Instrument Lights

[Loose Deuce]

Is there a better bulb that can be used for the gauges,brighter? The ones in mine have a yellow glow plus they are already hard to see at night. I didnt have that problem when I was 19, but now i'm over 50. I changed to the blue screw in covers and that dont help either.<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_disapprove.gif" alt="Disapprove"> of course I was sitting beside a street light though. Do you guys have a better set up?<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_blush.gif" alt="Blush">

 

[da_sgt]

LD;
Yep I use a Maglite..<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve">

 

[Dieselsmoke]

The blue ones are supposed to be for night vision googles. I have seen clear ones but you don't come across them very often.

 

[Desert Rat]

LD;
All I did was fabricate some small access "doors" and change the red covers in mine (I was going batty at night with the red glow) to the "doors" and now I can see the dash just fine.

 

[Loose Deuce]

Those clear covers sound good.
Hey Desert Rat, Explain a little more about those Doors please.<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_big.gif" alt="Big Smile">

 

[Desert Rat]

LD;
Well, you see back in the 1960's there was this Rock 'n Roll band in LA that Jim Morrison was in...... Oh, you mean the ones mounted in the dash of my truck? Well.......
All I did was take some stock tubing the appropriate diameter, cut about 1/2 inch off, left little "feet" at one end, bent them, drilled a hole to put the screw into, taped the other end so I can change a blown bulb, and put a self tapping screw into the hole and presto!

 

[da_sgt]

" Well, you see back in the 1960's there was this Rock 'n Roll band in LA that Jim Morrison was in...... "<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smile">

 

[Dieselsmoke]

<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_disapprove.gif" alt="Disapprove"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_help.gif" alt="Help"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_help.gif" alt="Help"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_help.gif" alt="Help"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_tongue.gif" alt="Tongue">

 

[Pappa-G]

<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve">have you pulled your gauge cluster? My lights were very dim also. there are small windows on the sides of the gauges that accumalate alot of dust/dirt. Take an old tooth brush and brush off the windows- bada-bing its like driving in day light only darker<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_clown.gif" alt="Clown">It worked for me.

 

[Desert Rat]

P. G.;
Good idea, I'll do that next!

 

[Recovry4x4]

I've got the blue lenses in mine. They work pretty good but not that much brighter. I do have a little hotter bulb though. Need to go figure out what number I have, to old to remember.

 

[Desert Rat]

R 4X4;
Don't tell us you have that old-timers disease!!!!!!

 

[da_sgt]

DR;

<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_warn.gif" alt="Warning!">There is a few of us older than 4x4, I just can't seem to remember who<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink">

 

[Recovry4x4]

Alrightythen, the hotter bulbs I use are 1864s. A while back another collector did some tests using different bulbs and these were the hottest ones that didn't melt the plastic. Ive also heard of drilling very small holes in the plastic lenses to allow more light to flow.

 

[Desert Rat]

DS;
Is R 4X4 refering to a bulb or year born when he's talking about 1864? Check that birth certificate <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_lol.gif" alt="LOL">!!!!!!!!

 

[Recovry4x4]

Nope, wasn't born in 1864, that was a good year though, remember it well!

 

[Desert Rat]

R 4X4;
Ok, how about 1764?<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL">

 

[Recovry4x4]

Hmm, don't know about that one!

 

[Rattlehead]

I also installed the 1864 series bulbs, have no trouble seeing the gauges now.

I heard of someone else using longer mounting screws for the lights and then using washers between the dash and the light fixture to move the lights about 1/4"(?) away from the dash. This supposedly pulled the bulb out of the red lens far enough to allow more light to shine on the gauges. Haven't tried it since the 1864's are doing the job ok.

 

[Loose Deuce]

Well Who sells those 1864's bulbs? I can't find any in my stomping grounds, of course I live in South Mississippi.<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_blush.gif" alt="Blush"> Do any chain stores carry them?<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_nuts.gif" alt="Nuts">