67-72 Electric speedo

[plumber452]

Not to step on lutronjim's question but I need help. I just completed my conversion and was able to bench test my dash lights, volt meter , etc. I couldn't bench test the speedo. So, today I layed my new cluster in the seat hooked 12 volt ignition, a ground and the wire coming from the PCM to the speedo and took it out. Nothing. The needle didn't move at all. I then disconnected everything and hooked my meter to the wire from the PCM and test drove it. At idle 0 volts. As I drove the voltage increased to a max of 6.6 volts at appx. 35 m.p.h. Any thoughts? Thanks

[ls1nova71]

Originally Posted by lutronjim

Would the scale/ratio be correct?

Probably not, that's why i had to redo the face. 60mph needs to be straight up.

Originally Posted by plumber452

Not to step on lutronjim's question but I need help. I just completed my conversion and was able to bench test my dash lights, volt meter , etc. I couldn't bench test the speedo. So, today I layed my new cluster in the seat hooked 12 volt ignition, a ground and the wire coming from the PCM to the speedo and took it out. Nothing. The needle didn't move at all. I then disconnected everything and hooked my meter to the wire from the PCM and test drove it. At idle 0 volts. As I drove the voltage increased to a max of 6.6 volts at appx. 35 m.p.h. Any thoughts? Thanks

So all the other gauges work? Did the odometer work at all? If it did, then the stepper motor for the speedo needle could be bad, or if you painted it, it could be stuck to the stopper the needle rests on when the ignition is off. Did you put the needle on with the ignition powered up so you know the needle is resting at 0mph?

[plumber452]

Thanks for the suggestions.
1. I did not drive it far enough or even think to look at the odometer
2. I did paint the needle but it was off for at least a couple of weeks before I reinstalled it.
3. I did not install the needle with it powered up but when I received the S-10 cluster from E-Bay the needle wasn't at zero so I powered it up and it went to zero. Before I insalled the C-10 needle I powered it up and watched to see if I could see the shaft turn. I didn't see any movement so assumed it was zeroed, if that's a word, out.

So, I'll check all of these things out and get back. Perhaps when I powered it up and didn't think I saw movement of the shaft it is so slight that I couldn't see it move and then when I disconnected power it went back.

Again,

Thanks

[ls1nova71]

It's absolutely imperative that you install the needle with the speedometer powered up. You likely won't see the shaft of the motor move since it's small and the movement isn't a lot at times. Even if it was at zero powered off, just the act of installing the needle could move it enough for the needle to be off by a bit. Also, when installing it powered up, there's a chance you won't get it right on the first try, so it takes some trial and error to get it perfect.

As for painting the needle, for some reason it doesn't always matter how dry the paint is, it can still stick to the little needle stop if there's paint on the needle at that spot, because the stepper motors don't have enough power to overcome it even it is only slightly stuck. What I do is carefully take a razor blade and scrape the paint off the needle at that spot so it can't stick to it.

[plumber452]

Update time. After implementing your suggestions I have made a little progress, I think.

1. Both the regular odometer and trip odometer are working

2. The needle will move up to about 5 mph and that's as far as it goes

3. After coming to a stop the needle will not return to zero.

4. With the truck idling, in park, if I remove the needle, reinstall the needle at zero it does the same thing. Moves up to about 5 mph stops and doesn't return to zero.

Anymore ideas?

Thanks

[prodjay10]

I want a speedo decal.

[ls1nova71]

Originally Posted by plumber452

Well I thought some people might be interested in a update. I have completed my electric con version and it works great!!!! My biggest disappointment is in the way I painted the numbers on the face. LS1Nova71 was very clear about painting the numbers and doing light coats. I did light coats but using the "If a little is good a lot is better" mentality, the heavy coats resulted in some paint bleeding under the stencil on a few numbers and they didn't come out as crisp and sharp as LS1 Nova71's.

Also, on the temperature gauge I ended up adding in I think 7ohms of resistance to get the needle to read in the normal range at normal operating temperature.

So, all in all I really enjoyed working on it, it works great (and accurately) and love it when a few people that has seen it says "I didn't know these trucks had a 120MPH speedometer" LOL!!!

Again thanks to LS1Nova71 for all of his help and I'd do another one if I get the chance.

Thanks for the update and kind words. Glad you got it done and working.

Originally Posted by prodjay10

I want a speedo decal.

PM sent

[anew4961]

do you have any more kits if so i would like 3 of them Thanks

[1965Impala]

Hello, Eric (and others who have contributed to this thread). It is getting close to 10 years since Eric started this and guys are still doing this conversion! What a great thread!

Eric, if the face and stencil stickers kits are still available, I would like to have 3 of them. Pleas let me know. Thanks.

[ls1nova71]

Originally Posted by 1965Impala

Hello, Eric (and others who have contributed to this thread). It is getting close to 10 years since Eric started this and guys are still doing this conversion! What a great thread!

Eric, if the face and stencil stickers kits are still available, I would like to have 3 of them. Pleas let me know. Thanks.

Wow, kind of hard to wrap my head around the fact that this thread is almost 10 years old! Geez, time flies!

I sent you a PM

[ddp]

Hi Eric,

I would be interested in buying 2 of your overlay, stencil, and template kits if you have any available.

I just checked and it was 2013 when I bought one of your cruise control / turn signal levers for my '71. With that part and your "LS factory cruise control hook up" posts, I've had "factory" retrofitted cruise working in my truck since. Probably one of the best upgrades i ever made to it.

Thanks,
Don

[notsolo]

Hey Eric, I could use a decal set also...Thanks Ed.

[lutronjim]

Glad to see this thread still alive. I am starting to work on project again - lost my wife and am having a hard time getting anything going.

I am old with tremors and I knew I could't glue the S10 shaft onto C10 needle. I took a different approach. I drilled thru the cylinder where you attach the needle through the top with a drill the same size as the s10 stepper. I then drilled through the top with a drill sized like the C10 needle shaft. I then cut off the shaft to make a 'coupling adapter'. Put it on the C10 needle with a dab of glue.

This keeps the C10 with its correct counter weight. When I put it on the S10 speedo, it appears to have about the same space from the plate as the C10.

I ordered the red led from Radio Shack for the high beam indicator. They must have a different China supplier. While the mount appears to be the same as the thread pictues, it is too long to go between the odometer mechanism and plate. I have some small short red leds that I am going to have to come up with some way to mount.

[notsolo]

This looks like a good alternative to epoxy holding the center in place. Thanks

[RustyI]

Hi I'd be interested in a set of decals too if you have any made up!

[jjzepplin]

Originally Posted by ddp

Hi Eric,

I would be interested in buying 2 of your overlay, stencil, and template kits if you have any available.

I just checked and it was 2013 when I bought one of your cruise control / turn signal levers for my '71. With that part and your "LS factory cruise control hook up" posts, I've had "factory" retrofitted cruise working in my truck since. Probably one of the best upgrades i ever made to it.

Thanks,
Don

Very interested in this setup!

[1rippen6]

I'll take 2 more sets, if available

[jjzepplin]

Would a 1995 S 10 speedo work? They are listed as being the same from 95-97 from what I can tell.

[notsolo]

Page 17 if it's a 100 mph speedo it will work.

[ls1nova71]

I'm back in town now and put an order in for more stencils and gauge faces. I will let everyone know when I get them. Thanks.

[jjzepplin]

I need a gauge face too? I just got my S10 speedo and will start on this soon. I suppose I could use my 2014 GMC to check and see if it works?

[1rippen6]

I started my dash and was having trouble lining the speedo numbers up to the marked locations. I could get 120 and 60 to line up decent but the MPH was off a hair and the 0 was way off. I was using a repop dash lens so I found a used lens to help locate the sticker. It was actually pretty easy after that because I could see the numbers without holding it to the light. I laid the number sticker on the new lens and set the old lens on the top. I aligned both lenses edge to edge and then aligned the numbers on the sticker to the old lens. The trickiest part was lifting the old lens to tape the sticker without moving it but I simply laid it back on top to make sure it didn't move. The 0 on the repop lens was off by at least 3/8 of an inch. Hope this helps someone else.

[TOYDOC]

I would like to purchase 2 sets when available, Thank you!

[ls1nova71]

I will have them in a day or so. The last order I put in, the print shop didn't make the stencils, so I didn't get them when I was supposed to.

[v8blaze]

I’m down for one if there are any more available. I’ve got a 68 c10 dash in my 90 s10 blazer, and it needs a speedo badly