Full Gauge Cluster

[IndianJoe]

I just purchased a full gauge cluster for my 63 GMC 1500 2wd. (Sun tachometer, Bat o meter, temp, fuel, speed o gauges) I'd like any sugestions about where send them to have them rehab'd.

Also, I am in the process of pulling the engine (305E) for a complete rebuild. If I replace the points ignition system with electronic ignition, can I still use the original Sun tachometer?

[bigblockv6]

I'm the one you bought it from!!! Anyway the suggestion I proposed was for me to build you an entirely new circuit board to fit inside the transmitter box and eliminate the antiquated components and batteries. Pete Chronis Northern Cal. 68 GMC K-2500 478M V6

[raycow]

the suggestion I proposed was for me to build you an entirely new circuit board to fit inside the transmitter box and eliminate the antiquated components and batteries.

Joe's question does bring up a good point. If, for some reason, you want to keep the original transmitter internals (and yes, I know about the mercury batteries), will it work with electronic ignition?

Ray

[Rustbucket]

Pete or Joe can you post a photo of the cluster?

[bigblockv6]

Rustbucket, You can go to Jolly's site and look under "Stock Instrument Custer ID" then scroll down and you will see my instrument clusters. The one with the Tach and Bat-O-Meter now belongs to Joe, the other one has a clock and Bat-O-meter. Both have the proper placement on how the factory or dealer installed the optional gauges, Send me your email address and upload and email you the full blown pics of each cluster as well as othe optional gauges that were installed on 64-66 trucks on the left of the ashtray.

[6066gmcguy]

There is the link to the ~~~> Stock GMC Instrument Cluster
(http://www.6066gmcguy.org/cluster.htm) Page.

[Praxiss454]

Rustbucket, You can go to Jolly's site and look under "Stock Instrument Custer ID" then scroll down and you will see my instrument clusters. The one with the Tach and Bat-O-Meter now belongs to Joe, the other one has a clock and Bat-O-meter. Both have the proper placement on how the factory or dealer installed the optional gauges, Send me your email address and upload and email you the full blown pics of each cluster as well as othe optional gauges that were installed on 64-66 trucks on the left of the ashtray.

Hey bigblockv6 - sorry to resurrect this old post, but I checked the Jolly's page and I don't see pictures of optional gauges installed left of the ashtray. Can you point me in the right direction?

[bigblockv6]

Nothing wrong with resurrecting my post from the past, I love talking about these gauges. Those were both my Clusters on Jolly's site then I sold one on ebay then it turns out to be one of our members. The gauges that are left to the ashtray I do have an illustration of one in a 1966 GMC owners manual for 4000 and up series. I'm going to have to dig it up this weekend when I get home. There should be a pic of one of these gauges on Jolly's site and it's a Voltmeter which I have. The idea of this smaller voltmeter mounted left of the ashtray allows you to have the two larger gauges like the clock and Tach and no need to run a Bat-O-Meter since all it is a voltmeter:lolsmack2:

[Praxiss454]

Nothing wrong with resurrecting my post from the past, I love talking about these gauges. Those were both my Clusters on Jolly's site then I sold one on ebay then it turns out to be one of our members. The gauges that are left to the ashtray I do have an illustration of one in a 1966 GMC owners manual for 4000 and up series. I'm going to have to dig it up this weekend when I get home. There should be a pic of one of these gauges on Jolly's site and it's a Voltmeter which I have. The idea of this smaller voltmeter mounted left of the ashtray allows you to have the two larger gauges like the clock and Tach and no need to run a Bat-O-Meter since all it is a voltmeter:lolsmack2:

Yeah, my ash tray is centered above my radio opening (my truck did not originally have a radio, and someone added in an aftermarket version, butchering the dash. But anyway, someone also added 3 gauges. One is a duplicate of my OEM temp gauge in the cluster, which must not work, and then an ammeter and oil pressure.

Posted this in another thread but here it is for reference:
https://6066gmcclub.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7161&d=1520212421

[Praxiss454]

Hmm, tried to post this already but it didn't "stick". The reason I ask is, my ash tray is centered above my radio, and to the left someone installed 3 small gauges. I didn't know this was ever done originally, so that's kinda cool. I also don't know why I need the aftermarket water temp, maybe the one in my cluster is broken.

I was thinking it'd be cool to at least get retro style gauges for these 3 spots. maybe one small clock, and then replacements for the oil pressure and ammeter.

https://6066gmcclub.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7161&d=1520212421

[Praxiss454]

Hmm, tried to post this already but it didn't "stick". The reason I ask is, my ash tray is centered above my radio, and to the left someone installed 3 small gauges. I didn't know this was ever done originally, so that's kinda cool. I also don't know why I need the aftermarket water temp, maybe the one in my cluster is broken.

I was thinking it'd be cool to at least get retro style gauges for these 3 spots. maybe one small clock, and then replacements for the oil pressure and ammeter.

https://6066gmcclub.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7161&d=1520212421

[bigblockv6]

Who ever did the gauge arrangement was definitely a hack and if you could get 3 matching gauges of the same manufacturer that would definitely clean it up. Same goes for the Tach, that supposed to be mounted from the back of the cluster not front so the cluster panel was also hacked up. I think if you could get the factory Tach as well as the Bat-O-Meter for the original instrument cluster followed by the other 3 gauges that would make a nice combination specially having an ammeter as well as a Voltmeter would be some combination and that's not are farfetched idea either because GMC actually had such a combination on their later H & J series 7500-9500 trucks.:upyes:

[Praxiss454]

Who ever did the gauge arrangement was definitely a hack and if you could get 3 matching gauges of the same manufacturer that would definitely clean it up. Same goes for the Tach, that supposed to be mounted from the back of the cluster not front so the cluster panel was also hacked up. I think if you could get the factory Tach as well as the Bat-O-Meter for the original instrument cluster followed by the other 3 gauges that would make a nice combination specially having an ammeter as well as a Voltmeter would be some combination and that's not are farfetched idea either because GMC actually had such a combination on their later H & J series 7500-9500 trucks.:upyes:

Hack for sure. Would love to get the original gauges for the cluster but the price would have to be right (e.g. I'd have to get lucky on a junkyard score or something). I haven't pulled the tach to see if the panel is all hacked up. It's also kind of hard to tell if the 3 mounted on the side there are equally spaced and in line with each other because the gauges have different size/shape/color rims. I agree with you that 3 of the same manufacturer would clean it up.

[bigblockv6]

Even if you can't find the exact Tach you can go with a Sun RC 5000 rpm Tach the numerals are not quite the same but the overall appearance is very close, here's a pic of the Sun Tach I purposely stuck in the Cluster for comparison.:ok:

[bigblockv6]

Even if you can't find the exact Tach you can go with a Sun RC 5000 rpm Tach the numerals are not quite the same but the overall appearance is very close, here's a pic of the Sun Tach I purposely stuck in the Cluster for comparison.:ok:

Then again the numerals on the factory GMC/Sun RC 5A Tach actually match the 55-59 trucks more so because GMC just carried that Tach over to the 60-66 models. There was another Tach used by GMC from 55-59 that was a full circle Tach, extremely rare and that would have been the better Tach to carry over to the 60-66 model trucks.:upyes:

[Ed Snyder]

There was another Tach used by GMC from 55-59 that was a full circle Tach, extremely rare and that would have been the better Tach to carry over to the 60-66 model trucks.:upyes:

This may not be the tach you're referring to, Pete. But it's the one the dealer installed in the '65 one ton Suburban that my Dad bought new and that I have now. You can see that the bezel doesn't match the one on the clock.

[bigblockv6]

This may not be the tach you're referring to, Pete. But it's the one the dealer installed in the '65 one ton Suburban that my Dad bought new and that I have now. You can see that the bezel doesn't match the one on the clock.

Ed, that's definitely an aftermarket Tach that's not even a GM approved accessory. The Tach I was talking about actually matched the speedometer of the 55-59 GMC trucks. Too bad GMC didn't have an electric Tach that match the speedometer. The optional gauges really didn't match up with the factory gauges other than the clock if installed correctly without the chrome bezel exposed.:upyes:

[Praxiss454]

Who ever did the gauge arrangement was definitely a hack and if you could get 3 matching gauges of the same manufacturer that would definitely clean it up. Same goes for the Tach, that supposed to be mounted from the back of the cluster not front so the cluster panel was also hacked up. I think if you could get the factory Tach as well as the Bat-O-Meter for the original instrument cluster followed by the other 3 gauges that would make a nice combination specially having an ammeter as well as a Voltmeter would be some combination and that's not are farfetched idea either because GMC actually had such a combination on their later H & J series 7500-9500 trucks.:upyes:

So do you think the oil pressure gauge from a big GMC truck (w/ the split cluster) would be a direct swap for my existing aftermarket oil pressure gauge?

[bigblockv6]

The big truck oil pressure gauge has no housing or bezel, it's just an open faced gauge like your factory fuel gauge and water temp gauge. GMC did offer an optional oil pressure gauge that could be mount either in one of the empty cluster pods or above the ashtray paired up with the voltmeter, I've got both factory oil pressure gauges, I'll dig this stuff up during this weekend and post some pics. :upyes:

[bigblockv6]

Ok, I've dug up some of the optional gauges that were installed just left of the ashtray on 64-66 trucks which consist of the voltmeter and oil pressure gauges. Also I'm including a pic of oil pressure gauge used on large series trucks that's integral with the cluster, I've also tried to fit it into the housing of the optional dash mounted oil pressure gauge and it could be made to work, best thing about it the numerals match the cluster gauges:upyes:

[bigblockv6]

Here is a factory pic of the voltmeter placement just left of the ashtray on larger series conventional cab trucks from 64-66, there's just enough room to install the oil pressure gauge left of the voltmeter:upyes:

[Praxiss454]

Thanks for the pics! I haven't decided what to do yet, but if I could get 3 aftermarket gauges that has similar lettering to OEM I might swap them out. I also still need to figure out why I have an aftermarket water temp gauge when the original is still in the dash.

[Ed Snyder]

Thanks for the pics! I haven't decided what to do yet, but if I could get 3 aftermarket gauges that has similar lettering to OEM I might swap them out. I also still need to figure out why I have an aftermarket water temp gauge when the original is still in the dash.

Isspro and Datcon both make tachometers which match the speedometer pretty well as you can see in this photo.