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Deuce dash cluster

Bo1

Member
192
1
16
Location
Central Louisiana
I am working on buying 2 winch trucks from a guy a few hours from me, and neither of the trucks have gauge clusters in them. He stated that the military cut them all out before he got them. Is this common practice now a days? Also, how hard is it to find complete clusters for the trucks, and are they expensive? I have looked on a couple of the deuce parts sites, and they seem to be fairly proud of used clusters.

Thanks,
Bo
 

Scar59

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Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Mt. Eden, KY
They probably cut them out for the radium in the gauges.
-and if that's the case, who ever did the cutting did not use any surgical skill, they cut the leads off the trucks electrical harness. So you will need a instrument cluster and a connector repair kit to splice new connectors.
 

swbradley1

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Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Dayton, OH
Yes, they had a bunch of trucks they just cut the dashes out of so the MV collector wouldn't die in 478 years from radiation poisoning.


I feel much safer now.
 

steelandcanvas

Well-known member
6,187
85
48
Location
Southwestern Idaho
A few weeks after I had won my Deuce from Gov Lig at Ft Carson, I got a call from the main office in Phoenix. They wanted my gauge cluster, and wanted me to bring them the truck. I told them if they wanted them to come and get them. They asked where the truck was, I said Colorado, never heard from them again. I did place radioactive warning sign all around the truck though. :roll:
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,280
2,988
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Location
Woodinville, Washington
A few weeks after I had won my Deuce from Gov Lig at Ft Carson, I got a call from the main office in Phoenix. They wanted my gauge cluster, and wanted me to bring them the truck. I told them if they wanted them to come and get them. They asked where the truck was, I said Colorado, never heard from them again. I did place radioactive warning sign all around the truck though. :roll:
Just so long as the "EPA" doesn't come after you claiming they need an environmental clean-up done around your truck !!! :)
 

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

Chaplain
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Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas USA
Yes, sadly, many mv's have been senselessly mutilated by circumcising the instrument clusters right out of them and then being left to bleed to death and rust away 'cause few have the patience to resuscitate them back into an active motor pool.

Our local PD has some trucks with radiant gauges "quarantined" on the City Farm property where they are regularly "sprinkled" with sewage plant irrigation fluids. Apparently some "genius" thinks this will discourage any interest or tampering with them.

The Deuce we picked up from a local VFD has some beautiful glow-in-the-dark instruments that are still working wonderfully (truck built in 1968, rebuilt at Toole in 1991).

The only side effect is that my crotch is starting to glow too, but I have no need for Viagra either. It sure is handy when I get up in the middle of the night to pee. I don't even have to turn on the bathroom light anymore. :clinto: . :shock: . :idea: . :jumpin: . :whistle:
 

Bo1

Member
192
1
16
Location
Central Louisiana
Well, the wires were definatly just cut at random. Started looking today, and there is a small bundle of wires that were cut, but I don't see any tags on them (unless I need to cut the tape back). How hard is it going to be to trace all of these wires, or should I just consider replacing the entire harness?
 

Scar59

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,811
41
38
Location
Mt. Eden, KY
Source a replacement harness, they are available, you'll need the under dash/instrument harness. A little up front cost will save you a lot of aggravation and possible "issues" down the road.
 
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