Shrinking A Fuel Gauge

[Altec]

Thought I'd try and take a oil pressure gauge, and turn it into a fuel gauge...

Parts Needed

1x Fuel Gauge
1x Oil Pressure Gauge (Or gauge of your choice...)
2x 1/8" Rivets

Tools Needed
1x Can of Brake Cleaner
1x Cotton Rag
1x Rivet Gun
1x 1/16" Drill Bit
1x 1/8" Drill Bit
1x 3/8" Drill Bit
1x Drill...
2x Jewelers Screw Driver

First thing I did was take a square and made sure the marks on both gauges matched. As far as I can tell, they do. Next I set the needle of the fuel gauge at 1/2 tank and used the two screw drivers to gently pull the needle off. Making sure not to move the needle from the 1/2 position. After this I repeated this process on the oil pressure gauge.



Next I took the fuel gauge and laid it face down on a cloth. Using the 1/16" drill bit I drill out the old rivets. Then using the 1/8" drill bit I enlarged the holes on the mechanism it self. Followed by the 3/8" drill bit to "bump" the holes to knock off the burs.

Fuel Gauge mechanism (left) next to the oil pressure gauge (right).


Repeated the last step on the oil pressure gauge, but instead of enlarging the holes on the mechanism, I enlarged the holes on the gauge face.



Taking the fuel gauge mechanism, and the oil pressure gauge face I stuck the rivets through and tightened both the rivets to make sure it is lined up right. The "popped" the rivets.




Now because oil pressure reading aren't going to look right I took some brake cleaner, and a rag to rub the numbers off. At this point you could use water slide decals, or whatever you prefer to add proper fuel level marks.



And finally add the needle from the oil pressure gauge. Making sure to set it at 1/2 liked you pulled the old needle off.



That is the easy part, now I gotta figure out what to do for a tach...

[77 350 Shorty Wide]

Nice job! but an awful lot of work, you could of just bought the small fuel gauge for a tach dash. LOL

God Bless, Terry

[Altec]

Originally Posted by 77 350 Shorty Wide

Nice job! but an awful lot of work, you could of just bought the small fuel gauge for a tach dash. LOL

God Bless, Terry

The whole thing took me roughly half hour. The idea was to not have to pay out the back side for a tach dash. I did this for the cost of zero because I had the rivets laying around. If I was going to do one for use, I'd spend a couple dollars for black rivets to fade it away.

[73gmc454]

Great Idea , Looks good too and its thrifty

[1425956]

Originally Posted by 77 350 Shorty Wide

Nice job! but an awful lot of work, you could of just bought the small fuel gauge for a tach dash. LOL

God Bless, Terry

Very true. However, I personally enjoy doing things like this that cost very little and can make a big difference in the "customization" area. Gives it your own little touch.

NICE WORK!

[1425956]

Did you just wipe away the 0, 30 & 60 and leave the original lines in place? Or did you wipe it all away and put new lines back on it?

[Altec]

Originally Posted by 1425956

Did you just wipe away the 0, 30 & 60 and leave the original lines in place? Or did you wipe it all away and put new lines back on it?

Just the numbers, and the little genie lamp (). With a combination of my eye ball, and a square to try and see if the marks are in the same place. As far as I can tell, they are.

Thanks for the kind words, guys!

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by Altec

The whole thing took me roughly half hour. The idea was to not have to pay out the back side for a tach dash. I did this for the cost of zero because I had the rivets laying around. If I was going to do one for use, I'd spend a couple dollars for black rivets to fade it away.

IT'S ALIVE.()

The white blocks on the gauge studs are resistors wired in parallel with the needle coil. You could probably swap the ballast resistors on the back of the gauge to re-purpose the unit.

Nice to know that brake cleaner takes off the lettering.

[motornut]

looks good a little dab of paint or marker might hide those rivits

[75ChevyGuy]

I really like that idea! I may have to try it withg a couple of old clusters
I have laying around!

[JMac11]

Any Idead where to find matching decals?? Looks great

[Altec]

Originally Posted by hatzie

IT'S ALIVE.()

The white blocks on the gauge studs are resistors wired in parallel with the needle coil. You could probably swap the ballast resistors on the back of the gauge to re-purpose the unit.

Nice to know that brake cleaner takes off the lettering.

Interesting. I hadn't thought of that. I think you are 100% correct. This might be my next experiment. Gotta break out the multimeter...

Yep. I could actually get it to rub off with pressing my finger on it, but that would be very time consuming... brake cleaner, and a rag did the job perfect. Didn't touch the black finish...

Originally Posted by motornut

looks good a little dab of paint or marker might hide those rivits

you can get black, and other colored rivets. Which is what I would use if I intended to do this for my dash.

Originally Posted by JMac11

Any Idead where to find matching decals?? Looks great

I think the easiest way to go about it would be a set of white faces. Otherwise I would just stick the old gauge in a flat bed scanner, and print up some new markings.

I also have pondered using LED's to mark the gauge. Green for full, amber for half, and red for empty. A set of those for all the gauges would be the bees knees.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1980-...item53e00876df

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by Altec

Interesting. I hadn't thought of that. I think you are 100% correct. This might be my next experiment. Gotta break out the multimeter...

The Camaro tach thread hints in that direction. I'd be interested to find out.

[EightiesOnly]

I just wanted to at that I have done this simply by swapping the resistors one the back as Hatzie said and I works great. In fact it works without even swapping the resistors. In fact all of the ballast resistors that I have are ~90 ohms.

[v30crewcab]

I have a gauge out of a van dash I am going to put in the clock position.

[enaberif]

This is a rather ingenious idea as you could technically do this and have a fuel gauge for both tanks as well as either have a water temp and oil pressure or some other gauge. Or just use one gauge and the still have 3 criticals and a hole for perhaps a tach.

Hmm you have just given me an idea for a gauge layout.

[Aaron_L]

There are inexpensive kits (less than $20) that allow you to print your own waterslide decals. It could be used to print whatever you wanted the gauge to say. They are used a lot in model building, most hobby shops sell them.

[hatzie]

2 small fuel tank gauges and omit the volt gauge...
Or a C40-60 tach/fuel gauge and a small fuel gauge.