Another $24 project that will take the 'Bird off the road for months - fixed!

[pettybird]

ah ok. 


I know from the 4 '69 clusters I've had out of cars at work, the cluster from the disaster Daytona at work and the spare I have that nothing's punched out, and I've not seen a wiring harness with the extra socket. 

It wouldn't help to put a bulb in there, either--it's "sealed" to the back of the speedometer with that foam gasket.  you'd have to Dremel out the wall of the tunnel to get extra light.  it'd be cool to do, though.

[moparstuart]

this cluster did originally have the wood grain face? not sure if that means anything

[pettybird]

this cluster did originally have the wood grain face? not sure if that means anything

nope!

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Heres behind the dash on a 68----69 is the same.  Nothing goes in that extra hole....

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Also have a handy bulb chart I made up here for 1969

http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/gallery/facts/chart_pic_001?full=1

[moparstuart]

Heres behind the dash on a 68----69 is the same.  Nothing goes in that extra hole....

cool had the same hole punched out   

[70Sbird]

Hello everyone,
I'm back after being offline for over 3 weeks.
I have had some work issues , computer issues and all of the other reasons for not checking in here! ( I'm actually in Mexico now waiting for a trip to the airport back to Illinois!)
Thanks to all who have kept this thread going, I have actually been able to get some work done on the car in the last few weeks.
Thanks also to PettyBuird and Dave K for direction on the gauges. I ended sending the ammeter off to RTE since it came out of the cluster in two pieces and had burn marks around the mounting holes, I also have them doing the tach kit. I should be putting the whole thing back together in hopefully a few weeks. In the meantime, I replaced the leaking wiper seals, the rotten speaker (thank again Doug for the tip on cutting an Autozone speaker to fit). I also took out the dash wiring harness and found 40 years of cuts, splices and wire nuts holding everything together (no wonder I kept blowing fuses). The heater controls are also out and being serviced as well. I'm getting pretty itchy to see this project running again as I also replaced the lower control arm, strut rod and link bushings a couple of weeks ago. I still need to sort out some internal steering column issues while it is out of the car, but that will likely wait until I have some more of the dash together as the parts removed from the car are now beginning to take up significant workbench space. I have a couple more pictures as well but they are still in the camera about 1500 miles away from me right now.
Looks like the hotel info is out for Talladega, need to get that going as well!

[70Sbird]

Well the 'Bird is alive again!
it only took five months, three cluster housings, two fuel gauges, much more $ than I intended, many hours of frustration and countless Miller Lites!
The cluster went back into the car this past week and I actually got to drive it around the block this weekend.
Now I just need to get the windsheild back in place and I'll be in good shape. (except that my fuel gauge still doesn't work but that is a sender issue).
Thanks for all of the help and direction from everyone, and I can't wait to get some miles on the car this year.
Scott

[nascarxx29]

You can test the gauges.Excluding the amp gauge before cluster is in the car .A pair jumper leads and 2 flashlight batterys with wires hook in the right polarity .These gauges work on 5 volts .But will show movent going by the way I test them

[70Sbird]

You can test the gauges.Excluding the amp gauge before cluster is in the car .A pair jumper leads and 2 flashlight batterys with wires hook in the right polarity .These gauges work on 5 volts .But will show movent going by the way I test them

Thanks,
I am positive that gauge isn't the problem as I have never had an accurate fuel sender. I replaced the sending unit back in 2006 when I put in a trunkfloor and new tank, but it read the same as the one I took out, when I filled the car up it read about 2/3 full, when it read empty I could only put about 12 gallons in it.
Now I have nothing at all on the gauge, always reads empty and the tank is nearly full, but if I ground the pin on the sending unit with the key on, the gauge reads full.
I guess I'll pull the sending unit out again and check it out. And before anyone asks, yes I have  verified that the housing of the sender has a good ground
any other ideas?
Scott

[XS29J8]

You can test the gauges.Excluding the amp gauge before cluster is in the car .A pair jumper leads and 2 flashlight batterys with wires hook in the right polarity .These gauges work on 5 volts .But will show movent going by the way I test them

Thanks,
I am positive that gauge isn't the problem as I have never had an accurate fuel sender. I replaced the sending unit back in 2006 when I put in a trunkfloor and new tank, but it read the same as the one I took out, when I filled the car up it read about 2/3 full, when it read empty I could only put about 12 gallons in it.
Now I have nothing at all on the gauge, always reads empty and the tank is nearly full, but if I ground the pin on the sending unit with the key on, the gauge reads full.
I guess I'll pull the sending unit out again and check it out. And before anyone asks, yes I have  verified that the housing of the sender has a good ground
any other ideas?
Scott

This discussion on MOPARTS may help......

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5378886&an=0&page=0#Post5378886