bulbs

[pokethesmot]

my dash is real dark while driving its like one of my bulbs for my speedo went out...but i cant see were to replace it at....so can some one help me out and tell me where the bulb is at....and im thinking about hooking up some leds for my dash lights

[JohnC]

You take the whole cluster out, and the bulbs are accessible from the back side of it.

[babyJay]

John is right, get out your screwdriver and nut driver. Oh, and be careful not to break the PRND21 indicator spring.

[powerdriver 1958]

With as much work as it is to get to the bulbs it is a good idea to replace all the bulbs while your as it.I'm betting they are all the same age.

[blazenlo95]

Originally Posted by powerdriver 1958

With as much work as it is to get to the bulbs it is a good idea to replace all the bulbs while your as it.I'm betting they are all the same age.

I plan on replacing all of mine this weekend. Anybody know what size they are?

[powerdriver 1958]

GE 194's

[BLE 'BURBAN]

There are 13 bulbs total They are as follows.....

High beam indicator = 1
Turn signal indicators = 2
Battery warning lamp = 1
Check Engine light = 1
4WD indicator light = 1
Seat belt light = 1
Brake warning lamp = 1
Gauge illumination = 5

Some are #194's others are #168's
THe 168 bulb is a bit brighter in candle power than the 194's are. I'd just replace them all with 168's and be done with it.

[blazenlo95]

Originally Posted by powerdriver 1958

GE 194's

Thank you much.

[blazenlo95]

Originally Posted by BLE 'BURBAN

THe 168 bulb is a bit brighter in candle power than the 194's are. I'd just replace them all with 168's and be done with it.

Any issue with heat from the brighter ones? Are you running the 168's? Cause if there is no melting issues it would just make sense to run the brighter ones.

[babyJay]

I changed all mine out to L.E.D. bulbs in the 87. Do a search, there is a thread here that describes how to take the cluster apart and chrome the back side of the metal portion. This reflects more light down and off the guage face. I also did that procedure.

[BLE 'BURBAN]

Originally Posted by babyJay

I changed all mine out to L.E.D. bulbs in the 87. Do a search, there is a thread here that describes how to take the cluster apart and chrome the back side of the metal portion. This reflects more light down and off the guage face. I also did that procedure.

I found that spraying the inside WHITE worked alot better than the chrome paint did.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by BLE 'BURBAN

I found that spraying the inside WHITE worked alot better than the chrome paint did.

Did you do a scientific test like those clowns on Mythbusters? Seriously, was white brighter?

[joe231]

this isn't the first time i have heard white is brighter.....

[blazenlo95]

Originally Posted by joe231

this isn't the first time i have heard white is brighter.....

And honestly it just makes sense. If we're talking about spray bomb chrome, I can see white reflecting more light than gray.

[pig rig]

flat white will reflect more light then gloss white and a mirror

I just replaced all of my bulbs and I wish I would of put the cleaning the cluster and painting it to thought because I can hardly see my trip odometer

[BLE 'BURBAN]

Originally Posted by blazenlo95

Any issue with heat from the brighter ones? Are you running the 168's? Cause if there is no melting issues it would just make sense to run the brighter ones.

None what-so-ever. the 168's are only about 2-3 candlepower brighter than the 194's. I'll bring home my "BULB BIBLE" from work tomorrow that lists all the wattages and candle powers of all the bulbs and give y'all a breakdown on all the bulbs used on our rides. As well as the similar ones that are a bit brighter that will still work with no problems.

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Did you do a scientific test like those clowns on Mythbusters? Seriously, was white brighter?

Actually yeah I did, I had painted the inside of my ORIGINAL cluster with the "chrome silver" paint and noticed very little change in brightness. When I Modded my cluster (see below in my sig) I painted the replacement bezel white as well as the back side of the front cover semi gloss white and noticed a vast improvement over the chromed one.

I have since gone on to the white light L.E.D. bulbs that I got from www.v-leds.com pictured here.
http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/C...-p4481083.html


I will soon ,as funds will allow, be upgrading yet again to these installed on the inside of the front cover facing the gauges. Only in blue not white...
http://www.v-leds.com/Interior-LED/D...-p6374230.html

[Desert1957]

Hey guys,
I have a stupid question , will the "LED" style bulbs dim with the switch or just go out?

Desert

[joe231]

yes they WILL dim with your dimmer

[Dapper Dan]

I take it you only used these for the 5 gauge lights right?

BLE 'BURBAN "I have since gone on to the white light L.E.D. bulbs that I got from www.v-leds.com pictured here."

how would you rate them? any nighttime pictures?

[babyJay]

When I did my cluster, I replaced all bulbs with V-LEDS. Green for ullumination, and white behind indicators, etc. They are not as bright as a 168, so I put 168's back into the idiot lights, as I don't have true guages in that truck. Guess I should have used white paint inside instead of the chrome. There's always a next time or another truck that needs done though. I will try to get some pictures tonight after dusk.

[BLE 'BURBAN]

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan

I take it you only used these for the 5 gauge lights right?

BLE 'BURBAN "I have since gone on to the white light L.E.D. bulbs that I got from www.v-leds.com pictured here."

how would you rate them? any nighttime pictures?

I did like them alot better unfortunately I don't have any pics right now but when I do get the strip lights in blue I will take pice and show how I install them with before and after shots at night...Trouble is it doesn't get dark enough here right now to get a decent nighttime shot. Dang 18 hours of daylight!!!

[joe231]

Originally Posted by BLE 'BURBAN

I did like them alot better unfortunately I don't have any pics right now but when I do get the strip lights in blue I will take pice and show how I install them with before and after shots at night...Trouble is it doesn't get dark enough here right now to get a decent nighttime shot. Dang 18 hours of daylight!!!

I miss the family and I riding bikes on the trails through Anchorage in the middle of the night, people grilling at mid-night, and being able to work on the trucks in the daylight at most all hours of the night....just can't beat all that sunlight


the problem I have found with LED's is they are fairly focused, where a regular incandescent bulb will throw light out in a much wider angle so it reflects off the back of of the cluster and gives more of a glow. I tried some 1157 LED's, with 8-10 LED's in each one, in the tail light of our '66 fleet, they were disappointingly dim, the LED's all pointed towards the lens so you didn't get any reflection to light up the entire housing....I quickly changed back.... the replacement LED's made to specifically fit these trucks are a different story, there are many LED's mounted to a circuit board spread around the entire area of the lens so they do a very nice job of lighting the whole lens.....sorry if I got a bit off topic, but I'm kinda known for it

quote form WIKIpedia
"In contrast to other lighting technologies, LED light tends to be directional. This is a disadvantage for most general lighting applications, but can be an advantage for spot or flood lighting."

[East End K5]

Originally Posted by babyJay

I changed all mine out to L.E.D. bulbs in the 87. Do a search, there is a thread here that describes how to take the cluster apart and chrome the back side of the metal portion. This reflects more light down and off the guage face. I also did that procedure.

When you say chrome the back of the metal portion, are you saying the metal cover that goes on prior to the clear plexiglass piece when installing? Because on the 80's trucks i think they made them in plastic....reason i ask is i will also tackle this too....

[joe231]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Did you do a scientific test like those clowns on Mythbusters? Seriously, was white brighter?

I have been thinking about this....took me back to elementary science class....

"White" Light is made up of all the colors in the spectrum, the reason we see color is an object absorbs all the colors in the spectrum except the colors of said object...so if you are looking at a red object, the object absorbs all the colors of the spectrum except red which is reflected so we see red, if the object is blue it absorbs all the colors of the spectrum except blue which is reflected so we see blue, and so on and so on...black, gray, and white are a bit different. When "white" light hits a black object all the colors are absorbed and none are reflected, so we see black, or an absence of color. when light hits a white object all the colors are reflected and none are absorbed so we see white, so gray would be a combination of the 2. half the colors would be absorbed and half would be reflected, in a perfect gray
so by this science lesson, white would be a better reflective surface as it reflects all the colors in the spectrum, so technically it reflects all the "white" light that we can see. which would be brighter than any other color......


if you doubt the science or I didn't quite explain it where it is understandable, google "why we see color" or "how we see color"

[BLE 'BURBAN]

Originally Posted by East End K5

When you say chrome the back of the metal portion, are you saying the metal cover that goes on prior to the clear plexiglass piece when installing? Because on the 80's trucks i think they made them in plastic....reason i ask is i will also tackle this too....

Paint the inside of the cluster housing (Pic 1) and the back side of the cover piece (pic 2) white and you'll get better illumination on your gauges.