'66 Cluster is out! Pics and some surprises.
11-29-2010, 07:28 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
'66 Cluster is out! Pics and some surprises.
Following John Z's article I got the cluster out of my car today. It went quite well. You have to love these old cars and what they have gone through. I bought this one in 1972 and I swear I have nothing to do with any of this stuff. Please chime in and help me out with these items I have found and possible solutions.
Pic 1 Before
Pic 2 My speedo stopped working last week without warning. This is what got me going on this. This fell out when I took the nut off the back of the speedo. I think this is the problem.
Pic 3 Cluster out and wires tagged.
Pic 4 When I went to disconnect the oil line this was spliced in. The left end was attached to the gauge and the right end attached to the copper line running from the engine. It actually was very easy to break the smaller end first and then when I had a little more wiggle room I took it off the back of the gauge.
Pic 5 This looks scary. I haven't touched this yet but electrical tape around these red wires. This is an AC car and this was up and out of view behind the AC duct that I had to remove. What is this?
Pic 6 This is a double grey wire that has been cut and taped. I found it rolled up where it enters the harness near the fuse block. Any ideas?
Pic 7 This red wire I think belongs on the cigarette lighter. The small socket behind it must be for the light for it. Correct?
Pic 8 The back of the cluster.
Clock coming out tomorrow. Stand by.
Dennis
Pic 1 Before
Pic 2 My speedo stopped working last week without warning. This is what got me going on this. This fell out when I took the nut off the back of the speedo. I think this is the problem.
Pic 3 Cluster out and wires tagged.
Pic 4 When I went to disconnect the oil line this was spliced in. The left end was attached to the gauge and the right end attached to the copper line running from the engine. It actually was very easy to break the smaller end first and then when I had a little more wiggle room I took it off the back of the gauge.
Pic 5 This looks scary. I haven't touched this yet but electrical tape around these red wires. This is an AC car and this was up and out of view behind the AC duct that I had to remove. What is this?
Pic 6 This is a double grey wire that has been cut and taped. I found it rolled up where it enters the harness near the fuse block. Any ideas?
Pic 7 This red wire I think belongs on the cigarette lighter. The small socket behind it must be for the light for it. Correct?
Pic 8 The back of the cluster.
Clock coming out tomorrow. Stand by.
Dennis
Last edited by Dennis Beck; 11-29-2010 at 09:17 PM.
11-29-2010, 07:54 PM
#2
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Yup, speedo cable came apart... lol. Replacement innerds anyway.
The relay behind the AC duct is for the AC I believe... Power window cars have the same thing in that location.
You are correct on the lighter wire and the light for it should be a clip on like the staright axles? Correct me if I am wrong someone... spend to much time under the dashes off the early cars. Been a while since I put a midyear together.
Anyway, looks like you got it under control!
The relay behind the AC duct is for the AC I believe... Power window cars have the same thing in that location.
You are correct on the lighter wire and the light for it should be a clip on like the staright axles? Correct me if I am wrong someone... spend to much time under the dashes off the early cars. Been a while since I put a midyear together.
Anyway, looks like you got it under control!
11-29-2010, 08:09 PM
#3
Tech Contributor
Pic 7 This red wire I think belongs on the cigarette lighter. The small socket behind it must be for the light for it. Correct?
11-29-2010, 08:20 PM
#4
Tech Contributor
The bulbs for the A/C controls mount at about the 8 and 4 o'clock position relative to the clock housing.
11-29-2010, 08:55 PM
#5
Safety Car
The cigarette lighter bulb has a shield surrounding it, with two tabs extending at about the 4 and 8 o'clock positions. The tabs fit in slots in the lighter socket. I'm not sure I see the lighter bulb shield in any of your pictures. The ignition switch bulb socket is similar to the ones that clip into the back face of the cluster. It also looks like you have a '65 temp gauge in there (100-180-240). The '66 gauge is has 100-210-250 numbers with an orange and red line in the last division before 250.
You have a few bulbs looking a bit on the dark side. I replaced my LIGHTS and BRAKE indicators and turn signal indicators with #1416 bulbs so you can actually see them, even in bright daylight. The stock #257 flasher bulbs are just too dim. I put #1416s in the clock, too. The cluster illumination bulbs were all replaced with #1414s (except the radio and heater control lamps - used #1816). Just not to be ridiculous, I used #53s in the cigarette lighter and ignition switch lights.
Oh, wait...I see the lamp shield on the back of your cigarette lighter. The socket you have stuck in the ignition switch does indeed look like the socket that fits in the shiueld
You have a few bulbs looking a bit on the dark side. I replaced my LIGHTS and BRAKE indicators and turn signal indicators with #1416 bulbs so you can actually see them, even in bright daylight. The stock #257 flasher bulbs are just too dim. I put #1416s in the clock, too. The cluster illumination bulbs were all replaced with #1414s (except the radio and heater control lamps - used #1816). Just not to be ridiculous, I used #53s in the cigarette lighter and ignition switch lights.
Oh, wait...I see the lamp shield on the back of your cigarette lighter. The socket you have stuck in the ignition switch does indeed look like the socket that fits in the shiueld
Last edited by Avispa; 11-29-2010 at 08:59 PM.
11-29-2010, 09:00 PM
#6
Drifting
Thread Starter
Yes, a factory A/C car has a separate wiring harness for the 2 light bulbs that are used to illuminate the back of the A/C controls. These 2 light bulbs are just like the one under your clock for the heater controls, and are connected to a single harness with 2 gray wires, which connect to the fuse panel at an ACC tab.
The bulbs for the A/C controls mount at about the 8 and 4 o'clock position relative to the clock housing.
The bulbs for the A/C controls mount at about the 8 and 4 o'clock position relative to the clock housing.
Thanks Jeff
11-29-2010, 09:09 PM
#7
Drifting
Thread Starter
The cigarette lighter bulb has a shield surrounding it, with two tabs extending at about the 4 and 8 o'clock positions. The tabs fit in slots in the lighter socket. I'm not sure I see the lighter bulb shield in any of your pictures. The ignition switch bulb socket is similar to the ones that clip into the back face of the cluster. It also looks like you have a '65 temp gauge in there (100-180-240). The '66 gauge is has 100-210-250 numbers with an orange and red line in the last division before 250.
You have a few bulbs looking a bit on the dark side. I replaced my LIGHTS and BRAKE indicators and turn signal indicators with #1416 bulbs so you can actually see them, even in bright daylight. The stock #257 flasher bulbs are just too dim. I put #1416s in the clock, too. The cluster illumination bulbs were all replaced with #1414s (except the radio and heater control lamps - used #1816). Just not to be ridiculous, I used #53s in the cigarette lighter and ignition switch lights.
Oh, wait...I see the lamp shield on the back of your cigarette lighter. The socket you have stuck in the ignition switch does indeed look like the socket that fits in the shiueld
You have a few bulbs looking a bit on the dark side. I replaced my LIGHTS and BRAKE indicators and turn signal indicators with #1416 bulbs so you can actually see them, even in bright daylight. The stock #257 flasher bulbs are just too dim. I put #1416s in the clock, too. The cluster illumination bulbs were all replaced with #1414s (except the radio and heater control lamps - used #1816). Just not to be ridiculous, I used #53s in the cigarette lighter and ignition switch lights.
Oh, wait...I see the lamp shield on the back of your cigarette lighter. The socket you have stuck in the ignition switch does indeed look like the socket that fits in the shiueld
So noted and thanks for the info about bulbs. I will be replacing them all.
Dennis
Last edited by Dennis Beck; 11-29-2010 at 09:15 PM.
11-29-2010, 09:19 PM
#8
Tech Contributor
Dennis,
I hesitate to throw this out there, but I also hate to not warn you
My 65 with factory A/C blew the panel lamp fuse after I replaced all the wiring and the bulbs.
Looooong story short - with all the factory components and proper bulbs, I was getting more than the 4 amps the fuse is rated for. I had to go to a 5 amp fuse AND drop to a lower wattage bulb.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...ort-still.html
In 1963 and 1964 the base corvette had a 4 amp circuit/fuse for the panel lamps. In 1965 GM added 2 more bulbs to the main cluster at 0.33 Amps each. However if your car also had A/C, then you got the 2 A/C illumination lamps.
This mean my 65 pulls (2+2) x 0.33=1.32 Amps more than a base 63 or 64 and yet all of them share the same 4 amp circuit.
So if you move to brighter bulbs than the factory called for, just watch out for this possible condition.
I even borrowed a dash harness from another forum member and went to all the trouble to pull my car apart, install his harness, and take measurements - and both his and my harnesses returned the same result.
Jeff
I hesitate to throw this out there, but I also hate to not warn you
My 65 with factory A/C blew the panel lamp fuse after I replaced all the wiring and the bulbs.
Looooong story short - with all the factory components and proper bulbs, I was getting more than the 4 amps the fuse is rated for. I had to go to a 5 amp fuse AND drop to a lower wattage bulb.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...ort-still.html
In 1963 and 1964 the base corvette had a 4 amp circuit/fuse for the panel lamps. In 1965 GM added 2 more bulbs to the main cluster at 0.33 Amps each. However if your car also had A/C, then you got the 2 A/C illumination lamps.
This mean my 65 pulls (2+2) x 0.33=1.32 Amps more than a base 63 or 64 and yet all of them share the same 4 amp circuit.
So if you move to brighter bulbs than the factory called for, just watch out for this possible condition.
I even borrowed a dash harness from another forum member and went to all the trouble to pull my car apart, install his harness, and take measurements - and both his and my harnesses returned the same result.
Jeff
11-29-2010, 09:21 PM
#9
Tech Contributor
11-29-2010, 09:27 PM
#10
Drifting
Thread Starter
Dennis,
I hesitate to throw this out there, but I also hate to not warn you
My 65 with factory A/C blew the panel lamp fuse after I replaced all the wiring and the bulbs.
Looooong story short - with all the factory components and proper bulbs, I was getting more than the 4 amps the fuse is rated for. I had to go to a 5 amp fuse AND drop to a lower wattage bulb.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...ort-still.html
In 1963 and 1964 the base corvette had a 4 amp circuit/fuse for the panel lamps. In 1965 GM added 2 more bulbs to the main cluster at 0.33 Amps each. However if your car also had A/C, then you got the 2 A/C illumination lamps.
This mean my 65 pulls (2+2) x 0.33=1.32 Amps more than a base 63 or 64 and yet all of them share the same 4 amp circuit.
So if you move to brighter bulbs than the factory called for, just watch out for this possible condition.
I even borrowed a dash harness from another forum member and went to all the trouble to pull my car apart, install his harness, and take measurements - and both his and my harnesses returned the same result.
Jeff
I hesitate to throw this out there, but I also hate to not warn you
My 65 with factory A/C blew the panel lamp fuse after I replaced all the wiring and the bulbs.
Looooong story short - with all the factory components and proper bulbs, I was getting more than the 4 amps the fuse is rated for. I had to go to a 5 amp fuse AND drop to a lower wattage bulb.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...ort-still.html
In 1963 and 1964 the base corvette had a 4 amp circuit/fuse for the panel lamps. In 1965 GM added 2 more bulbs to the main cluster at 0.33 Amps each. However if your car also had A/C, then you got the 2 A/C illumination lamps.
This mean my 65 pulls (2+2) x 0.33=1.32 Amps more than a base 63 or 64 and yet all of them share the same 4 amp circuit.
So if you move to brighter bulbs than the factory called for, just watch out for this possible condition.
I even borrowed a dash harness from another forum member and went to all the trouble to pull my car apart, install his harness, and take measurements - and both his and my harnesses returned the same result.
Jeff
