White face and LED conversion - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

*screamin_c102* · 04-06-2005, 11:43 PM

I white-faced Screamin's gauges and installed red LEDs as dash lights.

The gauge in the "blank" spot is a dual needle air-ride PSI gauge for the near future Air ride system.
I need to get a new clear lens as mine has about a million hair-line cracks in it.
The pictures suck but ya get the idea.

shifty · 04-07-2005, 12:36 AM

Those are sweet, but I'm a huge fan of blue. I'd prolly go green b/c of the colour of my tuck.

Ok, OK, where's you get em? Damn I need a tach dash!

*screamin_c102* · 04-07-2005, 12:40 AM

I made 'em the LEDs that is, the overlays are from Durange Design $20.00 on Flea-Bay.

**tnblazerk5** · 04-07-2005, 12:50 AM

ok how did ya make the leds? and was the white hard to do ? did ya have to order the white part that go's on the lens extra ?

*screamin_c102* · 04-07-2005, 12:56 AM

The lens has the numbers on it an it sits in front of a blank metal piece (bezel) that houses the gauges. You paint this piece white with el-cheapo rattle can. Then the vinyl overlays go on the gauge face itself. It took about two hours to clean up everything and to scuff the metal bezel for paint. It really isn't that difficult.

**tnblazerk5** · 04-07-2005, 12:59 AM

oh ok i havent had a bezel apart yet to see what all is in there lol and i am also doing the comaro tack thing too so how did ya make the L.E.D.s ?

*screamin_c102* · 04-07-2005, 01:07 AM

I ran 4 LEDs for the large gauges and one each for the small gauges. These ar all wired in a parallel circuit with a 600 ohm 1 watt resistor in the positive lead. I drilled the pressure gauge for the its LED and the others are hot glued to the bezel, just at the lip. I have to take it apart to move the LED on the water temp because it is too close to the lip and you can axctually see it.

I figured the resistor by using a source of 13v then divided the 200 milli-amps into it to get a base resistance. Then I went up or down in resistance until I found the brightest value.

I tapped into one of the factory bulb holders and soldered my positive and ground to it. By doing this I can dim them like normal. I also modified the signal indicators and installed single green LEDs into the factory 194 bulb holders.

**tnblazerk5** · 04-07-2005, 01:16 AM

i have no clue to what all you just said but

to it !!!!!!!!! i dont know that much about L.E.D.s to know what all is going on with them but i want to learn about them cause that dash you did looks great and i would like to do the same thing to mine but with a diff color bulbs !!!!!!! do they make any L.E.D bulbs that go in place of the orginal bulbs ? and if they do can they be dimed ?

*screamin_c102* · 04-07-2005, 01:22 AM

I tried replacing the original bulbs but they are mounted in the rear of the cluster. This didn't work because LEDs have a directed beam of light not like bulbs that glow in all directions. I messed with that idea for a while and gave up, because the panel was way too dim, and looked like crap. The truck sop sells a conversion bulb that will fit the socket, but it is too big in diameter to fit through the hole.

I'll draw up a diagram tomorrow at school in AutCAD.

LEDs are easy to work with once ya get the hang of it.

**tnblazerk5** · 04-07-2005, 01:27 AM

ok cool can i have a copy of the diagram after you get it done please ??!!!! i want to learn about this things lol

oh did ya take any pics while you was putting it togeather ?

and thanks for the heads up on the stock to leds thing !!!!!!!!!

Blue4x4 · 04-07-2005, 01:29 AM

Looks great. I like the psi gauge. But was wondering if there any way to remove the factory lines on the old lens so it doesn't interfear with the psi numbers and lines?

*screamin_c102* · 04-07-2005, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnblazerk5

ok cool can i have a copy of the diagram after you get it done please ??!!!! i want to learn about this things lol

oh did ya take any pics while you was putting it togeather ?

Sure, Ill post it on the board, As far as pics,

That would have been too easy

**tnblazerk5** · 04-07-2005, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by screamin_c10

Sure, Ill post it on the board, As far as pics,

That would have been too easy

lmao on the to easy thing !!!!

cool on the posting it thing !!!!!!!!

Russell · 04-07-2005, 01:36 AM

Personally I'd have gone with light blue LEDs

And I probally would have stuck a fair number more around each gauge

Looks awesome though man!

*screamin_c102* · 04-07-2005, 01:41 AM

I'm probably gonna add more around the speedo and gas gauge, I have some clip on two prong computer fan connectors so I can just keep addin' until I'm happy with it :

:
I went with red 'cause Screamin' has a red and white theme.

I have red lighting throughout the cab. Any color LED can be used, blue and white are the most expensive though.

nathan_454 · 04-07-2005, 01:42 AM

looks good guys.. I did the white faces in my blazer... i didnt do leds, i painted the needles blue with testors model paint... i like the results. here are some pics.

forgot to mention i also painted the inside of the bezel and around the outside white.

**tnblazerk5** · 04-07-2005, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue4x4

Looks great. I like the psi gauge. But was wondering if there any way to remove the factory lines on the old lens so it doesn't interfear with the psi numbers and lines?

i am going to use Meguires plastic cleaner to clean the lines off for the comaro tac thing

*screamin_c102* · 04-07-2005, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nathan_454

looks good guys.. I did the white faces in my blazer... i didnt do leds, i painted the needles blue with testors model paint... i like the results. here are some pics.

forgot to mention i also painted the inside of the bezel and around the outside white.

Looks awesome!! I love how the white face classes up the stock cluster.

69 Short Fleet · 04-07-2005, 01:47 AM

sceamin > Looks very cool! My lens was really bad when I redid my gauges last year (many, many scratches) and I went over the front of it with "autosol" metal polish (tooth-paste tube type, as I've found the liquid type they make is not as good) and the stuff works excellent on plastic as well as aluminum. Doug

**tnblazerk5** · 04-07-2005, 01:48 AM

did you use a L.E.D bulb in your dome light too ? if so did you have to use the resistor there too ?

nathan_454 · 04-07-2005, 01:53 AM

thanx for the comments. i also changed the lenses in my blinkers to blue, so they glow blue now

5150 · 04-07-2005, 02:51 AM

I bought 8 Blue LED's from this site here:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...gi?product=CAR

I bought 4 of them for my dash and 4 of them for my sidemarker lights. I was told that I could just plug these into the little black holders on the back of our gauges. They are wide angle so they are supposed to put out a lot of light.

Could be wrong. Correct me if I am.

Love the red Screamin

byrd · 04-07-2005, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnblazerk5

i am going to use Meguires plastic cleaner to clean the lines off for the comaro tac thing

It's alot easier if you you 3000# grit wet sand paper. Soak the paper for 1/2 hour before using.It will take those lines off in no time at all. Then you can use the cleaner and polish to get the scratches out. jmo Randy

oj70chevy · 04-07-2005, 09:31 AM

[QUOTE=yellow69]I bought 8 Blue LED's from this site here:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...gi?product=CAR

I bought 4 of them for my dash and 4 of them for my sidemarker lights. I was told that I could just plug these into the little black holders on the back of our gauges. They are wide angle so they are supposed to put out a lot of light.

Could be wrong. Correct me if I am.

Yellow 69, can you post some pics when you have it done. and let us know what you think of the leds? also if you have any problems with the install.
Thanks

*screamin_c102* · 04-07-2005, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellow69

I bought 8 Blue LED's from this site here:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...gi?product=CAR

I bought 4 of them for my dash and 4 of them for my sidemarker lights. I was told that I could just plug these into the little black holders on the back of our gauges. They are wide angle so they are supposed to put out a lot of light.

Could be wrong. Correct me if I am.

Love the red Screamin

Thank you,

The bulbs you bought are pre-modified units designed to fit our black holders. inside the base there is already a resistor and the LEDs. I made the same basic thing and could not get enough light to "bounce back" onto the gauges. I say install 'em.They might be brighter than mine were, I dunno.

One bonus to my setup I forgot to mention.....it was free, well minus the grand I pay in tuition each semester

04-06-2005, 11:43 PM	#1
screamin_c102 Account Suspended Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yoncalla Oregon Posts: 775	White face and LED conversion I white-faced Screamin's gauges and installed red LEDs as dash lights. The gauge in the "blank" spot is a dual needle air-ride PSI gauge for the near future Air ride system. I need to get a new clear lens as mine has about a million hair-line cracks in it. The pictures suck but ya get the idea.

04-07-2005, 12:36 AM	#2
shifty Questionable Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 13,373	Those are sweet, but I'm a huge fan of blue. I'd prolly go green b/c of the colour of my tuck. Ok, OK, where's you get em? Damn I need a tach dash! __________________ If I've got anything up for grabs, it'll be here: 7-hole gauge cluster for a 67-72 p/u FREE (link) I can't check the forum daily. If I don't reply to you within 24 hours, drop me a PM! I'm (hopefully) still alive and will reply faster to a PM.

04-07-2005, 12:56 AM	#5
screamin_c102 Account Suspended Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yoncalla Oregon Posts: 775	The lens has the numbers on it an it sits in front of a blank metal piece (bezel) that houses the gauges. You paint this piece white with el-cheapo rattle can. Then the vinyl overlays go on the gauge face itself. It took about two hours to clean up everything and to scuff the metal bezel for paint. It really isn't that difficult. Last edited by screamin_c102; 04-07-2005 at 01:11 AM.

04-07-2005, 01:07 AM	#7
screamin_c102 Account Suspended Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yoncalla Oregon Posts: 775	I ran 4 LEDs for the large gauges and one each for the small gauges. These ar all wired in a parallel circuit with a 600 ohm 1 watt resistor in the positive lead. I drilled the pressure gauge for the its LED and the others are hot glued to the bezel, just at the lip. I have to take it apart to move the LED on the water temp because it is too close to the lip and you can axctually see it. I figured the resistor by using a source of 13v then divided the 200 milli-amps into it to get a base resistance. Then I went up or down in resistance until I found the brightest value. I tapped into one of the factory bulb holders and soldered my positive and ground to it. By doing this I can dim them like normal. I also modified the signal indicators and installed single green LEDs into the factory 194 bulb holders. Last edited by screamin_c102; 04-07-2005 at 01:09 AM.

04-07-2005, 01:27 AM	#10
tnblazerk5 User #12137 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: kingsport,upper east tenn Posts: 11,598	ok cool can i have a copy of the diagram after you get it done please ??!!!! i want to learn about this things lol oh did ya take any pics while you was putting it togeather ? and thanks for the heads up on the stock to leds thing !!!!!!!!! Last edited by tnblazerk5; 04-07-2005 at 01:29 AM.

04-07-2005, 12:40 AM	#3
screamin_c102 Account Suspended Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yoncalla Oregon Posts: 775	I made 'em the LEDs that is, the overlays are from Durange Design $20.00 on Flea-Bay.

04-07-2005, 12:50 AM	#4
tnblazerk5 User #12137 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: kingsport,upper east tenn Posts: 11,598	ok how did ya make the leds? and was the white hard to do ? did ya have to order the white part that go's on the lens extra ?

04-07-2005, 12:59 AM	#6
tnblazerk5 User #12137 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: kingsport,upper east tenn Posts: 11,598	oh ok i havent had a bezel apart yet to see what all is in there lol and i am also doing the comaro tack thing too so how did ya make the L.E.D.s ?

04-07-2005, 01:16 AM	#8
tnblazerk5 User #12137 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: kingsport,upper east tenn Posts: 11,598	i have no clue to what all you just said but to it !!!!!!!!! i dont know that much about L.E.D.s to know what all is going on with them but i want to learn about them cause that dash you did looks great and i would like to do the same thing to mine but with a diff color bulbs !!!!!!! do they make any L.E.D bulbs that go in place of the orginal bulbs ? and if they do can they be dimed ?

04-07-2005, 01:22 AM	#9
screamin_c102 Account Suspended Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yoncalla Oregon Posts: 775	I tried replacing the original bulbs but they are mounted in the rear of the cluster. This didn't work because LEDs have a directed beam of light not like bulbs that glow in all directions. I messed with that idea for a while and gave up, because the panel was way too dim, and looked like crap. The truck sop sells a conversion bulb that will fit the socket, but it is too big in diameter to fit through the hole. I'll draw up a diagram tomorrow at school in AutCAD. LEDs are easy to work with once ya get the hang of it.

04-07-2005, 01:29 AM	#11
Blue4x4 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sparks, NV Posts: 790	Looks great. I like the psi gauge. But was wondering if there any way to remove the factory lines on the old lens so it doesn't interfear with the psi numbers and lines?

04-07-2005, 01:36 AM	#14
Russell Professional Grade Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Posts: 7,915	Personally I'd have gone with light blue LEDs And I probally would have stuck a fair number more around each gauge Looks awesome though man! __________________ 1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap)

04-07-2005, 01:41 AM	#15
screamin_c102 Account Suspended Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yoncalla Oregon Posts: 775	I'm probably gonna add more around the speedo and gas gauge, I have some clip on two prong computer fan connectors so I can just keep addin' until I'm happy with it :: I went with red 'cause Screamin' has a red and white theme. I have red lighting throughout the cab. Any color LED can be used, blue and white are the most expensive though.

04-07-2005, 01:42 AM	#16
nathan_454 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Centralia, Wa Posts: 109	looks good guys.. I did the white faces in my blazer... i didnt do leds, i painted the needles blue with testors model paint... i like the results. here are some pics. forgot to mention i also painted the inside of the bezel and around the outside white. Last edited by nathan_454; 04-07-2005 at 01:43 AM.

04-07-2005, 01:47 AM	#19
69 Short Fleet Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Kelowna B.C. Canada Posts: 1,086	sceamin > Looks very cool! My lens was really bad when I redid my gauges last year (many, many scratches) and I went over the front of it with "autosol" metal polish (tooth-paste tube type, as I've found the liquid type they make is not as good) and the stuff works excellent on plastic as well as aluminum. Doug



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04-07-2005, 01:48 AM	#20
tnblazerk5 User #12137 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: kingsport,upper east tenn Posts: 11,598	did you use a L.E.D bulb in your dome light too ? if so did you have to use the resistor there too ?

04-07-2005, 01:53 AM	#21
nathan_454 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Centralia, Wa Posts: 109	thanx for the comments. i also changed the lenses in my blinkers to blue, so they glow blue now

04-07-2005, 02:51 AM	#22
5150 C10 Club Tennessee Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: White House, TN 37188 Posts: 8,281	I bought 8 Blue LED's from this site here: http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...gi?product=CAR I bought 4 of them for my dash and 4 of them for my sidemarker lights. I was told that I could just plug these into the little black holders on the back of our gauges. They are wide angle so they are supposed to put out a lot of light. Could be wrong. Correct me if I am. Love the red Screamin __________________ Bryan www.gmtruckshow.com Project "Andes"-Halen's First Truck Project: Patina Burb for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Romans 13:4

04-07-2005, 09:31 AM	#24
oj70chevy 250 V-6 Club Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San antonio, TX. Posts: 898	[QUOTE=yellow69]I bought 8 Blue LED's from this site here: http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...gi?product=CAR I bought 4 of them for my dash and 4 of them for my sidemarker lights. I was told that I could just plug these into the little black holders on the back of our gauges. They are wide angle so they are supposed to put out a lot of light. Could be wrong. Correct me if I am. Yellow 69, can you post some pics when you have it done. and let us know what you think of the leds? also if you have any problems with the install. Thanks __________________ 1970 Chevy C/10 6 Cyl. 43k original miles all factory .http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=197523 Never ask a stupid question unless you want a stupid answer .

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