Old Gauge Cluster

[JimmyThompson]

Does anybody know when the older style gauges (all four small gauges along the bottom) were phased out with the newer style gauge cluster (three on the bottom one in between Tach & Speedo)?

 

[stb64]

I know of 3 different styles used on the deuces.
The olderst one had only a speedo and no tach and was used on the gassers, but also on early M35A1 multifuelers until at least thru 1962.
The other one was the common one used on all later M35A1, A2, and all 5tons, and had both the speedo and tach and the 5 small gauges. This one was wider than the old style and would not fit into the opening of the old dash.
A tach kit was issued to retrofit older M35A1, with an extra bracket to mount the tach below the dash. The problem was that the panel lights would not illuminate the tach at night.
The 3rd style also included speedo, tach, and 5 small gauges, but was the same size as the gasser panel, so a tach could be retrofitted to old trucks without having to use the extra bracket.
I don't know when the 3rd style was introduced, possibly in the 70s ?

 

[Recovry4x4]

If you have one of these panels, take a look at it. You will notice that the edges aren't beaded like the true gasser and the later larger panels are. These were made in small numbers as a replacement panel for the trucks that were repowered from gassers. All factory multifuel trucks came equipped with the tach dash. I had a few NOS ones a decade back or so. They have an NSN but I didn't record it!

 

[bspellerin]

I know of 3 different styles used on the deuces.
The olderst one had only a speedo and no tach and was used on the gassers, but also on early M35A1 multifuelers until at least thru 1962.
The other one was the common one used on all later M35A1, A2, and all 5tons, and had both the speedo and tach and the 5 small gauges. This one was wider than the old style and would not fit into the opening of the old dash.
A tach kit was issued to retrofit older M35A1, with an extra bracket to mount the tach below the dash. The problem was that the panel lights would not illuminate the tach at night.
The 3rd style also included speedo, tach, and 5 small gauges, but was the same size as the gasser panel, so a tach could be retrofitted to old trucks without having to use the extra bracket.
I don't know when the 3rd style was introduced, possibly in the 70s ?
View attachment 517838

Hi, mine looks just like yours, what year is your truck? Haven't found out about mine yet.


Brian

 

[JimmyThompson]

Sorry for not adding a photo... I hope this helps in identify:

<a href="http://s1297.photobucket.com/user/a...D-423A-8844-CA45C9C711AC_zpsqkbe9esr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag23/aasu03/0B268A35-741D-423A-8844-CA45C9C711AC_zpsqkbe9esr.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 0B268A35-741D-423A-8844-CA45C9C711AC_zpsqkbe9esr.jpg"/></a>

 

[stb64]

Hi, mine looks just like yours, what year is your truck? Haven't found out about mine yet.


Brian

It's a 1962 Studebaker-Packard, factory original M35A1, not a converted gasser. Check your frame rails in the front crossmember area. If it is a converted gasser, and the crossmember was replaced, there should be some unused rivet holes (I may be wrong on this one).

My truck was surplussed around 1989.The only things that were not original, were the exhaust pipe, and the front marker/ taillights.

All factory multifuel trucks came equipped with the tach dash.

TM 9-2320-235-10 Truck, cargo, 2-1/2 ton, 6X6, M35A1 (multifuel engine) December 1961 shows the truck not having a tach at all.(and no air filter restriction indicator btw.)
And TM 9-2320-209-10 (1965) states ''The tachometer, located on the instrument cluster of all LATE PRODUCTION model multifuel engine vehicles...'' Para.41, page 71
This should mean that a small percentage of the multifuel trucks did not come with the dash tach. I also found a 1962 M35A1 cab in a wrecking yard (with original serial number plate) that had the same separate tach setup as my truck.

 

[bspellerin]

It's a 1962 Studebaker-Packard, factory original M35A1, not a converted gasser. Check your frame rails in the front crossmember area. If it is a converted gasser, and the crossmember was replaced, there should be some unused rivet holes (I may be wrong on this one).
View attachment 518244
My truck was surplussed around 1989.The only things that were not original, were the exhaust pipe, and the front marker/ taillights.

TM 9-2320-235-10 Truck, cargo, 2-1/2 ton, 6X6, M35A1 (multifuel engine) December 1961 shows the truck not having a tach at all.(and no air filter restriction indicator btw.)
And TM 9-2320-209-10 (1965) states ''The tachometer, located on the instrument cluster of all LATE PRODUCTION model multifuel engine vehicles...'' Para.41, page 71
This should mean that a small percentage of the multifuel trucks did not come with the dash tach. I also found a 1962 M35A1 cab in a wrecking yard (with original serial number plate) that had the same separate tach setup as my truck.

Awesome information on the history of your truck, seems really unique compared most of the others. Thanks for giving me great info and another place to look, which I'll do as soon as I can.

Brian

 

[stb64]

Awesome information on the history of your truck, seems really unique compared most of the others. Thanks for giving me great info and another place to look, which I'll do as soon as I can.

Brian

Hi Brian, you are welcome.
The safest way to determine the age of your truck would be checking the serial number. If it starts with ''M'', and is in the 50.000 area, you probably have a converted A1 or even a gasser. When a M35A1 was converted to -A2, instructions were to replace the dash plate with a new one (new truck designation and stock number) and to stamp the old serial number on to the new plate. I know that this was not always done correctly, i have examples of plates with the manufacturer name missing or incomplete, or the registration number stamped in place of the serial.
Your serial # should be stamped into the R/H frame rail near the forward part of the front spring .
I haven't found mine yet, so i don't know where exactly. On my other trucks the serial was so lightly stamped, that i had to remove the paint to see it, but those are A2 series trucks, and the serial is on the left side near the steering gear.
If You can find the registration number (hood number), it would be near the 4Dxxxx area for an -A1, IIRC. this is for Army trucks only, USMC and Air Force use other formats.
There are many other details that would help figuring out what you have, such as sprag transfer (you don't have one, but your front wheel drive switch was obviously added later), box seat, electric horn, metal wiper motors, foot starter switch & mechanical linkage , large wiper control knob, cargo bed attached to the frame with u-bolts, cargo bed data plate, cutout in tank bracket to clear exhaust pipe, old style headlight panels, old exhaust hanger brackets, small mirrors, but all this could have been changed over the years.
Steve

 

[JimmyThompson]

Ok... so now back to answering my question please.

 

[stb64]

Your question was answered: What you have is a replacement panel for trucks that did not come with a tach from the factory, therefore it is not an older style and was not phased out, and replaced with the ''standard'' gage cluster.
It is actually a newer style, as it replaced the bracket that was used to intall the tach under the dash.