project 1951 Pontiac Chieftain

[scdan4]

Thanks for that explanation, I had completely lost what was going on until that.

 

It’s a good project this

[PhilA]

The other aspect of this is using the same gauge wire, I'm running lower current.

 

So, to fit the analogy, I can have the smaller team pull harder by reducing the number of people pulling and replacing people with noodle arms for people who are physically bigger and stronger, but they take up more room because now muscle bulk so I can fit fewer on the rope.

Therefore, I remove two weaker people and replace one stronger, all that happens is I get the same pull but the one person has now to work much harder for the same net result.

 

I'm going to add a second rope to it and see if that helps. If it does I'll invest in people who are stronger and a slightly longer rope.

 

Phil

[somewhatfoolish]

[DeeJay]

Thanks for that explanation, I had completely lost what was going on until that.

 

It’s a good project this

 

I'm sitting here nodding as though I understand it all.

I still don't have a clue. 

[egg]

I think you need this button (me too!!)

 

[PhilA]

Coerced the wife into helping in the garage.

 

Unwound 1000 turns (3 times up and down the garage), started winding it back on, got 300 turns in and the old wire broke.

 

 

She was real enthusiastic about being out in the cold.

 

Going to unwind it and start over tomorrow.

 

Phil

[DeeJay]

 

 

 

Going to unwind it and start over tomorrow.

 

Phil

?Does she know she's vounteered again?

[PhilA]

I just thought.

 

I should put a trimpot across the first coil.

 

Phil

[somewhatfoolish]

Yes, get it to work on a breadboard, then fuss about getting it right elegantly.

[PhilA]

It's all alligator clips and such because I'm just clipping to the fine stands of wire rather than soldering then every time.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Found a little time to experiment and actually look at the way the thing's wired- the right hand coil is actually in series. The coils are wired center tap Y.

 

So I put a resistor in series with the left hand coil.

 

 

Initial experimentation proves promising, with odd bias due to the winding of the coils as they currently are. I'm going to rewind the coils back to stock and try bring the left coil down a little with the trimpot.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Freshly wound coils, 1000 turns and 1500 turns.

 

I need to solder up a couple new trimpots- with the other testing before I have burned some "null" spots in the current ones right around the value I need them to be smooth, but it feels like from here all that's needed is a bit of adjustment and pfaff.

 

 

Should be able to use a fixed value resistor afterwards and have it accurate enough as a bias.

 

It'll then be nice to actually get back to doing something that's not actually gauges on the car! I need to start redoing wires for the dash illumination, and then the rest of the car.

 

Phil

[Clanger]

You know Phil, I haven't a friggin clue what you are doing... but I am enjoying watching you do it.  Keep up the good work!

[PhilA]

I'm making the bits nobody will ever see all nice and shiny.

 

Phil

[tooSavvy]

I'm making the bits nobody will ever see all nice and shiny.

Phil

..... Spoken like the man on ColdWarMotors.

 

He 'refurbed' his Press-0-Matic dash trannie change buttons using less scabby Heater/Vent buttons.

 

This tredd is GR9

[PhilA]

I think I've got it. With 120 Ohms across the left coil the gauge is pretty accurate.

 

 

I need to get a resistor capable of at least 2 Watts power handling to put in line. Soon to be on order.

 

 

I also took apart and cleaned up the cigar lighter assembly. That was quite therapeutic.

 

Phil

[Sir Snipes]

Only pretty accurate? Pffft.

[PhilA]

It's accurate to the center of the scale and towards the hot side. It over-reads by about 10F at the bottom of the scale. I decided it was more important to know if the engine was hot than if it is cold.

 

Also now looking for 3/16" brass oval head tubular rivets. I don't want to solder the original rivets for the center pin connection on the bulb holders. I want to reproduce the original crimped style connection to tolerate heat better in case I decide to nix the LED dash illumination...

 

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Well, there we go. My temperature gauge is calibrated and operational.

 

 

Bench test there shows it reading correctly.

 

 

Mounted temporarily back in the dash cluster, and it works correctly with the common ground. Quite happy with that.

 

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Pulled the gauges out of the frame. Started taking the old black paint off.

 

 

Looks quite nice with the chrome all shiny but while impractical for sunshine reflections.

 

 

Masked it all up with fine line tape.

 

 

Blown over with satin black.

 

 

All pulled off and gauges back in.

 

 

Oh yes, that'll do.

 

 

Phil

[Skizzer]

Looking great!

[Rocket88]

One in my 88 was chrome...............never had a problem with glare.......probably because British weather......

[PhilA]

I've seen pictures where people have taken the paint off and polished the metal up, however I really like the contrasting black and silver. Here though- sunshine is definitely an issue! The upper edge of the little "shelf" that sticks out would be evil for bright reflections. You can see how bright the fluorescent lights above my bench reflect in a line in the pictures.

 

I may temporarily pop it back in the dash today to see what it looks like. It may yet get a bit of a rub down and a repaint, haven't decided. Depends how lumpy the paint came out. By now it should be mostly dry (it's warm but humid with rain).

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Saw an area that I missed with the paint last night.

 

Started to mask it all back up again.

 

Rubbed it down with 1000 grit.

 

Nice new even coat of black.

 

All the masking removed. That's better.

 

Greased up the gears in the odometer.

 

Repainted the speedometer bucket and reassembled it.

 

And put it all together with the lights all lit.

 

Going to wait for the paint to fully harden, but that's one thing off the checklist.

 

Phil

[DeeJay]

Better than new.

[dollywobbler]

Lovely.

[DSdriver]

Freshly wound coils, 1000 turns and 1500 turns.

 

I need to solder up a couple new trimpots- with the other testing before I have burned some "null" spots in the current ones right around the value I need them to be smooth, but it feels like from here all that's needed is a bit of adjustment and pfaff.

 

20181220_210544.jpg

 

Should be able to use a fixed value resistor afterwards and have it accurate enough as a bias.

 

It'll then be nice to actually get back to doing something that's not actually gauges on the car! I need to start redoing wires for the dash illumination, and then the rest of the car.

 

Phil

Somewhere in the UK a BT phone installation is missing some wire...

[paulplom]

One for the dash at night.

[Guest Hooli]

From a time when dashboards were nice to look at & provided the information you actually needed.

[purplebargeken]

I'm making the bits nobody will ever see all nice and shiny.

 

^^ This was all you needed to say................ ever.

 

All this magic about wires and winding and stuff, it's just scary.