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How to rebuild quad guage

ol' chebby

ol' chebby

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Dec 11, 2007
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Location
Charlotte,NC
Website
www.rpettycustommurals.com
Step one, lay on your back and reach under dash to remove the 4- 3/8" nuts from the 4 corners of the guage.....be shure to disconnect the battery, as if you touch both poles of the ampmeter, your ratchet becomes a nifty arc welder.
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Carefully wiggle the guage down through the wiring harness NOT bending either metal line! You can see 2 of the corner mounts here. That is the ampmeter right above my thumb.

Carefully pry out the 3 or 4 crimps around the edge of the bezel. I use a small flathead screwdriver.
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Remove bezel, glass and guage panel to reveal nekkid guages...
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Remove the oil line compression fitting from back of guage.
Remove 2 small screws from the back of the offending guage, and the screws or the poles from the 2 surrounding guages to make it easier to remove. Every other guage has ears that reach behind the ones next door. Replace just the opposite of how it came out. When attaching the pressure line DO NOT tighten without a wrench on the square base of the guage....they do not like that and will make a nice puddle of oil in your guage cluster, as I found out on a previous build.
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Clean the glass lens and put it in the chrome bezel along with the gauge seperator. Slip all over the front of gauge, line up the tab with the gap on the gauge body. Hold tightly together and crimp the lip back over gauge back with pliers in 4 places ( I use the places we had to remove to dissasemble.)

Now begin swearing as you fit it back under the dash, around the offending wires, onto the studs, and get the nuts started....you know, the ones which like to lodge themselves in your ear canal or eyeball after you drop them the 3rd time. Tighten up and enjoy your new oil pressure guage.
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Addendum :

Whilst the gauge is apart , I always like to spray paint the tin backing piece gloss white so the gauge illuminates better....
 
Very nice tech tip

I noticed the print is missing from the bezel.
There is a company that offers dry transfers for the lettering.

http://www.archertransfers.com/AR33001.html

Also remember the fuel gauge grounds on the back. So If you do paint the housing leave a small area clean for a good ground between the new gauge and the housing.
 
If you have gone completely through the whole truck it's nice to set the odometer back to zero so people can see the "miles since restored". Clamp a strip of 18g (0.045) metal in a vice for the little forks that hang beneath each digit wheel to fit onto. Start with the tenths wheel with its fork off the tin strip and rotate to zero, then the "ones", "tens", and so on till it shows all zeros. Here's a 55-59 redone which has the same odometer setup as the AD.
 

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coilover said:
If you have gone completely through the whole truck it's nice to set the odometer back to zero so people can see the "miles since restored". Clamp a strip of 18g (0.045) metal in a vice for the little forks that hang beneath each digit wheel to fit onto. Start with the tenths wheel with its fork off the tin strip and rotate to zero, then the "ones", "tens", and so on till it shows all zeros. Here's a 55-59 redone which has the same odometer setup as the AD.
Click to expand...

Thanks Evan for that great Tech tip, BTW great looking work on those gauges.

Charles
 
Gauge Referb

Okay, I'm using all the tips you guys provided. The only thing I need to know right now is what is the correct color brown for the inner quad bezel? mine is scratched up and needs a paint job. Any one know of a good rattle can match?
 
I got the cluster out but not sure how to disconnect the temp connector (I think it's the temp connector, the one across from the oil line.

Is it just a slip on connector?

thanks and the instructions were great, I only had 2 of the 4 nuts still attached but knowing the size helped a lot.
 
It's been a long time ago, but~

bobs51 said:
I got the cluster out but not sure how to disconnect the temp connector (I think it's the temp connector, the one across from the oil line.

Is it just a slip on connector?

thanks and the instructions were great, I only had 2 of the 4 nuts still attached but knowing the size helped a lot.
Click to expand...

Looking at the photo Russ shows of the back of the cluster, I think that there are two screws that hold it in place. (?) It seems I remember a brake bleeding wrench worked great for those little nuts on the back.
Good luck! BTW, it is a great time to redo the face decals as well. I have a GMC, but the cluster had the black and white face decals. Not no more~ ;)
 
The temp sender comes out of the engine. It does not come apart. if you bend or break the tube, the magic gennie gets out, never to return. You have to carefully fish the tube back through the firewall and remove with the guage.
 
thanks for the info. that's a bummer since it makes it harder to work with the gauge cluster.

I pulled the cluster to try to clean up the rats nest of wires under the dash so I'll probably just pop the glass and clean it up while it's hanging there.

thanks again,
bob
 
Ol Chebby, Two more questions. What is the paint code / color of your dash and what color did you use for the inner bezel in the quad cluster. The pictures are great
 
The dash is "Sheen Grey Metallic" from Jim Carter. It is supposed to be low gloss. It matches the grey in the dash trim. The brown in the dash trim matches the steering column. Use bright white for the back of the gauge. I didn't repaint the front bezel.
 
Nice Paint

Your paint really looks good. I just assumed the inner bezel on the cluster had been repainted because the labels were missing. It sure looks sharp no matter who painted it though. I hope my instruments come out looking that good. I was disappointed with the cluster kit I bought. It's all vinyl stick on's. I thought it would have been decals or something. I going to us them but bet I'll be refacing the guages after the first hot summer!:mad: The odometer numbers are already trying to come off. I'm going to stick em down with some finger nail polish.

Thanks for the good instrument tips and the great pictures.
 
The website I linked above is not mine.


The guy list two rattle can brown paints that are a close match for the bezel.
He shows the rustoleum in his example, I think the Krylon is a closer match.

Both will give good results.

I have not found a rattle can match for the center lighter color in the center of the bezel.
 
Sheen Grey Metallic

Ol' Chebby I checked on Jim Carter's site and can't find a listing for the Sheen Grey Metallic. Guess they don't carry it anymore.:(
 
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