Cutting the 1973 Duster insterment gauges question??

[myasylum]

I have a 73' Duster and I am thinking about adding new gauges and a tach. The thing is that on the back is an attached 1973 circuit board. If I am adding new gauges, does this need to exist? if I cut it would it short a circuit?

Just wondering??

Thoughts??

 

[1968FormulaS340]

What are you doing exactly? If you are putting in some aftermarket gauges you shouldn't need to cut anything.

 

[myasylum]

well, I'm cutting out the area to the left of the speedometer and adding a in dash tach, and moving the stock fuel gauge where the Alt gauge is. The rest are aftermarket gauges that I am just installing under the dash.

Does that seem logical? Just an idea I came up with.

 

[1968FormulaS340]

Well… Without seeing exactly what you are doing… This is my advise…… If in doubt, don't cut it.

 

[myasylum]

Kind of like this...

 

[daliant]

You need too keep the voltage regulator if you want the fuel gauge to work, its the little rectangular box sticking out of the back of the board. If your going to move the fuel guage your going to have to solder jumper wires from the circuit board to the guage to go around the tach your adding. Sounds do able to me but it looks like the tach wont cover the holes for the original guages.

 

[myasylum]

Yes, daliant, you may be right? I'm not sure yet. I am hoping to get a chrome insert for the tach that will be large enough to cover the holes for the original gauges. I think the indash tach comes with a insert anyway??
That is just a photoshop picture, so who knows what it will really end up looking like? It may be worse for that matter?
I am hoping on picking up a beat up, or cracked cluster for cheap to practice with first.

So, if I cut the circuit board it shouldn't hurt anything as long as I solder a wire to the fuel gauge once its moved?

Thanks guys!

 

[RDJ]

The round plug that plugs into the circuit board has the wires for dash lights, blinkers, oil light, temp and gas gauges, etc. The Ammeter is also a part with its own bolts. Radiating our from the plug are copper runners, and the bolts or the ammeter. Any of those copper runners you cut, you will loose that function unless you jump it somehow. Another possibility is if you have metal from your new gauge connecting the copper runners, you could create short circuits.

If you look at a wiring diagram, you can see what color wire is for what function.

My 73 Dart has the following, but yours may be different.

Parking brake warning light - Black
Oil warning light - grey
fuel sender - dark blue
highbeam indicator light - red
right turn indicator - tan
left turn indicator - light green
temp gauge - green
dash lights - orange

I ended up replacing my dash with all aftermarket gauges using a stock frame similar to what you are doing.