Dash lights?

[68longhorn]

What bulb is used in a 86swb gauges. I want to buy them before disassembly so the truck isn't down long.

[RandyP]

Clear peanut bulb, 194 I think? I'd have to go grab a box and look to be certain.

[bigwheel15]

They're 194s. Eight of them in the cluster I believe.
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[BLE 'BURBAN]

The 168's are just a bit brighter though.

[68longhorn]

thanks guys!

[bigsj]

Hey Longhorn let me no if you need some help i am going to upgrade my lights in a few weeks.

[502ss]

Go with LEDs!

So much brighter, no heat and no battery draw!



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[Car'n'Guitars]

Originally Posted by 502ss

Go with LEDs!

So much brighter, no heat and no battery draw!



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I love that, if I ever get the money and chance to ever go into that detail I will use LED's. Would like a little more suttle color though.

[Monson]

Ok, here's a really dumb follow up. I'm about to do my dash and haven't looked closely. Is the heat/air switch lit? I don't have any light there and wind up fumbling. If it's not, I can fix that, but if it is I need to find out what size bulb and the location. Thanks

[andrewmp6]

Yeah if you drive at night the led lights are well worth buying.

[Stew_Magoo]

Buy the LED's. Got mine through superbrightleds.com, I think. While you're at it, rip the whole cluster apart and spray paint the inside of the housing and the back side of the reflector with silver spray paint. And take some sandpaper and clean the contacts on the printed circuit ribbon for all the lights and gauges.


I did mine last night, didn't have any silver spary paint, so I put aluminum backed taped all over the inside of the cluster and on the back of the reflector. Now my gauges are bright and readable and this also fixed my oil pressure gauge that wasn't working.


This and putting a like new front seat in to replace my totally shot one have been the best upgrades I've made to my truck since I've owned it.

[bigwheel15]

Originally Posted by Stew_Magoo

Buy the LED's. Got mine through superbrightleds.com, I think. While you're at it, rip the whole cluster apart and spray paint the inside of the housing and the back side of the reflector with silver spray paint. And take some sandpaper and clean the contacts on the printed circuit ribbon for all the lights and gauges.


I did mine last night, didn't have any silver spary paint, so I put aluminum backed taped all over the inside of the cluster and on the back of the reflector. Now my gauges are bright and readable and this also fixed my oil pressure gauge that wasn't working.


This and putting a like new front seat in to replace my totally shot one have been the best upgrades I've made to my truck since I've owned it.

Great idea about repainting the cluster but instead of silver, use white as it reflects better.
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[chevy-fun]

Originally Posted by 502ss

Go with LEDs!

So much brighter, no heat and no battery draw!

can you tell me which you used...looks great

Originally Posted by Stew_Magoo

Buy the LED's. Got mine through superbrightleds.com, I think.

checked superbright but do you know which you used. i see prices from .80-$7(1-10 led) an also color cool white, warm white, natural white. any extra info -would help thanx again

[Stew_Magoo]

Originally Posted by chevy-fun

can you tell me which you used...looks great



checked superbright but do you know which you used. i see prices from .80-$7(1-10 led) an also color cool white, warm white, natural white. any extra info -would help thanx again

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...ini-wedge.html

I used the WLED-x5 in Natural White. I ordered ten, because I miscounted how many bulbs were needed. I just replaced the illumination bulbs, I saw no need to have a bright ass CEL, turn signal indicators, ect. I popped one into one of my cab clearance lights but found it to make the light appear very yellow, so I left the regular incandescent bulbs in.

I also picked up and LEd dome lamp bulb, it's very, very bright and throws nice light. I put the ****ty old yellowed opaque factory lens cover on and it chokes a lot of the light so I will be getting a clear cover from LMC when I decide to place an order from them.


I plan on using the extra LED bulbs I ended up with to ad a light to the ashtray, and adding some lighting to the driver and passenger floor and to the back seat floor. These to be wired into the dome light circuit.

[Smoke_Dog]

Can U post a picture of the bulbs You purchased and the model number? Thanks!

Originally Posted by Stew_Magoo

Buy the LED's. Got mine through superbrightleds.com, I think. While you're at it, rip the whole cluster apart and spray paint the inside of the housing and the back side of the reflector with silver spray paint. And take some sandpaper and clean the contacts on the printed circuit ribbon for all the lights and gauges.


I did mine last night, didn't have any silver spary paint, so I put aluminum backed taped all over the inside of the cluster and on the back of the reflector. Now my gauges are bright and readable and this also fixed my oil pressure gauge that wasn't working.


This and putting a like new front seat in to replace my totally shot one have been the best upgrades I've made to my truck since I've owned it.

[bbbc10]

i got the led strips from autozone an put behind the gauges

[bigsj]

LED's are the way to go you cant beat the brightness and the last for ever.

[68longhorn]

I was definatly going to paint the housing and was considering LEDs. I have a LED dome lamp and clear housing and it is sweet! I thought the WLED-x5 would be the right one.

[motornut]

in my 78 i used LEDs as a second option for red
white works as norm,red only on when running but can be turned off

i have a bunch of 194 coloured bulbs
used green ones in the 79 no LEDs

painting clusters white inside makes a huge difference
heck now i even see light during the day

I sprayed the gloss white on the front bit too then the semi gloss black after

[x ReAcT x]

PLEASE TELL ME WHERE AND HOW YOU HOOKED UP THE RPM GAUGE LIKE THAT?!?! I have been searching everywhere and i cant find a single way to do it. My fuel gauge is right where your rpm gauge is. Was that how yours was originally or did you buy the truck with that option just like that?

[x ReAcT x]

Originally Posted by motornut

in my 78 i used LEDs as a second option for red
white works as norm,red only on when running but can be turned off

i have a bunch of 194 coloured bulbs
used green ones in the 79 no LEDs

painting clusters white inside makes a huge difference
heck now i even see light during the day

I sprayed the gloss white on the front bit too then the semi gloss black after

PLEASE TELL ME WHERE AND HOW YOU HOOKED UP THE RPM GAUGE LIKE THAT?!?! I have been searching everywhere and i cant find a single way to do it. My fuel gauge is right where your rpm gauge is. Was that how yours was originally or did you buy the truck with that option just like that?

[motornut]

Originally Posted by x ReAcT x

PLEASE TELL ME WHERE AND HOW YOU HOOKED UP THE RPM GAUGE LIKE THAT?!?! I have been searching everywhere and i cant find a single way to do it. My fuel gauge is right where your rpm gauge is. Was that how yours was originally or did you buy the truck with that option just like that?

I moved the pins(wires)in the cluster plug
changed engine sensors
it was idiots before
power comes from the pink power wire
neg from ground block @ ebrake
(which is not stock)
when stock the tach has it's own harness,
I've been told it goes threw the firewall
as white,black and a thick brown
only my signal(brown) goes under hood

if you go in that far
1. add a better cluster ground
2.you can totally remove the seat belt buzzer/wires/clip

[x ReAcT x]

Originally Posted by motornut

I moved the pins(wires)in the cluster plug
changed engine sensors
it was idiots before
power comes from the pink power wire
neg from ground block @ ebrake
(which is not stock)
when stock the tach has it's own harness,
I've been told it goes threw the firewall
as white,black and a thick brown
only my signal(brown) goes under hood

if you go in that far
1. add a better cluster ground
2.you can totally remove the seat belt buzzer/wires/clip

That doesnt seem too bad i should look into getting it switched. Do you know where i could buy a rpm gauge like that?

[x ReAcT x]

By the way thanks for the picture thats gonna help me out quite a bit

[Stew_Magoo]

See above post for link to the bulbs I bought.


And here's a tip for when you're doing this; don't knock your fuel tank selector switch over to the tank that doesn't have any fuel in it. This will keep you from pulling your hair out and dicking around for an hour trying to figure out why your truck won't start...