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Hay guys, once I got these connectors I've NEVER used a crimp connector. No issues for me anyway,,,👍😉.
My expensive crimping tools are now rusty&dusty.
These are great for sure. Can't use a cheap 20 dollar battery operated heat gun though to get that solder to melt 😂
Have you ever come across these that are terminal connectors? Ring or bullet
Can't use a cheap 20 dollar battery operated heat gun though to get that solder to melt 😂
Have you ever come across these that are terminal connectors? Ring or bullet
..
Oh, but you can use a $2.00 BBQ-lighter to melt it. Works nicely!!!
I haven't found those styles yet,, but have made my own out of these "butt" style . I just trim them a bit to get solder over the connection. Do that,,, you'll look like a PRO...
Hey guys I'm using dimmable 194 bulbs in the new sockets and I've also installed a new dimmwr switch but the dimmer functionality doesn't work. They're either bright, or they're turned off. Good news is that they're not that bright that they're blinding, but I'm a bit perplexed why if I bought dimmable LED bulbs then why don't they dim properly?
It seems like I came across a thread or a YT video where someone had said to add more grounding to help with this issue. Possibly even adding grounding to the headlight switch? Of course now I can't find that post.
If you install an incandescent 194 will it dim properly?
Before the project, the lights didn't dim (of course after running for 50 years they were already din hence this project). So I put in a new headlight dimmer switch in. I did not test the incandescents again, but I tested the new LED's that I had dropped into the old sockets. The dimming was working nicely. Once I finished putting the car back together, the dimmer no longer functioned. Now that I have it apart (again) 990-3312 and have switched all the sockets I thought it'd be a good time to ask about ideas on how to permenantly fix.
Great tip for the lampholders - thanks!
One thing I did was to install connectors so I could remove the dash without removing the instrument lamps or unplugging gauges.
I got this tip from the forum many years ago.
Se my pic. (I also did the same for the center gauges.)
Great tip for the lampholders - thanks!
One thing I did was to install connectors so I could remove the dash without removing the instrument lamps or unplugging gauges.
I got this tip from the forum many years ago.
Se my pic. (I also did the same for the center gauges.)
I like the connector approach so you can disconnect the entire cluster with a single connector. It's a more modern approach than the way they originally done it - though it goes back to the late 70s if not earlier (at least on Japanese cars). I'm a bit surprised that GM wasn't using this approach by say 1978-ish when they changed up the gauge design (actually I've never been inside the dash of a late 70s C3). It would have added a little cost. But it would have saved significant labor savings on the assembly line - thus paying back on that investment. (and clusters could then be pre-wired and tested with test rigs at the OEM - thus improving quality and potential re-work or warrant claims as well.
In fact I still am amazed as to how these early C3s dashes were ever assembled/installed in the cars with any degree of efficiency at St. Louis. Those workers must have had a lot of dexterity! (and probably should have been given a bonus if they weren't holding up the line!)
I like easy.
If you've been inside half as many C3 dashboards as I have, then you know what a pain in the *** the original single wire dash bulb sockets can become with age. The ground rings separate from the plastic housings and then to make matters 10 times worse, the bulb falls out, into the gauge cluster. Argh! If you've been there, you know what a pain this can be. Once the bulb falls into the cluster you'll never get it out without removing the entire cluster and turning it upside down to shake the bulb out. Of course you could just leave the bulb in there and try to ignore the rattling, but I really don't recommend this. When I was installing the new interior in my '73 I decided to address this issue for my speedo/tach cluster as a few of the sockets had already fallen apart. I ordered all new GM style sockets made by Dorman. A good company, been around for a hundred years. I replaced all the sockets on that cluster with new bulbs and installed the complete dash. When it was finished I closed the garage, turned out the lights and checked the new install. Well, you can imagine my disappointment when only half the lights lit up. I banged on the top dash pad and the non-working lights flickered on and off. I was F#*^#ing furious to say the least! I knew the problem was the offshore produced sockets. I tore the whole thing back down again, which you know is no small job. I found that the tin barrels inside about half of plastic sockets were ever so slightly cone shaped, so when you pushed the bulb into them, plunger became wedged in the very bottom of the socket causing the bulb electrode to lose contact. I made such an uproar about this through my supplier that I got a phone call from a rep at Dorman in Colmar, PA. to try and determine the issue. After all I couldn't be the only guy in America who had found this problem. Anyway, that didn't solve my immediate problem and nobody could offer any US made sockets and I wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. So I decided to upgrade the entire socket system with the two wire 194 bulb rubber sockets. I did this, it works perfect and I haven't had a hint of trouble, nor will anybody else in future when they remove the dash for any service work.
This week I had to remove my center cluster in order to remove my radio for some needed service work. All went well but when I was set to re-install the radio I noticed not just one, but two of the original single wire dash bulb sockets were now loose and flopping around....and yes the two bulbs had fallen inside the center cluster! See the above images. I knew what to do, so this time I took some pics to share so anybody else that wants/needs can do this upgrade easily. First thing was to chop out the offenders. You can leave the Door Ajar, Seat Belt warning and Headlamp bulbs as they are. They use different sockets with different grounds and the bulbs are captured so they wan't fall apart like the dash bulb sockets do.
Ran over to the local parts store and grabbed another set of sockets and bulbs. These are all pretty inexpensive parts. These are the simple "push and turn" rubber sockets that fit practically everything a few years back and are readily available at any parts store. Here's the trick for a perfect fit. Take a razor or Exacto knife and trim two of the tabs off opposite sides of the socket. They are soft rubber and this material removes very easy. The two remaining tabs will give you a perfect, snug fit. Easy to pull out, push in to replace bulbs. A perfect fit. So I used simple butt connectors with shrink wrap. I gang connected the grounds in groups of three so they would fit the regular blue sized butt connector. Then added a lead to each of those two gang connectors and connected them together with one eye connector to use as the ground. The hot side I added the smaller red butt connectors to later be joined to the gray dash bulb wires. If you do this, when it's finished you should have something that looks like this. Don't forget to put the heat shrink in place BEFORE you install the butt connectors. OK, just for the record, it was only by pure chance that the smaller red heat shrink matched the red butt connectors and the larger blue heat shrink matched the blue connectors. I'm pretty weird about getting repairs correct but I'm not that ****. I attached the newly made ground lead to the under windshield header bar so there was enough length to remove the center cluster for service without having to undo any wiring. Crimped all six butt connectors (don't forget to replace the wiper switch socket as well) and finished up with the heat shrink tube.
Then hooked the battery back up and gave them a quick check. BINGO!
Pushed all the new sockets into place and hooked the gauge wiring back up. All ready for reinstall which went well. Completed and back in the race all in under two hours. Garage lights off for a check on the finished job.
All working and nice and bright. I know a lot of people are changing their lights to LED. I chose to stay with incandescent but this upgrade would be exactly the same if you decided to use LED bulbs in place of the 194's.
Cheers.
Hello Greg, I have a question regarding the ground connections. How do the original ground rings provide grounding? Under the center console, there is a metal bar to which the underside of the center console is attached using nuts. Additionally, there's what I assume is a strap that connects the stock radio to the body. I've installed an aftermarket radio, and I still have the metal strap beneath the center cluster. I plan to do your upgrade, but before that, I replaced the bulbs as they had fallen out, just as you described. I put the socket and ground ring back into the cluster, but my lights won't come on. Running a separate ground, as you did, will probably fix the issue. However, am I correct in my initial assumption that the lights are grounded through the cluster's connection to those two contact points I mentioned? I attached a pic of the metal support I'm talking about from under the center console.
Hi Neil, The socket rings clip into the housing which is grounded by the connection to the lower console plate which has a dedicated ground attached to the HVAC control unit. Lower console also grounds through the cigarette lighter circuit and upper gauge cluster will also ground through the copper oil pressure line. I eliminated the need for this circuitous grounding when I anchored mine right to the inner, lower windshield bar. I left enough wire length to make it easy to tip the dash out for access, but I really like Joe's idea of the added connectors. I think I will do that on my next one. You can never have too many grounds on these Corvettes!
Cheers, Greg
Hi Neil, The socket rings clip into the housing which is grounded by the connection to the lower console plate which has a dedicated ground attached to the HVAC control unit. Lower console also grounds through the cigarette lighter circuit and upper gauge cluster will also ground through the copper oil pressure line. I eliminated the need for this circuitous grounding when I anchored mine right to the inner, lower windshield bar. I left enough wire length to make it easy to tip the dash out for access, but I really like Joe's idea of the added connectors. I think I will do that on my next one. You can never have too many grounds on these Corvettes!
Cheers, Greg
Thanks Greg! Sorry for the late response but I'll be doing this upgrade on my 73.
07-30-2023, 10:09 PM
If you've been there, you know what a pain this can be.
