64-66 Chevy Stock Gauges - Voltmeter vs Ammeter (Batt)?

[protrash64]

This is looking good RoyL!!! Waiting for you to figure it out.....

Yeah, squares are 73-87 body style.

[RoyL]

Thanks for the insight to the Chevy truck vernacular . . .
I'll keep ya'll posted on finding one that fits.

Roy

[Rich 5150 69]

There is this alternative as well for all of your gauge face, people that have used this says it works well.
http://whitegauges.net/products/1964...ce-Gauges.html

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by SFTorange

. . .
I haven't figured out how to mount the face to the gauge and the gauge to the housing yet, but it can't be that hard when the time comes.
Attachment 697945

Looking at maybe gluing it on? Something flexible that you can get apart later if you need to? Silicon or RTV? And looks like will have to cut a hole in the mounting housing for the newer voltmeter to get the correct depth.
Roy

[SFTorange]

I've kind of stalled on this particular project at the moment. I wish I could find the post regarding the gauge face printout. In reality, it wouldn't be that hard to just paint something on the face and use pinstriping or something to get the lines to look good. There really isn't that much of the gauge face showing on the outside of the cluster.

You're right about the glue. That might be all it needs.

[aerotruk63]

From the 1963 GMC Accessories Book. Chevrolet Accessories book had it listed as well.

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by SFTorange

I've kind of stalled on this particular project at the moment. I wish I could find the post regarding the gauge face printout. In reality, it wouldn't be that hard to just paint something on the face and use pinstriping or something to get the lines to look good. There really isn't that much of the gauge face showing on the outside of the cluster.

You're right about the glue. That might be all it needs.

Yeah, only a little rectangle showing thru the dash "window." Using the existing voltmeter face would require trimming it quite a bit and locating it where you want it would be a challenge with mounting it . . .
Roy

[kieth]

Originally Posted by aerotruk63

From the 1963 GMC Accessories Book. Chevrolet Accessories book had it listed as well.

I just bought a NOS Bat-O-Meter and a sun tach (less sender) I am in the middle of refurbing a 66 gmc dash and I think this will make it look a lot better.

I am trying to use chrome paint to finish it off will advise how it works and looks after everything is finished. Company wanted $200.00 to vacuum chrome it but I think I can do is by soda blasting the plastic, primering it, painting with chrome paint and then clearing it. Worst case I have to send it to them to redo it. Kieth

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by kieth

I just bought a NOS Bat-O-Meter and a sun tach (less sender) I am in the middle of refurbing a 66 gmc dash and I think this will make it look a lot better.

I am trying to use chrome paint to finish it off will advise how it works and looks after everything is finished. Company wanted $200.00 to vacuum chrome it but I think I can do is by soda blasting the plastic, primering it, painting with chrome paint and then clearing it. Worst case I have to send it to them to redo it. Kieth

Kieth,
Cool, where you gonna mount the Bat-o-meter?
Roy

[kieth]

Originally Posted by RoyL

Kieth,
Cool, where you gonna mount the Bat-o-meter?
Roy

I have a gmc as shown in the literature posted above. I will install the bat-o-meter in the LH opening and the tach in the RH opening. Or vis versa depending on which looks better. Kieth

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by RoyL

Yeah, only a little rectangle showing thru the dash "window." Using the existing voltmeter face would require trimming it quite a bit and locating it where you want it would be a challenge with mounting it . . .
Roy

Well, I'm stalled on this at the moment as well . . . Got a hole in the mounting plate for the mid-80s voltmeter and got the needle to where it's pretty close in the dash . . .



But the needle travel was way more than I expected when I connected to the 12V Ign feed. Based on the other voltmeters I've seen, the resting point (Ign off) is far left and with Ign on, it should move near the center (~12V), and when charging, slightly past center (~13+V).



Here's a pic with it hooked to a 9 volt battery, in the truck, it goes just past horizontal.



Sooooo . . . unless I got a bad voltmeter, the travel on this one is too much to make it useful. There are 3 terminals on the back, only get positive needle movement when connecting 12V to the top left and then ground the bottom center terminal. Reversing polarity moves the needle slightly backwards. If I move the needle (it comes off the pin it rides on), so that the operating range is at the center, the resting point will be far left out of sight. May need to query one of the "Box boys" to see what their truck normally voltmeter needle movement is to see if what I got is typical. I assume it's not.

I think a strap on Voltmeter hanging off the bottom of the dash looks good right about now . . .

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by RoyL

. . .
Sooooo . . . unless I got a bad voltmeter, the travel on this one is too much to make it useful. There are 3 terminals on the back, only get positive needle movement when connecting 12V to the top left and then ground the bottom center terminal. Reversing polarity moves the needle slightly backwards. If I move the needle (it comes off the pin it rides on), so that the operating range is at the center, the resting point will be far left out of sight. May need to query one of the "Box boys" to see what their truck normally voltmeter needle movement is to see if what I got is typical. I assume it's not. . . .

Another trip to the junkyard and $8 later, here's an update. Looks like the 1st voltmeter was bad.

Here's the resting position for the 80ish silverado voltmeter.



And here's the needle position with a 12V battery connected. Looks normal.



Here's the back side of it. Top terminal is ground, left is +12V. The other one (right), don't know-not used?



The bad one didn't have any needle movement at all when connecting to the +12V (left terminal). Connecting to the other terminal (right) moved the needle way too far. What I didn't know was that it was the wrong one to use. Guess a wiring diagram for the newer Chevy would've clued me in, huh . . . I didn't pay any attention to the connections when removing from the donor . . .

Lessons: Make sure ya know which connectors go to what to use, mark top and bottom before taking the faceplate off, mark the needle position before you remove it to take the face plate off.

So I'll be taking this good one apart to mount in the dash. I'll let y'all know something later.
Roy

[RoyL]

Well, fiddlesticks . . . Got this one all ready to go in the dash and did final check on the needle to make sure it was clear to move and SOB, it quit working!

Failed same as the other one, nothing on 12v side, big needle travel on the other.

[Rich 5150 69]

Royl I`d be sayng more that fiddlesticks....LOL...maybe its a wiring issue particular to our trucks that keeps burning them out. We`re still watching this.

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by Rich 5150 69

Royl I`d be sayng more that fiddlesticks....LOL...maybe its a wiring issue particular to our trucks that keeps burning them out. We`re still watching this.

Yeah, something's fishy here. Can't imagine both of these being bad . . . they just don't go bad, right? I only hooked it up to a spare 12V pink wire in the truck and grounded the meter to the metal dash, so don't think it's the truck. All my other testing has been with a 9 volt battery for ease of bench checking. Maybe something I'm doing wrong . . .

Before I do anything else, gonna see if I can find a wiring diagram for the 80-something chevy trucks, see if the other terminal on their V-meter is used for anything.

[stsalvage]

I'm more of the stock kinda guy i've used my stock gauge cluster for the last 20 years in the scrap metal hauling business and after i rewired my whole truck with M&H factory repop wire harness Not one problem

[RoyL]

Yeah, sometimes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, works just fine . . .

[Rich 5150 69]

Well there is some thruth to that, but if you`ve ever had a harness fire due to a amp gauge/voltage regulator you`ll never have another one. I lossed a harness in a `62 409 back in `69......man what a mess....

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by RoyL

Yeah, something's fishy here. Can't imagine both of these being bad . . . they just don't go bad, right? I only hooked it up to a spare 12V pink wire in the truck and grounded the meter to the metal dash, so don't think it's the truck. All my other testing has been with a 9 volt battery for ease of bench checking. Maybe something I'm doing wrong . . .

Before I do anything else, gonna see if I can find a wiring diagram for the 80-something chevy trucks, see if the other terminal on their V-meter is used for anything.

OK, finally got the voltmeter in the dash (and working), mostly where I want it, and it doesn't look too bad. Turns out the voltmeters were working, when taking it apart to fit into the dash housing, I removed the nuts that held on the ceramic insulator, to make it fit around the holddown bracket. Don't ask me why, investigation for another day, but without the nuts holding it tight against the voltmeter housing, she no worky. I had it being held tight against the rubber grommets on the hold-down bracket, but that didn't allow it to work . . .

So put it all together just like it came out the donor truck and used a modified after market guage bracket (U-shaped with rubber gromments) to hold it in. Used a piece of that gas tank filler hose I had leftover for a spacer, ~5/8" thick was about right. It happened to be the right ID to slip over the guage. I used little dabs of black weatherstrip adhesive to hold the orig. gauge face on the donor guage. When engine is running, the needle is a little too far over center, so I may tweak the needle postion so it's operating range is normal. Here are some pics. On to bigger and better things, now!











voltmeter coming out of a 1980 Chevy Silverado.

[Rich 5150 69]

Cool Roy .....I will be making this change as soon as I get a chance...... thanks for laying the ground work....

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by Rich 5150 69

Cool Roy .....I will be making this change as soon as I get a chance...... thanks for laying the ground work....

I got an extra donor voltmeter . . .

[RoyL]

be sure to read this as well, shows a better way to retain the meter with tabs and clamp. Should be enough room for a hose clamp . . .

http://www.persh.org/pickup/TachDash.htm

[SFTorange]

Hey Roy,

Could you post how you wired up the gauge? It's obviously pretty simple, but there were three studs on the back of the gauge and I wasn't sure exactly how to hook it up.

[RoyL]

Yeah, pretty simple.

facing the rear connectors on the back of the gauge

1. right rear (from back of guage) post is not used, see empty connector from '80 silverado dash picture in previous post.

2. Top center post is ground

3. left post goes to your +12V switched wire.

I used an unused pink wire from the autowire harness in the truck already

[LostMy65]

I found this thread by searching the forums for using the original ammeter space and replacing with a Voltmeter.

Good job on this.

I had a bad dash fire back in 84/85 when I had my old 65 before.
I'm going through the wiring now, and all evidence points to the ammeter.