Instrument cluster turn signal/high beam indicators

Got a helpful tip or trick related to your slick? Please share...

Moderators: Kid, Casey 65

Post Reply
69supercj
Posts: 404
Joined: July 24, 2010, 8:17 pm
Location: Fair Grove, MO.

Instrument cluster turn signal/high beam indicators

Post by 69supercj »

Was restoring a cluster the other day and was trying to figure out how to replace the usually cracked, melted or just completely missing little plastic "bubbles" that were used in the cluster for the turn signals and high beams. The signals were green and the high beam was red. So what I did was find a piece of plastic, I used a blister pack from a set of Dewalt drill bits, and a 5/16ths nut and a round headed screw small enough to fit inside the nut with a little room to spare. Then I placed the nut in a vise, open side up of course, and placed the plastic over the nut and then take a heat gun on the low setting and heat the plastic enough so you can then take the round headed screw and with a pair of vice grips, press the screw down into the nut, thus forming a bubble. The trick is to make sure you use a big enough piece of plastic so as not to wrinkle it while heating and not heating it too fast. I found that a piece that's 2x3 or so is plenty big and you can get 2 or 3 bubbles out of this. Then just paint them the green or red. One piece of advice here, the red bubbles are smaller then the green ones so you can use a smaller screw head and nut, probably a 1/4 inch nut. I know this is probably an anal solution to an insignificant problem but they look perfect. After you've painted them just cut them to size and hold in place with some clear tape, just like they did from the factory.
User avatar
unibody madness
Posts: 2140
Joined: December 4, 2008, 4:33 pm
Location: Paradise,CALIFORNIA 95969
United States of America

Re: Instrument cluster turn signal/high beam indicators

Post by unibody madness »

Someone posted here long ago:
micro wave a seven up plastic bottle and it will shrink and thicken up for the turn signals. I ca not remember if I waved it or boiled it at the time, I had my high beam indicator at the time.
Turk build thread at:
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=18944

It does not matter what you think, it only matters what you do about it!
User avatar
bobenhotep
Posts: 911
Joined: January 9, 2007, 4:15 am
Location: Las Cruces, NM
Contact:
United States of America

Re: Instrument cluster turn signal/high beam indicators

Post by bobenhotep »

I have an alternate method that uses shrink tubing and electrical tape. I will post it here in the hints and tricks section.
For every person with a spark of genius, there are a hundred with ignition trouble

My '63 short wrongbed

"The Iron Rhino"
300 I6, 3 spd manual, DS II/ HEI ignition.

Stuff I added to Hints and tricks

-300-6 choke tube repair
-duraspark II/ HEI
-Horn ring contact tube repair
-turn signal indicator fix




Mikhail Kalashnikov and Nikola Tesla are the guys i think of when i build things.

Image
Post Reply