Rocketman voltmeter install in 69 gauge cluster

[six_sigma 12]

Has anyone done this? I don't want to hack up my circuit board for the install so I was wondering, would it be a simple as replacing the metal washers that are pushed into the board by the nuts with rubber ones to isolate the board and then I can just run new wires off the studs?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

[Midlife 814]

You can use separate wires to the studs so long as you remove the two wires (red, yellow) on the underdash-side of the dash cluster connector.  Those wires are always hot and not fused.  What I do (sometimes when I can't remove the wires entirely) is to cut off the metal connector, fold the wire over onto itself and put a bit a shrink tubing over the folded wire.  The red wire measures battery voltage; the yellow wire measures alternator voltage.  You can probably tap into the red wire for rocketman's conversion and use a ground wire for the other post.

 

I wonder what Rocketman recommends for installation...

[larryc94 38]

I cut the 2 corresponding wires of the amp gauge at the instrument cluster plug, leave enough wire sticking out of the plug to be able to attach to them. Used heat shrink on the harness side to insulate them to prevent a short. 

 

 Then with the 2 short wires on connector side hook them up to key power and ground.

 

This is for a 69 or 70 with the printed circuit board.  Talked to Rocketman about using this method

[six_sigma 12]

Thanks for the replies guys thats exactly what I needed.

[DRASTiK 22]

His instructions will direct you to do this, but there is no pic in the instructions:

 

 

[six_sigma 12]

So what I'm seeing is that you've cut away the printed circuit folded it back and taped it off. Where did you pull the hot wire from?

 

And you sir a prince among men!

[Guillaume69 150]

What Drastik says. This is exactely what Rocketman's instructions tell you to do and what I've done. It works perfectly. Man, this pic looks exactely like the back of my cluster!

 

IIRC, Rocketman's instructions also mention heater and radio feeds as good 12v switched sources. On the pic, the red wire is coming from my radio feed (not too far from cluster, easy to undo if cluster needs to go out)

 

G

[ashleesmach1 28]

how about show us the front and the matrials used and maybe where you got the kit from?

Thanks!

[six_sigma 12]

how about show us the front and the matrials used and maybe where you got the kit from?

Thanks! I did not add the images below   could not delete them either!!!!!

 

 

The front of the gauge looks absolutely stock and so does the back of the gauge itself. 

 

The conversion is available here http://rccinnovations.com/index.php?show=menu-mustang-all#volts

 

Bob is a really great guy to deal with.

[six_sigma 12]

What Drastik says. This is exactely what Rocketman's instructions tell you to do and what I've done. It works perfectly. Man, this pic looks exactely like the back of my cluster!

 

IIRC, Rocketman's instructions also mention heater and radio feeds as good 12v switched sources. On the pic, the red wire is coming from my radio feed (not too far from cluster, easy to undo if cluster needs to go out)

 

G

 

Hey Guillaume, 

 

I've really got to look more closely at the 1 sheet of instructions. Yeesh. 

[DRASTiK 22]

I sent him my stock gauge.  He converted it and sent it back to me.  Quick turn-around too.  His provided instructions give you all of the necessary info, but specifically for the cars like ours that use the circuit board, the picture above is the only other thing I needed.  I'd use his services again for sure.

 

I used bullet connectors on both wires so that they can be easily unplugged when pulling the cluster (I used the lower dash ground instead of the one in the pic above).  Sadly, I've had to pull the cluster twice since then (working out electrical gremlins), so I'm glad I put the connectors in.

[DRASTiK 22]

Man, this pic looks exactely like the back of my cluster!

 

That's because it IS your cluster.  I found the pic doing a Google image search, and it traces back to a post you made on this forum :-).

[Guillaume69 150]

Cool! Glad that pic could help ;-)

 

Let me add that in order to get the readings I wanted on the dial (far left 12v; middle 14v; far right 16v), I had to add a 22 ohms resistor on the hot wire. Bob told me to do this. Now, if you tell him exactly what you want to read before he does the conversion, he will do it for you. It'll probably be more of an "internal" solution, but I didn't know back then.

 

G

[ashleesmach1 28]

thanks Folks! Looks like I have a new project for myself! Yeah!

[fvike 173]

Has anyone installed this on a tach cluster?

[six_sigma 12]

fvike

 

I haven't but the tach is referenced as a good source for 12V power to the voltmeter so I'd assume that there is no issue with installation. Contact Bob to make sure.

 

Here is the link to the install instructions. Read more carefully than I did ;-P

http://rccinnovations.com/Instructions/XR7Voltmeter.pdf

[TheRktmn 15]

Has anyone installed this on a tach cluster?

 

The tach cluster has Temperature and Fuel gauges, no ammeter. There are warning lights in the tach for Amps and Oil.

[fvike 173]

The tach cluster has Temperature and Fuel gauges, no ammeter. There are warning lights in the tach for Amps and Oil.

 

Yeah, I know, but the ALT lamp is pretty useless, and I'm putting in an American Autowire harness, and it doesn't support the ALT lamp/gauge anyway. The way I see it, I can get rid of the useless temp gauge, and replace it with an volt gauge. I got Autometer volt, oil and temp gauges for the console pod, but can only use 2 of them. I'm just exploring my options on getting the most functional setup.

 

EDIT: Not my thumbnail.

[Sean D 31]

Hi all,

What gauge/size wire (red and black referred to in above picture) do you use with Rocket Man's conversion? Also, when you cut and fold back the circuit board onto itself, do you put some type of insulator between the two ammeter circuit board connections, or do you want them touching/connected to each other?

Thank you,

Sean