Replace Instrument Panel Lights?

[lbbdoc]

I've got several light bulbs burnt out in the dash on my '87 making the guages hard to read at night. Anyone out there replaced these? How hard is it and how much of the dash do you have to remove?

Thanks.

[old Rusty C10]

gotta remove the bezel then the guages its just a matter of removing phillips screws.be careful when ya pry out the guage cluster and make sure you dont snap off the tabs.youll have to pop off thespeedo cable too then youll find all of the 9 or 10 bulbs except the on in the heater switch and ashtray area. Its quite easy as long as ya dont act like a bull in a china shop

[Russell]

You can take the whole panel out, or you can just take the gauges off, grab the bulbs, pull em out and slide new ones in.

Its super easy to take the gauges out, they only go in one way, and it would be hard to actually break anything but the needles on the gauges doing it. Just take the little hex drive, undo the screws and pull.

[87 STEPPER]

If your truck has cruise control you will also have to remove the photo cell that's mounted to the back side of the speedo it has one small hex screw.

The lamps are mounted into a plastic base and you just turn them a 1/4 turn and pull 'em out relamp them and reinstall 'em.

[crackajacka]

i vote pull the lights out and put new ones in easy way to do it. http://www.sylvania.com/auto/carapp/ <-- if u need numbers

[silverado_ss03]

mine are out also but i think ill use a flash light

[Zilverado]

While you've got the bezel and gauge housing open, might I suggest a quick "chrome" paint job of the gauge housing and front reflector (remove them first). It's been a while since I've referred anyone to this mod I did. It actually shows up on 73-87.com (formerly Mike's site - now in Jeff's loving hands) in the Garage section.

http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/interior/dashlights.htm

I discovered this trick a couple of summers ago, after I got fed up with not being able to read my gauges. My avatar is actually the "after" photo of this mod.

Give it a try - you'll be amazed.

[GMC Jim]

as I have posted prior.....The standaed lamps for the instrument panel is # 194. This is a 2 candle power lamp...Suggest replacing with # 168 ( 3 candle power )..... 1/3 brighter and the 168's are same size and type....

[Russell]

Whats this about the little flasher thing that has to do with cruise? I've got cruise and I don't have anything like that on the back of my speedo...

[Gregsmx]

Zilverado, the website you referenced is not opening for me. Could you post a pic or two on this thread?

GMC Jim, have you considered or tried LED lights for the dash and turn signals? There is another thread on the Message boards discussing this as well.

I'm wondiering if the candlepower is equal or greater than indincescent bulbs?

[Zilverado]

Originally posted by Gregsmx
Zilverado, the website you referenced is not opening for me. Could you post a pic or two on this thread?...

Hey Greg - sorry about the link not working. I'm not sure why that would be. I suggest that you try just going to www.73-87.com and click on the "Garage" button on the left side of the page. Then choose "Interior". This should get you to a list of topics. Mine is the first one called "Brighter Dash Lights".

Unfortunately, I don't have access to the before and after shots from work, but here is the text that went with the topic. Good luck...



***************************************

Many of you have been wondering how we can brighten our dash lights/gauges. Below is an example of a very simple and cheap fix - no additional lighting installed. I did this during my recent camping trip (yes, while in the camp ground). All you need is some spray paint, tape and some screw/nut drivers.


What I did:

I removed the bazel and everything back until I could remove the gauge/light housing (simple). I unplugged the wiring harness from the back of the housing and removed it (I had to loosen the front of the dash pad to give more space - no problem).

I took the housing (kinda' cream colored) and masked off the light bulb holes and the gauge connector clips. I also masked off the holes in the "reflector" which sits in front of the gauges (black front with light blue back) to avoid paint from blowing through and painting the front (black) side of the reflector.

Now paint: I used a bumper chrome touch-up paint. It didn't take much. I gave it a couple of coats. Running of the paint is not critical since these parts are not visible once reinstalled.

Just a note. I first tried it with a cheaper metalic/chrome spraybomb (I think it was Rustolium). Well, to say the least, the color was not chrome as the lid suggested but a metallic silver - not good enough.

The results (photos taken after dark, park lights on, but no interior cab lights. Shutter speed - 1 second in both pictures):

[GMC Jim]

Gregsmx...... Regarding using LED's for dash lites....My thinking is that; because of the properties of LED's....they would not be satisfactory as instrument panel lites...LED's transmit their light in a narrow forward direction with very little light dispursed sideways..... In other words; looking dead-on into the end of an LED; the light transmitted is quite bright but from a side angle the light is notably dimmer....You would want a diffused ; wide angle light to properly illuminte the interior of the instrument bezel shell...However an LED would work fine for the Hi/Lo headlite indicator and the left and right turn signal indicators.....Just my thots on this....I could be wrong......Jim

[apstguy]

Diffused LEDs work great in the dash. They aren't quite as bright as regular bulbs but I don't mind. They work great as the indicator bulbs. Especially the turn signals.

[Gregsmx]

Zilverado, that's a great website you referenced above www.73-87.com.

I finally was able to open it. The timing for finding that site is perfect as I bled my brakes today, and will be starting the engine for the first time next weekend. I also installed the dash cluster yesterday. There is great reference material on each of those subjects.

I tried to post a pic of the dash cluster with the chrome detailing completed, but I was not able to post a pic (I got a note from the message boards indicating web problems).

[84Stepper]

I tried to post a pic for a week and I get the message back also that there is a problem with the database. But only when I try to post a pic. I'll be doing my dash lights in about a week.

[Gregsmx]

Here's a pic of the instrument cluster with Zilverado's tips on brightening the dash lights:

[Zilverado]

Looks exactly like mine did prior to reassembly. I can guarantee you you'll like the results.

Thanks for posting that pic. Glad it worked for you.

[Gregsmx]

and fully assembled (I also replaced the #194 bulbs with #168).

I'll try to post a nighttime shot with dash fully installed once battery power is installed.

[Zilverado]

Get your shades ready...

[crackajacka]

i did that and i didnt see that much improvement but they are a little brighter.

[Zilverado]

Originally posted by crackajacka
i did that and i didnt see that much improvement but they are a little brighter.

I guess it's the clean, cool air up here that makes them "seem" brighter. I just know that I can now read the numbers in the middle of the speedo by just looking down at the gauges. I used to have to squint to read the gauges at night - - no more Only problem with that is that now I have no excuse for going as fast as I do....

[1974StepSide]

Several months ago I read Zilverado's article on Mike's website, and tried it.
I actually only painted the metal piece that is black/light blue. I didn't paint the plastic gauge cup. This way I didn't have to take any gauges out.
However I did gain a noticeably brighter difference!

[PHOENIX]

Are the 168's brighter then the 194's?

[GMC Jim]

Phoenix; the 168's are 1/3 brighter ( per my previous message, this thread.....Jim

[lbbdoc]

Hey thanx for all of the suggestions guys it has really helped alot!!