Enjoy 5% OFF at VEVOR Canada! and Support Canadian Poncho at the Same Time!
Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Cluster Swap


A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 27417
Date:
Cluster Swap


Tonight I started my latest project: Swapping my idiot light cluster with a gauge cluster. Two hours later I had the cluster out. It was a b**ch to remove! I had to remove the steering column bolts to provide clearance to get the trim bezel out. Even though I protected my column with masking tape, I still managed to get two good sized scratchesfurious. Tomorrow I hunt for a close match to "medium green"..
Tomorrow I'll also start rewiring the cluster harness plug as per Mark's diagrams (thanks again Mark) I'll take some photos. Hopefully assembly is easier. Now that everything is out I have (what I hope is) a better plan to put it all back together.

 Todd


__________________

Todd
Site Founder

Like us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/CanadianPoncho

Canadian Poncho World Headquarters - Prince Edward Island

 



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 608
Date:

Sounds like a job and then some.
Good luck and have fun.

__________________
65 Catalina 2+2 421 4bbl,  Auto, White, w/red interior, Buckets w/column shift.

66 Grande Parisienne, 2dr HT, 327 4bbl, Auto.

Had the 66 since about 83 and the 65 since 88.
Both still require a lot of work.
Nov 18 to Dec 2 Black Friday UP TO 50% OFF Plus Huge Coupons
Nov 18 to Dec 2 Black Friday UP TO 50% OFF Plus Huge Coupons


A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 27417
Date:

More setbacks today. I got the main cluster harness connectors switched around to match the U.S cluster. I plugged it in and discovered several issues:
The fuel gauge reads 1/4 tank when in fact it is half full (I don't need it going any lower than it already is!)

The oil pressure gauge only reads about 12lbs cold

The temp gauge is pegged when the key is turned on

I swapped in gauge sending units for oil and temp but suspect they may not be correct. Mine are early Camaro units.

 I did an Ohm check of my old gauge and the new one. The old one read 44.0 Ohms and the new one is 67.8. If it were the other way (the new one was less) I could ad a 20 Ohm resister and be pretty close to the old gauge specs but I think I'm screwed with it this way. I'm trying to determine if the American Pontiacs used a different sending unit for the rally cluster fuel gauge. It is physically smaller in size. The fuel gauge may require a different sending unit which bites since mine is new.

The oil pressure gauge reads 69.1 Ohms and the temp gauge is 51.5 Ohms. Any idea how I determine what type of sending units I need?

Looks like the car will be down for a while until I get this sorted out. furious




__________________

Todd
Site Founder

Like us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/CanadianPoncho

Canadian Poncho World Headquarters - Prince Edward Island

 



A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 20261
Date:

Todd, have a read of my post "Good eBay Score", my cluster is going a bit better I think.

__________________

Ray White, Toronto ON

Formerly - The one and only 1973 LeMans 454 "Astro-Jet"

Built March 9, 1973 - Oshawa ON

1993 Corvette Convertible LT 1

Built January 10, 1993 - Bowling Green Kentucky 

 




A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 27417
Date:

I did. Nice to see yours is "plug and play" whereas mine is "plug and scream"!
Does anyone on here have a U.S Pontiac parts book from 1969? I need the pn's for the fuel sending unit (with rally cluster) as well as oil and temp sending units.

Todd


__________________

Todd
Site Founder

Like us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/CanadianPoncho

Canadian Poncho World Headquarters - Prince Edward Island

 



A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 20261
Date:

Might you not be ok getting 69 Impala sending units?

__________________

Ray White, Toronto ON

Formerly - The one and only 1973 LeMans 454 "Astro-Jet"

Built March 9, 1973 - Oshawa ON

1993 Corvette Convertible LT 1

Built January 10, 1993 - Bowling Green Kentucky 

 




A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 27417
Date:

That's what's in the car right now. It works great with the factory gauge, but reads 1/4 tank shy with the Bonneville gauge. I played around with it a couple of hours this morning (my day off) . I can spoof the new gauge by adding some resistance to the sender wire. I used a variable resistor and dialed it in until it read the same as the old gauge. I then read the Ohms reading on the variable resister and it was about 50 ohm. My only question is if I add a 50 ohm resister, would the gauge be accurate at all levels? hmmmm. I still cant figure out why my oil pressure sender isn't working properly. I can sweep it and the temp gauge using my variable resistor (NEVER toss out volume controls from old car radios-they are great as test units!) so I know my gauges are ok.


__________________

Todd
Site Founder

Like us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/CanadianPoncho

Canadian Poncho World Headquarters - Prince Edward Island

 

Nov 18 to Dec 2 Black Friday UP TO 50% OFF Plus Huge Coupons
Nov 18 to Dec 2 Black Friday UP TO 50% OFF Plus Huge Coupons


A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 27417
Date:

Everything seems to be working now. I swapped the resistor from my old gas gauge to the new one. I also modified it so that the printed circuit made contact with the resistor and it now seems to be working (it's reading half like the old one). The temp gauge and oil pressure gauge seem to work now too. It one of those things that you try something and it works and you really don't understand why!

Todd


__________________

Todd
Site Founder

Like us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/CanadianPoncho

Canadian Poncho World Headquarters - Prince Edward Island

 



Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Status: Offline
Posts: 10624
Date:

 Glad to hear it's finally gone your way!

__________________
 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT. 69 Parisienne Convertible.
 


A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 27417
Date:

I'm still holding my breath until it's all back together and STILL working. I'm not looking forward to putting that bezel back in and bolting everything back up. I still have this to install:


Attachments
__________________

Todd
Site Founder

Like us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/CanadianPoncho

Canadian Poncho World Headquarters - Prince Edward Island

 



A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 20261
Date:

For future reference:

 Today, 09:14 AM
Chief Ponti-yacker
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: NY
Posts: 705

According to partsamerica.com, the oil sending unit fits Chevrolet trucks from the mid-70's and Olds/Pontiac cars...

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...pe=417&PTSet=A

op6636.jpg

The temperature gauge sending unit fits just about ALL GM cars for many years..

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...pe=425&PTSet=A

wt203-1.jpg
__________________
1972 LeMans Sport conv., 400, M22, nice survivor

1976 LeMans Freeway Enforcer, 462, TH400

1977 Can Am, W72 400, TH400, black interior, nice survivor

2007 G6 GT, 3.5 auto
Reply With Quote Multi-Quote This Message Quick reply to this message


-- Edited by 73SC at 09:50, 2008-07-15

__________________

Ray White, Toronto ON

Formerly - The one and only 1973 LeMans 454 "Astro-Jet"

Built March 9, 1973 - Oshawa ON

1993 Corvette Convertible LT 1

Built January 10, 1993 - Bowling Green Kentucky 

 




A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 35601
Date:

you are so smart    you should get a job in the country, as a consulant

__________________

 

Nov 18 to Dec 2 Black Friday UP TO 50% OFF Plus Huge Coupons
Nov 18 to Dec 2 Black Friday UP TO 50% OFF Plus Huge Coupons


A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 27417
Date:

Well, the cluster is in. My tach conversion is in as well. Everything is working however I am still a bit concerened about the oil pressure readings. Once the engine is hot, it reads just about nothing so either my sender is wrong or my engine is reeaallly tired! The temp guage is telling me the car runs a bit hot-just over 200 degrees. My clock-to-tach conversion looks ok-about a 6 out of 10.
Here's a quick photo:

July2008.jpg

It 30 bucks worth of gas in it. The gauge seems acurate-it moved 1/4 tank!

My cluster had 10 miles on the odometer. As you can see I put 7 test miles on it tonight.
One small problem is I now have an annoying metallic type rattle under the dash that I need to nail down...

 Todd



__________________

Todd
Site Founder

Like us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/CanadianPoncho

Canadian Poncho World Headquarters - Prince Edward Island

 



A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 20261
Date:

Throw in some heavier weight oil and see how it affects oil pressure. I had a Monza V8 years ago and the factory oil pressure was always low like yours, almost nothing at idle. I was so worried I changed the gauge to a mechanical and it was still low, so I put in 20w50 or something like that and presto it came up. I had that car for 5 years and gave it to my BIL who drove it for two more before breaking it in half but the engine was still going. You've got a 40 year old motor so it might be tired but probably nothing to worry about.

Cluster looks nice by the way.

-- Edited by 73SC at 22:31, 2008-07-21

__________________

Ray White, Toronto ON

Formerly - The one and only 1973 LeMans 454 "Astro-Jet"

Built March 9, 1973 - Oshawa ON

1993 Corvette Convertible LT 1

Built January 10, 1993 - Bowling Green Kentucky 

 




Uber Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 3463
Date:

dash looks geat todd! wink
your 350 should have an oil passage plug right above the timing cover. thread a mechanical oil guage in there and see what you actual have (or don't) for pressure.

__________________

 








A Poncho Legend!

Status: Offline
Posts: 35601
Date:

use a Ford sending unit   that used to work, to keep the red oil light off..  lol

__________________

 

Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us
.
Support Canadian Poncho!
Select Amount:
<
.
.
.