:35 PM

Looks like a tach - vac cluster.. good score.. all you need is the correct tach vacuum lens..looks like everything else is there.

Low69CST · 01-29-2004, 11:43 PM

When I did mine, i bought a new bezel and lens. Then took the guages, took a wet rag, whiped them down, some of the white strips smeared, but i took a dry rag and cleaned it back up. Then covered up the guage faces and dusted some floresent red over the needles, then just bolted everything together. OH yeah, and replaced a few light bulbs.

smokekiki · 01-30-2004, 10:40 AM

You shouldn't have to remove the printed circut.Only if you are removing the gauges.

Longhorn Man · 01-30-2004, 10:50 AM

Go to the main page of the site, and check the vendors, one of them has an inst bezel for 25 bucks...I think it was Ricks.

smokekiki · 01-30-2004, 11:20 AM

Thats what I paid from Ricks.It was very nice.Fit and looked like it should.What a difference it makes to the look of the cluster.

bagged91 · 01-30-2004, 06:46 PM

Thanks for the info! Time to clean it up now... New bezel is ordered.....

griesel72 · 01-30-2004, 06:50 PM

Sounds like you got a good score, i think these guys pretty much took care of what you should do to get it looking good.

01-29-2004, 06:28 PM	#1
bagged91 Out draggin' Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Pitman,NJ Posts: 1,574	Questions on restoring Tach Dash Cluster.... Here is a pic of the cluster I bought for $25 last week. I am getting ready to start restoring it but I don't want to screw anything up. How do you SAFELY clean the faces of the instruments? What do you use to recolor the needles? Clean the glass? Best way to remove printed circuit without damaging it. Anybody have any idea of what the guage next to the oil pressure guage is? It appears to be a factory style guage but there is no label on it. Would that be the Vaccum guage? If so, what & where does that get hooked to? Attached Images __________________ 91 GMC Xcab LB-Bags/bd/caddy clip SOLD 72 C10 Cheyenne Super LWB SOLD 92 GMC K1500 Burb 72 C10 Burb (ex. Cheesewagon)SOLD 72 C20 Burb parts truck 71 C10 Burb "project"

01-29-2004, 06:33 PM	#2
bagged91 Out draggin' Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Pitman,NJ Posts: 1,574	pic of unlabled guage... It reads 0 - 30...... Attached Images __________________ 91 GMC Xcab LB-Bags/bd/caddy clip SOLD 72 C10 Cheyenne Super LWB SOLD 92 GMC K1500 Burb 72 C10 Burb (ex. Cheesewagon)SOLD 72 C20 Burb parts truck 71 C10 Burb "project"

01-29-2004, 06:34 PM	#3
bagged91 Out draggin' Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Pitman,NJ Posts: 1,574	Here's the tach... Attached Images __________________ 91 GMC Xcab LB-Bags/bd/caddy clip SOLD 72 C10 Cheyenne Super LWB SOLD 92 GMC K1500 Burb 72 C10 Burb (ex. Cheesewagon)SOLD 72 C20 Burb parts truck 71 C10 Burb "project"

01-29-2004, 06:42 PM	#4
CPNE Resident Curmudgeon Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: NH Posts: 6,662	That cluster is out of a series 40-60 truck. that gauge is either air pressure or vacuum, can't tell from the pics. It should be labeled, but perhaps the steel backing plate has been replaced with an unlabeled series 10-30 one. You may have issues with the idiot lights in the gas guage as they mean different things in big trucks. I think all these items are easilly corrected but I don't have specifics, but now you know and can ask the questions. Good luck with it. __________________ Currently on or near the homestead: 67 Chevy SWB 2WD stepside 350/3 on tree (Pat's) 67 GMC SWB 2WD Fleet 402/auto (Brian's under construction) 67 Chevy 3/4 ton 2WD 402/auto (Business Hauler) 67 Chevy 1 ton dually 2WD 396/4 speed (Former business hauler, Needs TLC) 68 Chevy 1/2 ton Suburban 2WD 250 six/3 on tree (Brian's Needs TLC) 70 Chevy 3/4 ton 4WD 350/4 speed (Pat's - Disguised as a 68 GMC) 71 Chevy SWB stepside (Crushed by tree - parts donor) 72 Chevy 3/4 ton 4WD (Parts donor) 72 Chevy 3/4 ton 4WD Suburban (Parts Donor) 72 GMC 3/4 ton 4WD 292 six/4 speed (Mine - Disguised as a 67 GMC) 81 GMC 4WD Dually Dump Body 350/4 speed (Business Hauler) 82 Camaro Z/28 355/Super T-10 (Pat's toy) 93 Caprice 9C1 (Brian's Cop Car) 02 Toyota Camry (Reliable but a souless steel and plastic hulk) 2011 2SS RS Camaro M6 Factory Hurst Shifter Maybe I need to sell some of this crap Yet another Bozo with a sawz-all

01-29-2004, 07:59 PM	#5
SWEET7T Try spinnin 4 rear tars Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 757	Take your time... Be gentle when cleaning gauge faces. You don't want to jack around the needles and knock them around (if you pop the needle off of the fuel gauge, you will have to recalibrate it since it just slides on). Windex and a rag works for me. To repaint the needles, I used some model paint from Walmart Testors 1367 Flour. Orange and a model brush. Take some note book paper and cut a slit in it so that you can slide the the paper under the needles and paint away. For the temp gauge, I put a small piece of masking tape down and cut the little square out over the orange square on the 'hot' side. Looks good and is easy to read. Also use Windex on the clear plastic. If it is scratched, might as well order a new one. It makes quite a bit of difference of a new one compared to a scuffed up one! I don't know if that is an air pressure gauge or vacuum either If it is vacuum, you hook it to one of the ports on the carb BELOW the butterflies (Where your brake booster is/would hook up). Killer score on the price!!! __________________ SWEET7T 1970 C10, 2wd, LB, 307/TH350/3.08. PS, PB

01-29-2004, 08:13 PM	#6
too much stuff Roadtrip! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Grand Rapids MN Posts: 13,790	The extra gauge is a vacuum. As far as cleaning the lens, bad scratches can be wet sanded with 2000 grit paper and machine buffed. (on the face only) That will work pretty good. If you are going to use the vacuum gauge, you will need a different lens. if you want to get rid of the vacuum gauge, let me know. Eric __________________ 67 gmc custom lwb dakota truck. Sold...And bought back 69 swb 4x4 project (in progress) 70 c-10 lwb texas truck 70 4x4/BB/bkts/posi/tach(retired) 70 swb (wifes) 70 jimmy camper 71 K-5 factory 2wd 71 cheyenne 4x4/tach/posi/ plow rig 71 Cheyenne20 BB, buckets, tach, tilt, 4 speed 72 jimmy CST wyoming rig 72 jimmy Colorado rig 72 lifted texas 4x4 3/4 ton burb 65 fury conv. 383/auto 65 chrysler 300 "L" 413 auto

01-29-2004, 08:35 PM	#7
Rod Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Eastern - Manitoba Canada, Winnipeg Posts: 4,369	Looks like a tach - vac cluster.. good score.. all you need is the correct tach vacuum lens..looks like everything else is there. __________________ Senior active founding member. 70 3/4 ton GMC Suburban 4x4 250/4 spd. 71 1/2 ton Suburban Chevy 4x4, 350/350 72 Chev 1 ton tow truck 402BB w/Holmes 440 wrecker on propane 2005 FLSTSCI Harley Springer 85 FXSB Harley Lowrider 72 Triumph 650 Bonneville 5spd "Poor people don't have hobbies" Quote from wife.

01-29-2004, 11:43 PM	#8
Low69CST Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA Posts: 2,163	When I did mine, i bought a new bezel and lens. Then took the guages, took a wet rag, whiped them down, some of the white strips smeared, but i took a dry rag and cleaned it back up. Then covered up the guage faces and dusted some floresent red over the needles, then just bolted everything together. OH yeah, and replaced a few light bulbs. __________________ '69 CST Short fleetside Lowered, 400 small block, 700R4, 4 wheel disc brakes, front sway bar & rear camaro sway bar (in progress) '87 V10 4x4 Short Fleetside Quad Suspension and Dual Tanks

01-30-2004, 10:40 AM	#9
smokekiki Mike Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: west chester pa Posts: 2,473	You shouldn't have to remove the printed circut.Only if you are removing the gauges. __________________ 70'c/10, 71 suburban4x4 402bb, 72suburban 4/6 drop, 72k/5 4x4 blazer 4" lift 35 tires

01-30-2004, 10:50 AM	#10
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	Go to the main page of the site, and check the vendors, one of them has an inst bezel for 25 bucks...I think it was Ricks.

01-30-2004, 11:20 AM	#11
smokekiki Mike Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: west chester pa Posts: 2,473	Thats what I paid from Ricks.It was very nice.Fit and looked like it should.What a difference it makes to the look of the cluster. __________________ 70'c/10, 71 suburban4x4 402bb, 72suburban 4/6 drop, 72k/5 4x4 blazer 4" lift 35 tires

01-30-2004, 06:46 PM	#12
bagged91 Out draggin' Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Pitman,NJ Posts: 1,574	Thanks for the info! Time to clean it up now... New bezel is ordered..... __________________ 91 GMC Xcab LB-Bags/bd/caddy clip SOLD 72 C10 Cheyenne Super LWB SOLD 92 GMC K1500 Burb 72 C10 Burb (ex. Cheesewagon)SOLD 72 C20 Burb parts truck 71 C10 Burb "project"

01-30-2004, 06:50 PM	#13
griesel72 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Howard, Kansas USA Posts: 1,997	Sounds like you got a good score, i think these guys pretty much took care of what you should do to get it looking good. __________________ 1969 K10 Custom 10 1997 Z71 2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 2006 King Ranch 1980 Wife



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