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fortyonerag · 10-11-2020, 04:40 AM

The gauge cluster is held in with four bolts that are accessed from the rear of the dash.

Before removing the bolts, disconnect all electrical connections and speedo and odometer cables etc.

Note, I could not slide the ammeter lead through the ‘inductive loop’ on the rear of the ammeter. The connector was too large, so I cut the terminal off and will connect a new one after reinstallation.

Once the bolts are removed the gauge assembly will come out from behind the dash.

The gauge assembly is a clamshell held together at a few pinch points. Prise these back and the the case halves will come apart. Be gentle as the glass is long and narrow and could easily be cracked.

I removed the gauges and speedometer so I could give the faces a clean and repaint the needles.

There are two pieces of glass - the outer one and the inner one with the white and red numbers.

Mine was pretty cruddy inside so I removed the outer glass. It is mounted in the chrome frame which is press fit and will prise away gently.

Behind the ‘inner’ glass is the cluster face which is held on by bent tabs. There is a gap on the top and bottom of the cluster face where the light has to get through. Remove the cluster face so you can clean the glass and edge. Mine had a lot of crud/adhesive/sealant which was stopping the light getting in. The numbers are just painted on, so use caution.

I wasn’t happy with the level of illumination so I added a string of tiny LED lights. I chose a set of battery operated Christmas tree lights because: they were tiny, they were the right color (warm white), and powered by 4.5V.

I added a 180 Ohm resistor to the string for a 12v voltage drop to 4.5, but you could probably use a 5v USB power adaptor. I placed the string along the bottom glass edge for effect. The top edge will continue to be lit by the stock lamps.

The light strings are usually about a yard long so I had to gather it up with heatshrink to get the LED’s close together. I used sealant to fasten it being careful not to get any on the glass edge.

The light string is not visible from the front

I put a small hole in the back of the case for the leads to exit and connect to the instrument light circuit.

Replace the cleaned up gauges and re-assemble. Don’t forget to reconnect the ammeter terminal after sliding through the inductive loop!

Here is the panel without the LED's with stock illumination

Here is the panel with the LED's working in addition to the stock lamps.

I hope this helps.

10-11-2020, 04:40 AM	#15
fortyonerag Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 540	Re: 1941 instrument panel The gauge cluster is held in with four bolts that are accessed from the rear of the dash. Before removing the bolts, disconnect all electrical connections and speedo and odometer cables etc. Note, I could not slide the ammeter lead through the ‘inductive loop’ on the rear of the ammeter. The connector was too large, so I cut the terminal off and will connect a new one after reinstallation. Once the bolts are removed the gauge assembly will come out from behind the dash. The gauge assembly is a clamshell held together at a few pinch points. Prise these back and the the case halves will come apart. Be gentle as the glass is long and narrow and could easily be cracked. I removed the gauges and speedometer so I could give the faces a clean and repaint the needles. There are two pieces of glass - the outer one and the inner one with the white and red numbers. Mine was pretty cruddy inside so I removed the outer glass. It is mounted in the chrome frame which is press fit and will prise away gently. Behind the ‘inner’ glass is the cluster face which is held on by bent tabs. There is a gap on the top and bottom of the cluster face where the light has to get through. Remove the cluster face so you can clean the glass and edge. Mine had a lot of crud/adhesive/sealant which was stopping the light getting in. The numbers are just painted on, so use caution. I wasn’t happy with the level of illumination so I added a string of tiny LED lights. I chose a set of battery operated Christmas tree lights because: they were tiny, they were the right color (warm white), and powered by 4.5V. I added a 180 Ohm resistor to the string for a 12v voltage drop to 4.5, but you could probably use a 5v USB power adaptor. I placed the string along the bottom glass edge for effect. The top edge will continue to be lit by the stock lamps. The light strings are usually about a yard long so I had to gather it up with heatshrink to get the LED’s close together. I used sealant to fasten it being careful not to get any on the glass edge. The light string is not visible from the front I put a small hole in the back of the case for the leads to exit and connect to the instrument light circuit. Replace the cleaned up gauges and re-assemble. Don’t forget to reconnect the ammeter terminal after sliding through the inductive loop! Here is the panel without the LED's with stock illumination Here is the panel with the LED's working in addition to the stock lamps. I hope this helps. Last edited by fortyonerag; 10-11-2020 at 04:46 AM.