New LED dash lights installed and temp gauge quit

[rcarlisle]

Little help here ahead of troubleshooting. I took cluster out to put in LEDs and paint needles. ON reassembly, the temp gauge isn't working now. What possibly did I do? I also put a headlight harness in under hood.

Did I hit something under hood possibly? Did I do something when painting needles? Do I need to check the plug to instrument panel?

I used Testors Racing Red out of an old spray can. Nozzle was clogged so it pooled in the top of can and I just dipped brush in there. IF I were to do it again, I might use orange instead of red - this is a little red/pink.

On the good side, the LEDs are fabulous. Aqua. From this listing. https://www.ebay.com/itm/262899910763?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

This may be the best bang for buck upgrade I've done so far. $12.82 to my door - 6 LEDs. Only need 5.

I removed the blue plastic things. They are pretty cloudy.

[Edit: looks like the upper speedo light may not be working in photo below - it was blinky when installed - the socket I think. Bulb was blinky too]

[Gary Lewis]

Looks great, Randy!

But I'm curious how bright they are at night. This will be a subjective evaluation as the camera can't really tell us. Are they bright enough? Too bright and you have to turn them down? Or still just adequate?

On the temp gauge, ground the wire at the sender and see if the gauge comes up to Hot. If not, then there's a problem at the gauge.

[rcarlisle]

Looks great, Randy!

But I'm curious how bright they are at night. This will be a subjective evaluation as the camera can't really tell us. Are they bright enough? Too bright and you have to turn them down? Or still just adequate?

On the temp gauge, ground the wire at the sender and see if the gauge comes up to Hot. If not, then there's a problem at the gauge.

LEDs: bright enough that I did turn them down a bit. And with the dimmer all the way down, they are still lit well enough to see. I turned them down to a bit off full on. The original bulbs with blue things were way too dim to be really usable. You had to really take eyes off road and look to see what they were telling you. Awful. This is much better.

I haven't looked for it in manual - where is the sending unit for temp gauge? Near thermostat? 302 of unknown origins.

I wonder if I didn't do something while I had it out since it was working before I went into the cluster. I'm hoping that's the case anyway.

Just read that the Chilton manual doesn't cover this - not surprised - it hasn't covered much of what I've had to do so far. May be depending on you guys. I'll check the docs too.

 

[Gary Lewis]

LEDs: bright enough that I did turn them down a bit. And with the dimmer all the way down, they are still lit well enough to see. I turned them down to a bit off full on. The original bulbs with blue things were way too dim to be really usable. You had to really take eyes off road and look to see what they were telling you. Awful. This is much better.

I haven't looked for it in manual - where is the sending unit for temp gauge? Near thermostat? 302 of unknown origins.

I wonder if I didn't do something while I had it out since it was working before I went into the cluster. I'm hoping that's the case anyway.

Just read that the Chilton manual doesn't cover this - not surprised - it hasn't covered much of what I've had to do so far. May be depending on you guys. I'll check the docs too.

You want the 1981 EVTM. Go to Documents/Electrical/EVTMs/1981 EVTM. And the wire you are looking for is red with a white stripe. I think all the Windsors had the temp sender close to the thermostat on the intake manifold.

Glad the LEDs are that bright. The color looks very good.

[rcarlisle]

You want the 1981 EVTM. Go to Documents/Electrical/EVTMs/1981 EVTM. And the wire you are looking for is red with a white stripe. I think all the Windsors had the temp sender close to the thermostat on the intake manifold.

Glad the LEDs are that bright. The color looks very good.

Thanks. I also found photo on 'net. I should be able to check that. I don't see any way I would have hit that inadvertenly, so it's probably on the gauge end of chain.

[rcarlisle]

Thanks. I also found photo on 'net. I should be able to check that. I don't see any way I would have hit that inadvertenly, so it's probably on the gauge end of chain.

Took it apart. The needle was catching on the texture of the gauge. I guess I bent it slightly when painting? Carefully adjusted it and it's back to what it was. I still think it reads low. Never gets up to N in Normal. Truck supposed to have new cooling system so who's to say? And I don't have a thermometer gun.

[Gary Lewis]

Took it apart. The needle was catching on the texture of the gauge. I guess I bent it slightly when painting? Carefully adjusted it and it's back to what it was. I still think it reads low. Never gets up to N in Normal. Truck supposed to have new cooling system so who's to say? And I don't have a thermometer gun.

Glad you found it.

[Rusty_S85]

Took it apart. The needle was catching on the texture of the gauge. I guess I bent it slightly when painting? Carefully adjusted it and it's back to what it was. I still think it reads low. Never gets up to N in Normal. Truck supposed to have new cooling system so who's to say? And I don't have a thermometer gun.

Thats how mine reads on my 82 with a 180* thermostat. Summer it will get onto the N maybe the O of normal winter never will get onto the starting bar of normal range. I thought it was sensor years ago replaced it nothing, I replaced the cluster few years ago for a tach cluster and that reads the same way as well. I think 180 - 190 is around N to O on the normal range. I wait to see how it will read with a 195* thermostat that I will be putting in with my new engine it should read on the N to O in winter and around the R and M in the summer time.

[rcarlisle]

Thats how mine reads on my 82 with a 180* thermostat. Summer it will get onto the N maybe the O of normal winter never will get onto the starting bar of normal range. I thought it was sensor years ago replaced it nothing, I replaced the cluster few years ago for a tach cluster and that reads the same way as well. I think 180 - 190 is around N to O on the normal range. I wait to see how it will read with a 195* thermostat that I will be putting in with my new engine it should read on the N to O in winter and around the R and M in the summer time.

I looked on the receipts previous owner gave me and it has a part number for thermostat, so a quick search turns up an Auto Zone Duralast 180 degree thermostat. So that would bear out what you said.

Thanks for replying - that a little piece of mind that the gauge should be correct-ish.

[Rusty_S85]

I looked on the receipts previous owner gave me and it has a part number for thermostat, so a quick search turns up an Auto Zone Duralast 180 degree thermostat. So that would bear out what you said.

Thanks for replying - that a little piece of mind that the gauge should be correct-ish.

Yep most people run a 180* thermostat, I got a NOS motorcraft one in the 194* range I think is what its stamped on the bottom. I am going to try that and if not I will swap it out for a 180* thermostat again.

I know 180* thermostats will get up to around 195* before the thermostat is fully open and a 195* thermostat wont be fully open till around 205*. Im hopeful the 7 bladed flex fan I got to replace my OE 5 bladed flex fan will help not just my dealer installed A/C out but will also help my built up 306 to control the temp without over heating in this Texas heat we have. I never had a overheat problem before but thats with the OE spec engine with a 180* thermostat.