guage cluster

[Pike1915]

I'm not sure if this is the right place in the forum but I have a 1974 k10 and I was wondering if anyone new a place to get them repaired or used ones?  I don't want new or any of that just and old dirty one thst works.  Doing some research it just seems more cost effective to find a replacement then repair it.. Any thought ? 

[blazer74]

Not sure about a place to repair but for info 73-75 use an amp gauge and not interchangeable with 76 up with a volt gauge.
Smoke, burn, fire.

[Pike1915]

Well I believe temp gauge is non working and just the whole housing is old and cracking...  That's why I was thinking of just s new cluster but my truck is just a work truck, nothing special and doesn't need any thing special

[Chuck Step-a-side]

When I've purchased my 1984 Stepside and I had the same problem and got it working. I found when the cluster was previously taken off  the plastic circuit board and the connecting block was out of align when it was put together. So took it out and took everything apart and cleaned all the copper contacting area with a pencil eraser and replaced all the lamps and make sure all contact points are connected when connecting the lamps and wiring connection block. At this point you want to connect the battery and turn on the lights and see if the lights to the cluster are on and correct any that are not. Then check one more time with engine running after placing the cluster in the dash and correct any connections. Try this first before spending money. Hope this helps.

[Manriquez]

Not sure about a place to repair but for info 73-75 use an amp gauge and not interchangeable with 76 up with a volt gauge.
Smoke, burn, fire.

test them individually (gauge per gauge), the only thing you need is a 1/4" socket wrench and probably a screw driver to disassemble the entire thing (well I normally add a beer or two). they rarely fail.

If you find one faulty, get a replacement unit for that one.
If the circuit is bad (which is probably the case) and you really believe in your skills you can repair them easy (but then need a six pack or two). if don't want to bother you can find a new circuit and you will be ok, but they are pricey for what they are (in the range of $60).

I would probably buy a used cluster and will install it, however be aware there are several different connections. so you may need swap the cables on the connector (you can't have a beer doing that or you will mess it good)

There is one guy that that was a good help back in the time when assembled another car. you may want to call him for a quote (if the guys is still around)

http://www.tachman.com/



uploaded some pictures so you can have an idea of what I'm talking about, which ones is the faulty gauge anyway?

another good thing on disassembling the cluster by yourself is to clean all good. you WILL notice the difference of a cluster without 40+ years of dirt inside (clean the green back of the black bezel too and that will be night and day)

regards
Pedro

[Manriquez]

Not sure about a place to repair but for info 73-75 use an amp gauge and not interchangeable with 76 up with a volt gauge.
Smoke, burn, fire.

you made me laugh

for a volt meter you follow the circuit and swap some cables on the connector and  leave one live from key to gauge and the other to ground
if you leave them wrong (+ and -)  volt meter will go the other direction, swap the cables backwards and you will be good.
NO FIRE, NO SMOKE, NO BURN

you can also try the gauge prior installing them on the truck... but will be backwards anyway LOL

regards
Pedro

[Pike1915]

I believe it's my green wire that connects to my temp gauge on the block.  The clip is broken and is believe it's not staying on or filling contacting.  So where can I buy a new wire?  Do they sell the sensor and wire together ?

[blazer74]

Not sure about a place to repair but for info 73-75 use an amp gauge and not interchangeable with 76 up with a volt gauge.
Smoke, burn, fire.

you made me laugh

for a volt meter you follow the circuit and swap some cables on the connector and  leave one live from key to gauge and the other to ground
if you leave them wrong (+ and -)  volt meter will go the other direction, swap the cables backwards and you will be good.
NO FIRE, NO SMOKE, NO BURN

you can also try the gauge prior installing them on the truck... but will be backwards anyway LOL

regards
Pedro

I'm glad your amused by my metaphor.

Im glad you find humor In a  little exaggeration to  prevent someone from damaging their truck. 

It has and can happen if he's not aware of the difference. There's no telling if the 4 amp fuses are there or something else that may not prevent a short from doing damage.

The pinout charts are available on this site if he chooses to rewire but didn't think he would bother being its just a work truck as he stated.

Ha ha lol lol lmao lmao he he.

[hatzie]

I believe it's my green wire that connects to my temp gauge on the block.  The clip is broken and is believe it's not staying on or filling contacting.  So where can I buy a new wire?  Do they sell the sensor and wire together ?

Connectors don't come with a sender.

The 70's nailhead & early 80's single tang used Packard 56 Female terminals. The connector shell varies depending on what sender connection you have.


My Droid from orbit

[Pike1915]

Lol yes it's a Packard 56 Female terminals...  So your saying it's easy to fix if the outer black plastic is broken? 

[Greybeard]

If there were an easier to work on vehicle made after 1973 I've never seen it. This includes the dash area. Just be gentle with everything, 40+ year old plastic is NOT indestructible as they claimed back when it was made. Us the appropriate cleaners (contact or electrical board spray cleaner is my person preference and a some really soft lint free cloths like for eyeglasses. Even a old tooth brush can come in handy.

Don't mess to vigorously with the needles on the gauges, they bend VERY easy, how would I know that? Gorilla fingers here, howdy. When I worked on mine about ten years ago I was lucky, we have a GM truck only salvage yard nearby, it made getting parts a breeze. But these days they are getting fewer and farther between so the salvage yard had to branch out to newer trucks and most of the 73-91's have been picked bare or crushed. 

My truck is a mishmash of parts from about ever year from 73-80. Mix and match. I have had to rewire the bulkhead connectors (through the firewall) for the main harnesses a number of times since I replaced the underhood wiring with something newer, I started adding delay wipers to my 75 but never finished that project yet, a good set of electrical diagrams helps tremendously. I have mixed and matched gauges to match what I like, and had to find the appropriate circuit boards to make those work. It is a lot of work and some hard thinking (and trial and error) but it's getting there. Everything in my dash works as it should now except the windshield wipers.

You can do it!

[hatzie]

Lol yes it's a Packard 56 Female terminals...  So your saying it's easy to fix if the outer black plastic is broken? 

The Nailhead sender connector shell is available new.  GM used it on everything from A bodies to the Corvette for almost 2 decades.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pco-5665pt/reviews
The tang connector is just a single terminal Female Packard 56 shell.

[Pike1915]

My 1974 gauge cluster is messiured  in AMPS correct?  Can I switch out the whole gauge cluster with a cluster that is measured in volts?

[Manriquez]

Not sure about a place to repair but for info 73-75 use an amp gauge and not interchangeable with 76 up with a volt gauge.
Smoke, burn, fire.

you made me laugh

for a volt meter you follow the circuit and swap some cables on the connector and  leave one live from key to gauge and the other to ground
if you leave them wrong (+ and -)  volt meter will go the other direction, swap the cables backwards and you will be good.
NO FIRE, NO SMOKE, NO BURN

you can also try the gauge prior installing them on the truck... but will be backwards anyway LOL

regards
Pedro

I'm glad your amused by my metaphor.

Im glad you find humor In a  little exaggeration to  prevent someone from damaging their truck. 

It has and can happen if he's not aware of the difference. There's no telling if the 4 amp fuses are there or something else that may not prevent a short from doing damage.

The pinout charts are available on this site if he chooses to rewire but didn't think he would bother being its just a work truck as he stated.

Ha ha lol lol lmao lmao he he.

totally agreed.
don get me wrong, but you actually reminded me my friends telling me "RUUUN" when I told them I was about to get married.

regards

[Manriquez]

My 1974 gauge cluster is messiured  in AMPS correct?  Can I switch out the whole gauge cluster with a cluster that is measured in volts?

yes! that can be done easily by someone with some skills by swapping/jumping some cables on the connector
take a look of my 75 Scottsdale using a 78 cluster (Tachometer coming!!), pls ignore the oil as it was using the wrong sender when took the picture, LOL
basically I described what you need to do to make it work in this thread in previous post
follow the dash circuit and make a connection map, swap/jump the wires in the connector

please get it done by a skilled person otherwise Smoke, Burn Fire!!! HA HA Ha

regards