Rallye gauge cluster rebuild

[Crossram413]

Good Afternoon,

The only gauges working on my 72 Rallye are odometer and voltage. It does have a clock. All are looking their age. I've looked through the forum postings on dash issues and am trying to decide whether to rebuild, replace, or retrofit.
Dakota digital looks like a trouble free way to go, but I might like to keep more original.

Has anyone used Autoinstruments.com in Martinsville VA? They would rebuild, modernize, and calibrate the cluster for between $750 and $1000, including faces and lenses for the higher price.

The car is mostly original, other than a '69 340, and I would kind of prefer to keep the original look.

Looks like I should remove seats and at least lower the steering column to do the dash. If that's the advice from all, I'll have follow up questions about sound deadening and carpet.

Thanks, Doug

 

[Adam]

If you are even slightly handy you can do a lot of this yourself and save a lot of time & money. Rt engineering makes a tach kit, and voltage regulator. These are pretty easy to install. There are also quartz clock kits that you should upgrade to. If the speedo needs repairs you should send that out. The clear plastic lens can easily be hand polished with a soft rag and fine buffing compound, like 3M perfect it.

MOPAR Products

 

[Adam]

Clock conversion kit.

Quartz Conversion Clock Repair Kit R-3035 - Whitegauges.net

 

[Crossram413]

Adam,
Thanks for sending the links.
I may try to do the refurb myself, but would like to know if people have had good results from a cluster or dash rebuild. With only the voltage gauge working, it seems like I might want to get all taken care of at once.
Doug

 

[Adam]

I understand completely. I had a very well known shop work on my Cuda rallye cluster, and my Power Wagon gauges. The Cuda, many years ago (15ish) was about a grand; the Power Wagon gauges took over a year and they did not do a very good job.

 

[michael bucklew]

go to Instrument Specialty or Specialist--send in rally dash totally restored, looked show room new--quartz clock and electronic tach--a bit expensive,but very well worth it

 

[volunteer]

I suspect you are instead referring to an ammeter when you state voltage. If you check this instrument yourself it is critical that the (4) attaching nuts are clean and secure. Each terminal has two. Heavy red wire on + or inlet and black wire (also positive) on outlet. Carefully check that the inner nuts (against housing) are secure - but be gentle or internal damage can occur. Then, when attaching the in and out wires, use lock or star washers and secure these nuts. Important - - be absolutely sure that the inner nuts do not rotate as you firmly tighten the outer nuts. Any loose connections here can cause gremlins to appear on your instruments - such as erratic ignition and tach operation. (learned from my own misteaks) - - miss-spell intended.

 

[Crossram413]

Yes- ammeter!
I haven't started troubleshooting the dash issues yet - good advice for when I do over the next few days. I know the speedo will need repair, and the tach is not going to work in current form with the old school electronic ignition that was installed, so I'm researching all options as I start the project.
A past owner installed temp and pressure gauges in pods on the A pillar, so I'm figuring this is an old issue.
Thanks!

 

[chargerdon]

Before sending them out for repair, make sure they are defective !! First check the GAUGE voltage regulator, it lowers the battery/alternator to about 5 volt which is what the gauges work on. If none of the gauges work this is a likely problem.

Remove battery ground cable first, then take the cluster out, it isn't that hard yes, merely drop the steering column down leave seats in, and remove all screws and work it out, disconnecting the speedo, Ammeter wires, wire to the gauge voltage regulator, feed wires, etc.

Disconnect the wires for the gauge voltage regulator, and put power to it, and ground, and check with a multi-meter.. It should put out on other end 5 to 6 volt steady. If not then it could be just the voltage regulator. The gauges all operate off of the 5-6 volt from it, so if defective, then that would explain all of the gauges. If good, then test each individual gauge with the 5 volt output and ground. Needles should begin to swing to the high side..if not then defective. Note if using a 12 volt source, don't leave power on for more than a few seconds as it could burn it out. If voltage regulator is good, and gauges work on bench, then start looking for the sending units not giving ground !!

 

[ctaarman]

Unless they have changed, a couple of years ago I did an inquiry of Instrument Specialties and they had a turn around time of 6-9 months. Absolutely ridiculous. Make sure you understand WHY some of your gauges aren't working. You can test your tachometer coil by touching both leads briefly to a 1.5V battery. Very hard to fry it this way. I endorse the tach kit. Bought mine from them on ebay for $99 a while ago. If you can solder at all you can do it. Buy the version

 

[Charlie71rt]

I sent a tach to the guy in Martinsville he sent it back with a paper telling how far off it was at different RPMs that was his idea of calibration. I converted it with Real Time Engineering’s circuit board works great, get their voltage reg while your at it. I sent a ebody heater control to instrument specialty to be rechromed waited forever, too many excuses to list, it came back looking like a 10 year old sprayed it with rattle can wrinkle paint, big money BEWARE

 

[Charlie71rt]

I sent my clock to clock works, quick and reasonable, I went with original clock movement, it didn’t last so I caved and had them do quartz, a lot of guys get the quartz movement and install it themselves

 

[ZippyZoo]

Just finished my Rallye cluster. All gauges worked except for clock. Did a quartz conversion from Instrument Specialties, dash face and odometer overlay decals from Premium Dash Decals and electronic voltage regulator from RT-Engineering. RT-Engineering sends you a resistor with their regulator so you can safely test the fuel, oil and temp gauges at the high end. Changed working ammeter to voltmeter (Bosch unit) as described in a previous post on this site. Quartz conversion is not that difficult, just take your time. Be very careful taking the second hand off of the original movement - it was stuck on very hard after all these years! I did not put the new decals on the fuel, oil and temp gauges as the originals still looked nice. I also did not put the decal on the ALT/TEMP/FUEL/OIL call-out as I didn't want to mess with the fused plastic holding it to the lens.
Having the faces professionally repainted and renumbered would have been more seamless, but the dash decals worked well after learning a few tricks and things not to do!
Would I do it again? - yes - but I know a lot more now! Much better than what I started with.
Sorry for the less than clear picture........

 

[Crossram413]

Thanks. The decals may be great options once I determine if the gauges really work or not. your work looks great!

I'll be testing the voltage regulator and small gauges over the weekend. I'd still probably send out the speedo. Tach issue is likely just due to the electronic ignition.

 

[Crossram413]

Hey Adam,
I appreciate your past input, and I saw an old post you had regarding the RTE tach kit.
I have a voltage limiter coming from them, but wondering if their tach kit deals with electronic ignition. Doesn't seem like it does.
Anybody have advice on a tach rebuild kit that is compatible with EI?
Thanks Doug

 

[Adam]

Hey Adam,
I appreciate your past input, and I saw an old post you had regarding the RTE tach kit.
I have a voltage limiter coming from them, but wondering if their tach kit deals with electronic ignition. Doesn't seem like it does.
Anybody have advice on a tach rebuild kit that is compatible with EI?
Thanks Doug

It does, no problem. That is the way mine is set up. The tach wire is fed from the coil, not the distributor; so the tach doesn’t know the difference. If using an MSD, then I don’t know.

 

[Adam]

Just finished my Rallye cluster. All gauges worked except for clock. Did a quartz conversion from Instrument Specialties, dash face and odometer overlay decals from Premium Dash Decals and electronic voltage regulator from RT-Engineering. RT-Engineering sends you a resistor with their regulator so you can safely test the fuel, oil and temp gauges at the high end. Changed working ammeter to voltmeter (Bosch unit) as described in a previous post on this site. Quartz conversion is not that difficult, just take your time. Be very careful taking the second hand off of the original movement - it was stuck on very hard after all these years! I did not put the new decals on the fuel, oil and temp gauges as the originals still looked nice. I also did not put the decal on the ALT/TEMP/FUEL/OIL call-out as I didn't want to mess with the fused plastic holding it to the lens.
Having the faces professionally repainted and renumbered would have been more seamless, but the dash decals worked well after learning a few tricks and things not to do!
Would I do it again? - yes - but I know a lot more now! Much better than what I started with.
Sorry for the less than clear picture........View attachment 69611

That looks great!

 

[Crossram413]

Thanks to everyone who chimed in! I got a new voltage limiter from IS, a tach kit from RTE and quartz clock. All good! I'll send the speedo off next fall when I do the dash cap and a few other things.
I'll start a new thread with some interior light questions.
Doug