This thread is for the general discussion of the Article How to build your own Solid-State Instrument Voltage Regulator (IVR) for yourself (or build them in bulk and send to your friends). Please add to the discussion here.
How to build your own Solid-State Instrument Voltage Regulator (IVR) for yourself (or build them...
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The article How to build your own Solid-State Instrument Voltage Regulator (IVR) for yourself (or build them in bulk and send to your friends) has been updated:
Updated to add some minor details and fix a bunch of minor typos. Enjoy and happy Friday.
Updated to add some minor details and fix a bunch of minor typos. Enjoy and happy Friday.
Those are awesome instructions. I appreciate you taking the time to produce them. Thank-You.
Here is a cautionary tale illustrated with a few pictures for any of you who still need to modify your very delicate 50+ year-old rallye fuel gauges to replace the IVR. The moral of the story is please don't attempt the modification at 3 am on a workday when you've had trouble sleeping the night before. It likely won't end well for you as it most certainly did not for me...
NOTE: If anyone would like emailed to them a color PDF copy of the complete installation instructions for my IVRs that covers the fuel gauge mod in detail, just PM me your email address. And if you don't want to take on building your own, I will still build one or more for you. Details HERE.
And now for my story, which is really just a caption with pics..."That time when you open the fuel gauge that seemed to be in excellent condition and the board snaps in two when you are re-assembling the gauge face, and then you attempt to glue it back together using the only clamp you can find, which is way too strong, and it slips out of place and completely guts the internals of the gauge, rendering it useless..."
NOTE: If anyone would like emailed to them a color PDF copy of the complete installation instructions for my IVRs that covers the fuel gauge mod in detail, just PM me your email address. And if you don't want to take on building your own, I will still build one or more for you. Details HERE.
And now for my story, which is really just a caption with pics..."That time when you open the fuel gauge that seemed to be in excellent condition and the board snaps in two when you are re-assembling the gauge face, and then you attempt to glue it back together using the only clamp you can find, which is way too strong, and it slips out of place and completely guts the internals of the gauge, rendering it useless..."
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So it does not seem like anyone gives much of a rip about this thread or my comments, which is fine because I often post things no one cares about during my early morning gauge rehab sessions, lol. But seriously, this one is pretty important, especially for those who have not modified their fuel gauges yet to disable the factory IVR.
After recovering from last morning's (third shift really) ^gauge mod disaster^, I have a better plan for the one pictured below, which is the final working fuel gauge I have left on the shelf. I plan to NOT open and modify the gauge, but instead isolate it's 12v post from the circular connector feed (using a nylon washer) and just feed 5v to the three gauges from my IVR via the 5v post on the FG and PCB traces on the circuit board. Much simpler and less risk of damaging these precious 50+ year-old gauges. Once again, if anyone has questions or concerns about anything I post, please let me know in the comments or PM me.
And if you need a color PDF copy of the instructions that come with my IVRs and cover the above-mentioned fuel gauge mod (especially if you are building your own), just PM me your email address.
Happy Thursday! We are almost there...
After recovering from last morning's (third shift really) ^gauge mod disaster^, I have a better plan for the one pictured below, which is the final working fuel gauge I have left on the shelf. I plan to NOT open and modify the gauge, but instead isolate it's 12v post from the circular connector feed (using a nylon washer) and just feed 5v to the three gauges from my IVR via the 5v post on the FG and PCB traces on the circuit board. Much simpler and less risk of damaging these precious 50+ year-old gauges. Once again, if anyone has questions or concerns about anything I post, please let me know in the comments or PM me.
And if you need a color PDF copy of the instructions that come with my IVRs and cover the above-mentioned fuel gauge mod (especially if you are building your own), just PM me your email address.
Happy Thursday! We are almost there...
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If you have not read comments #4 and #5 above, please do and you will understand why I am doing this...
I have updated the instructions that I provide with the IVRs that I build to now include an alternative installation method. You can choose which method works for you, but the new alternative that skips opening up and modifying the rallye fuel gauge, which while probably the preferable method, does come with some risk of damage to the original gauge if you are not super careful.
If you would like a color PDF copy of these updated instructions, please PM me your email address.
I am tagging anyone who has recently purchased from me in case any of you have not yet begun your installations:
@bobscuda67
@DartManPlum340
@Lance Lot Link
@Charrlie_S
@64 AAR Valiant
@cudamark
@moparmd
@johndee
@LuckyJackson
@63valiant
@Demonx2 (I already emailed yours, but didn't want you to feel left out, lol)
@Mopar Momzee
@jim whelan
@rindalleer
@h4e2m6idavid
@Mr GT
@mbaird
@70dart340
@EL5DEMON340
@66 Val
Please pass this along if you know someone who this may apply to, or someone you know is considering this upgrade.
Thanks and Happy Friday!
I have updated the instructions that I provide with the IVRs that I build to now include an alternative installation method. You can choose which method works for you, but the new alternative that skips opening up and modifying the rallye fuel gauge, which while probably the preferable method, does come with some risk of damage to the original gauge if you are not super careful.
If you would like a color PDF copy of these updated instructions, please PM me your email address.
I am tagging anyone who has recently purchased from me in case any of you have not yet begun your installations:
@bobscuda67
@DartManPlum340
@Lance Lot Link
@Charrlie_S
@64 AAR Valiant
@cudamark
@moparmd
@johndee
@LuckyJackson
@63valiant
@Demonx2 (I already emailed yours, but didn't want you to feel left out, lol)
@Mopar Momzee
@jim whelan
@rindalleer
@h4e2m6idavid
@Mr GT
@mbaird
@70dart340
@EL5DEMON340
@66 Val
Please pass this along if you know someone who this may apply to, or someone you know is considering this upgrade.
Thanks and Happy Friday!
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Got your instructions by email, Thank You!
I haven't commented, because I haven't seen this until now, so there's THAT. Will this work for my 64 Valiant? It also has the IVR inside the fuel gauge. It's never given me a lick of trouble, but I'm thinking I might do it.
Yes, it should work in any Mopar application that uses a factory IVR to supply a reduced voltage to the gauges, which is pretty much all of them in our world. Some installations are simpler than others (replacing the plug-in style being the simpler), but I can walk almost anyone through how to make it happen. PM me if you’re interested. Thanks.
I am interested, but we're done spending for the month. I can try to work it into our spending for next month. I'll try to remember, but I probably won't.
You can build your own for almost pennies if you are somewhat electronically inclined. Heck, I'd even send you the components for whatever they cost me (very little on a single-part basis because I buy them in quantities) and what it would cost me to send them to you. I'm not doing this to make a buck. Quite the opposite. I offer them as a service to my Mopar friends and as an alternative to buying over-priced, off-the-shelf units. RTE gets like $60 before shipping last I checked. Lmk...
[FOR SALE] - Solid State Rallye Gauge Instrument Voltage Regulators (IVR)
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I have several and the heat sinks. I don't have the silicone insulator though. Mine are not 5V, but 6V, but that would work fine. I don't have the cap though. I did my 65 years ago without the cap and it worked fine. What is its purpose?
The cap is to filter the input power from the vehicle. Most of the time you'd be fine without it. There are other "protections" that could be built into the device, but mine, like yours, was designed to be simple yet still effective. Electrolytic caps cost fractions of a penny and they don't make the assembly much more complicated than just connecting wires to and from the regulator, so I add the cap.
Sounds like a good Idea then. Thanks.
Thanks, Dennis, got the PDF!
rindalleer
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I just finished modifying my 74 Dart dash with your kit. Next in line is my 67 Barracuda which needs your newest mods.
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Nice looking installation! Glad I caught you before you did the '67, so now you have options. Good luck with that one and let me know if you have questions.
63valiant
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I got mine installed last week on the '63 Valiant. This gauge was pretty easy to work on, I just Dremmeled off the back of one rivet then rotated the gauge plate out of the way, deactivated the ivr, swung the plate back in place and put a drop of super glue on the back were the rivet hole was.
My cluster is too small to find a suitable spot to mount the new ivr so I let it drop down to the bottom of the dash where I am going to fasten it to the lower dash rail for some heat dissipation, the little guy does get rather warm.
I put the ground on one of the PCB fastener screws with a ring terminal. For the input and output I simply used a piece of a scotch brite pad to gently expose a little of the proper traces and then soldered the wires right to the traces.
My cluster is too small to find a suitable spot to mount the new ivr so I let it drop down to the bottom of the dash where I am going to fasten it to the lower dash rail for some heat dissipation, the little guy does get rather warm.
I put the ground on one of the PCB fastener screws with a ring terminal. For the input and output I simply used a piece of a scotch brite pad to gently expose a little of the proper traces and then soldered the wires right to the traces.
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Nice work and a great idea to "remote" the IVR for easy replacement without having to remove the cluster in the event of a (rare) failure. I recommend the same thing in the instructions that I supply with my IVRs.
Just another reminder to all that if you would like a color PDF copy of the latest iteration of my instructions that include an alternative to opening and modifying the fuel gauge, just PM me your email address.
Happy Monday everyone.
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