Home 
Home Search search Menu menu Not logged in - Login | Register
> Jensen Healey & Jensen GT Tech > Electrical & Instruments > Instruments and dash lights

 Moderated by: Greg Fletcher
New Topic Reply Printer Friendly
Instruments and dash lights  Rate Topic 
AuthorPost
 Posted: 11-24-2006 07:57 pm
  PM Quote Reply
1st Post
Frank Schwartz
Guest
 

Joined: 
Location:  
Posts: 
Status: 
Offline
I have been trying, without success, to find some means to brighten the lighting in both my dauther and son's JHs.  Here is a partial copy of a post on the subject I sent to a few people..thought I would put it on this bulletin board as well.  Unfortunately, as I wrote, the instrument cluster warps with age and new ones are not available...and trying to replace the oval cluster with something else...like a panel, does not work...(ideas and suggsstions, welcomed)...so here it is:

My investigation has been just trial and error.  I bought every type of lamp I could get, plus others that have a modern lamp holder and lamps that still fit....and with every one I tried I still found the lighting to be, at best, poor.  This was quite "scientific".  I have a 13.8 Volt  DC power supply and putting the test bulb in a couple of JH instruments, I turn out the lights,now in the dark,  and observe.  All hard to see. It is now very clear that the lighting bulb in these instruments must have been added at the last minute in the development of them and not much attention was given to actually getting light to the face of the bulb. Nothing so far to solve the problem.

So,  the obvious next step would be to replace the gauges with some more modern and better lit ones.  Stewart Warner has some very nice gauges, but the JH dash uses four 2 1/16  gauges and two 3 1/8 gauges.  SW does not make a 3 1/8 gauge.  Theirs are all 3 3/8 in diameter.   However, AutoGage does, and they have about five different styles that are of the correct sizes. And some very attractive ones as well, including some that have a very nice "vintage" look as well.  I will probably go with the AutoGage units, once my daughter chooses which style she prefers.  Only requirement would be to bypass the "voltage regulator" on the back side of the instrument cluster as it would not be needed, and to connect the new gauges lighting to the old instrument lighting wires (six red with white tracers...simple)
Also a new speedo cable made up that will fit to the replacement Speedometer...I can get this fixed up locally.  And a new oil pressure pipe run to fit the new oil pressure gauge. (included with the gauge). 

I "borrowed" a dash and an empty instrument cluster and have been trying to see if I could put in a wood insert in place of the plastic oval cluster, but found this would not work, either, as it would place the instruments facing downwards.   So I have to use the dash and cluster mount as it is in the car...and replace the instruments as I described above.

The cost for instruments that will actually fit properly would be about 300 dollars, but even at that price, the upgrade to better quality, more readable...and the better lit, totally readable at night instruments would be a major improvement.  Truly an astounding improvement!  IMHO.

The dash in the GT is better suited to changing out the gauges to any other type, as they are mounted flush and not recessed and angled as in the JH.   But, assuming I could find one,  the GT dash might not be a "bolt in" replacement in the JH as the defrost and air outlets might not match up with what the JH is set up for.....
So, this is where I am at this time...looking at replacement gauges.   And it is too bad that the original old oval instrument cluster must be used, as they warp and on both the JH's that we have they no longer fit as they did when new.  And new replacements do not exist.  There are simply none to be had.  We recently bought a JH5 for parts and the instrument cluster plastic actually fell apart in my hands as I tried to remove it from the dash.    So...comments and suggestions are most welcome.
Regards to all....
Frank Schwartz

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: 11-25-2006 02:06 pm
  PM Quote Reply
2nd Post
colinw59
Member


Joined: 02-14-2006
Location: Bloomfield/Hebron, Connecticut USA
Posts: 147
Status: 
Offline
Here's a copy of an earlier posting relating to the instrument bulbs;

Prior to starting the  restoration of 15851, I noticed that the dash lights were very dim, even when turned up to full brilliance. I did a little researching on the internet and found some bulbs with the same fitting (miniature screw base) and a higher wattage (12V @ 0.41A  = 4.9W). Enough to improve the system without overburdening the lighting circuit (white wires with red tracer). The dash went in a couple of months ago and the battery was connnected last month to test the whole electrical system. The lights work much better. The supplier was Norman Lamps Inc, 1-800-992-8020 or at http://www.normanlamps.com  the part number is MS-1295. I think I paid $10 + shipping  for a box of 10. They are rated with a life of 7500 hours. If you drove the car at night for an hour a day every day they'd last over 20 years! I think it may be possible to change over the dash bulbs without removing the dash itself.

http://jhppg.com/gallery/JH-CO

P.S. The correct part number for these bulbs is MS-1205

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: 11-28-2006 02:29 am
  PM Quote Reply
3rd Post
Frank Schwartz
Guest
 

Joined: 
Location:  
Posts: 
Status: 
Offline
Thanks, I ordered some of them.  I'll give them a try and see how they do..
Frank

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: 03-24-2007 04:51 pm
  PM Quote Reply
4th Post
Frank Schwartz
Guest
 

Joined: 
Location:  
Posts: 
Status: 
Offline
Those bulbs are great!!! I can actually read the gauges at night without having to use a flashlight.  I understand they are now available from Delta.

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: 04-14-2007 05:13 pm
  PM Quote Reply
5th Post
Frank Schwartz
Guest
 

Joined: 
Location:  
Posts: 
Status: 
Offline
These bulbs are now carried by Delta Motorsports and can be bought singly or in any odd or even quantity needed.  If you try to order from the industrial distributor, you will
find you have to buy no less than a box of the things and they really don't like to sell small orders.  Delta can take care of you on these bulbs and the price is right.
We have them installed in my son's JH and the change is remarkable...

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

Current time is 06:22 pm  
> Jensen Healey & Jensen GT Tech > Electrical & Instruments > Instruments and dash lights Top




UltraBB 1.172 Copyright © 2007-2011 Data 1 Systems