When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hey yall, I got an old printed circuit on the back of my tach and speedo cluster. The plastic laminate has separated from the plastic sheet and circuit in one of the corners, but seems to all be held down by the bulb sockets.
Should I replace the circuit, or is it likely to stil be good for awhile yet? This is for a 1981 if that makes a difference.
You can tell if it is bad when your tach and/or speedo and/or dash lights don’t work.
You can take a chance if you are willing to be ready to pull the dash out down the road, knowing you could have avoided that hassle if you had spent the money to replace it. Be aware, however, that there are repop boards all over the place that may be more risky than working with the original.
I am no circuit board expert but shoot some pics of what you have and the electrical engineers on the forum can weigh in possibilities of putting a splint on it to keep it breathing for a while.
Have my console apart to check the guages. All the wires have continuity so if the guages are not working its the printed circuit board most likely. For the $30 I paid for a new board, it was worth it to not need to go back in there again.
Hey yall, I got an old printed circuit on the back of my tach and speedo cluster. The plastic laminate has separated from the plastic sheet and circuit in one of the corners, but seems to all be held down by the bulb sockets.
Should I replace the circuit, or is it likely to stil be good for awhile yet? This is for a 1981 if that makes a difference.
Thanks a bunch for any insight!
Let's say it lasts 12 months – do you really want to take the dash apart again to fix it then? Might be better to replace now that it's disassembled. (If it's really poor condition, the jostling from disassembly and re-installation may just be all it had left in it so might not even work now.)
My advice is to replace the printed circuit board with a new one. Although my PCBs were working fine, they were old and falling apart so I replaced both about 10 years ago, before they failed. They have been working perfectly since.
Im putting old one back in if all works unless you have obvious damage..mainly at the tabs where the plug goes in are delicate..
not sure your year but 79 is a pretty easy job..assume later years the same.
post some pics!
Hey, thankyou all for the fast responses! Here are pictures!
My main (uneducated) concern is the separation and possible oxidization around a corner of the sheet, at a bulb socket.
In all honesty, I've now had a few more unforseen setbacks with the resto and will more than likely just order a fresh one. But for future projects, knowing just how far one can push these old circuit boards would be helpful information to catalogue for my amateur self.
Thoughts? Is the green crud oxidized copper?? Or is it glue/laminate?? Separation between the two halves of the sheet.
Hey, thankyou all for the fast responses! Here are pictures!
My main (uneducated) concern is the separation and possible oxidization around a corner of the sheet, at a bulb socket.
That's about what mine looked like in several places some ten years ago, both the main cluster and center stack. Just speaking for myself, there was no way I was going to put the dash all back together with those ancient printed circuits.
Originally Posted by BedandBadAdvice
In all honesty, I've now had a few more unforseen setbacks with the resto and will more than likely just order a fresh one.
That's what I did, but one man's meat is another man's poison. When I received the new printed circuits, they looked identical to the old ones, but were in brand new condition. I considered that the perfect solution. They have been working great ever since, which doesn't surprise me at all.
Originally Posted by BedandBadAdvice
But for future projects, knowing just how far one can push these old circuit boards would be helpful information to catalogue for my amateur self.
Thoughts?
That's a good question, but I wasn't tempted to experiment to see how long it would take for the old ones to fail. I was seeking peace of mind. In the case of my C3, they had lasted 34 years when I replaced them. They were still functioning but were deteriorating, like yours are now.
The green “crud” is oxidized copper. If it were mine, I’d wipe it down carefully with a q-tip dipped in vinegar to remove the oxidation, then temporarily tape it down in sections and apply a small bead of cyanoacrylate glue around the entire periphery to prevent further detachment. Will last forever.
Great to know that's the surefire way to go, C3Highway. And 69L88, thankyou for the crafty idea! I will definitely be saving this old printed circuit and I'll try that for the ol' grins and giggles.
I will be just picking up a fresh one (TopFlight has a good sale on rn) but this is exactly the kind of discourse I was hoping would happen - thankyou all to those who contributed.
When is a Printed Circuit bad?
