Hi Warrjon

If I ever had to do this again, should I use the Pencil eraser on the Plugs or the Printed Circuit or both?

Also should I use it dry or with some Contact Cleaner.

 

On both and no cleaning fluid. You can use the eraser on any copper contact surface that is large enough to get it in there.

The rubber will clean most crap off the copper surface without damaging the copper.

 

 

 

 

Good job there Al, she'll be good as new soon

 

Hi Warrjon

Cheers!

Yup: She's coming along quite nicely but the Speedo and the Tacho Lights are as 'dull as dishwater' as they always have been.

So I'm planning to replace the Bulbs with some 5 watt ones, although I am so reluctant to have to pull that Binnacle out again,

just in case that problem returns with the Speedo.

Where the Speedo Needle suddenly dropped to Zero, without any warning.

 

have you looked at led bulbs for the dash. in the classic car mags they advertise them.

the firms name is "better car lighting" i think. i dont have a mag to hand at the moment

 

Hi Leo

These were the Bulbs that I bought


T501 5W Bulbs

T501 5 Watt Bulbs which are a direct replacement.

But maybe I should have bought some LED ones instead.

In fact I think I'll get some anyway but should I get White or Green?

As there are little Green Filters already in the Binnacle.

 

i put leds in my jeep to replace the sidelight bulbs in the front as they are a pain to get to.
Much skin loss and foul language so hopefully they will last longer.

ive seen some good write-ups for the interior ones. I think they come in all colours but if you have the coloured lenses you would only need white

 

Do not put LED in the Alternator light it will prevent it working correctly as LED's are polarity sensitive and the alternator light must be polarity neutral to it will light is battery or alternator is low volts.

I have LED's in everything else and they do improve the dash lighting. You can also add LED strip lights to the dash to improve the lighting even more.

 

Hi Warrjon

Not being an Electrical Genius like yourself, does that mean if I put an Led Bulb in the Holder the wrong way round it won't work, unlike a normal bulb that would?

So if I understand this correctly, I would need 5 X Led Bulbs and one Normal Bulb for the Lights in the Binnacle.

Also what do you do about the Dimmer Switch (Rheostat) 'Thingy' can you dim an Led Bulb or do you just leave the Rheostat Turned up to the MAX.

 

OB
The binnacle illumination lights are not what Warrjon meant. He was referring to the warning light for the charging system. LEDs, if put in the wrong way, will not work (they are polarity sensitive). So if you fir them you need to know which pole of the LED is the + and which the - . Also you need to know which track on the blue circuit board is the + and - so you do not put the lamp holder in the wrong way. Most LEDs will not work if the dimmer is set much below the max setting.

 

Hi Greg

Cheers!

But if I accidentally put the Led Bulb in the wrong way round, could it electrically damaged the Printed Circuit?

 

Yes if you put LED's the wrong way they will not work. They will work with the dimmer albeit they get to a point and turn off, but they do dim enough.

You can swap LED's in for all lights except the alternator/lightning bolt.

I have LED's in the dash and behind the AC controls, I removed the fibre as a few of them were broken. I drilled holes in the rear of the AC control backing and used self adhesive LED strip lights, been there now for a few years and work great.

I also have LED in the courtesy lights

 

OB
No it will not do any harm.
greg

 

That is one terrific idea, Warren. My a/c controls illumination is shot, so eventually I shall get round to doing this fix. Ditto the light switch surrounf.
Greg

 

This is what I did for the AC control lighting.

These are strip LED's I bought off eBay they come in a long strip and can be cut to length.



Carefully peal back the silver tabs and remove the locking ring from the back, you can see it around the metal that the control goes through. This will allow the black plastic to be removed and drilled.

 

Hi Greg@Warrjon@Leo

Thanks for your help, some great advice there that will be of benefit to everyone.

 

Don't you think it's time that you got up?

Go away and leave me alone!

The reason being that I'd been out Clubbing with my Mates, at 'The Middle Earth' in Covent Garden.

A subversive underground hangout in the basement of a Fruit and Veg Importer, which unless you heard about it on the grape vine (pun intended)

You would never know that it was there.

We had gone to see 'Frank Zappa' who was standing close enough to touch and so of course we all dressed up, so we could look exactly like our hero.

With eyes caked in Black Makeup and eye liner.

So I must have looked a Nightmare, when my Father came into my room with a Cup of Tea and 'Jammy Dodgers'

Where having now got my attention, he sat down on the bed and started chatting, with this 'Freak of Nature'

With the long unruly Hair and Black Mascara streaming down his face.

Who would employ a person like that?

With any luck Nobody, as I was just a feckless good for nothing layabout who like my predecessors had decided to drop out.

Except I'd come along too late to be a proper Hippy.

Where just to make things even worse my Parents didn't seem to mind at all, as it wasn't everyone who had a Son that could have been Frank Zappa's Love Child.

No I don't know why either!

Except it seems they had a cunning plan, which was to let me just get it out of my system, which made it hard to be a Rebel when you find you haven't got a cause.

Then after more 'Sweet Talking' Frank Zappa's Love Child got out of his pit and went downstairs to have lunch with his Parents

Where we had our Sunday Joint, only this time this one came from of a Supermarket. Far out Man.....!

But I was not the Weird one as strange as it may seem, that honor was bestowed upon my Parents.

Where my Charismatic Father looked a 'Ringer' for Clarke Gable while even on a bad day, Mum looked just like Princess Grace.

Who used to work in Maynards serving 'Jelly Babies' until my Father Talent Spotted her, where with his Film Star looks he quickly swept her off her feet.

She was absolutely Stunning and looked just like a Princess, while my Father had the Chat and Charm, few Women could resist.

Though instead of a 'Roller' they had to drive around in a poxy Vauxhall Victor 101 Estate.

So there we were now sat around the Table with me Frank Zappa's Love Child sitting next to someone who looked like Princess Grace.

While Clarke Gables 'Doppleganger' Carved the Sunday Roast.

This was not supposed to happen, why did they not have their head in their hands wondering where on earth they had gone wrong.

Though with the benefit of hindsight, they had decided to kill me with kindness instead.

Which was just about as cunning as anyone could get and dang me if their little plan wasn't really working like a Charm!

As by now the Conversation was turning on to Cars, where out of the blue Dad suddenly said 'I'm going to teach you to drive!'

And while I should have been pleased to hear that, I was mortified!

I can't drive that Blinking Thing! its much too big, its much too long and its much too wide!

I know said my dad but its an estate so there's plenty of room for screwing those 'chics' in the back.

OMG! Progressive Parents, it surely can't get any worse than that!

But I haven't got a licence! 'did I just change my mind on that or what?'

I've got the form and I'll put you down as another driver, which left me so shocked that I felt like dropping back in!

So now all that I had to do was learn how to drive that hulking great Car and hopefully pass my Test.

It was the least that I could do to repay their kindness or was I really thinking, of what I could get up to in the back.

Though as it turned out my Father was the Driving Instructor from Hell

Who was always telling me off for the way I drove his Car 'Like a Big Girl's Blouse'

As it wasn't my Car my excuse for that was to say that I was being careful but as for him he didn't care and used to say to me

'Quite frankly, I just couldn't give a damn!'

To be continued..........