Speedo/Tach Lamps

Many of us take the stock 2 watt bulbs out & replace them with 5 watt, which worked fine in my car. Above 5 watts, the extra heat can melt stuff inside the case.

John,
Maybe you got something there, I put in the 5 watt bulbs and can see things better on either the speedo or tach, but still not so well on the other. (It's been a few weeks since I've driven it at night...one (either the tach or speedo) is illuminated fine the other is visible if I look at it a little longer and let my pupils dialate.)
Can you show a photo of your mods, when you take them out again, that is, please? I may do this later, on my 2004 project list. Was it difficult to remove the tach and speedo?
I really like the White Face guages, and wanna do this sometime, and incorporate your dual bulb system when I do it.

Jack,
As always, thanks for the tip. I've been looking for a higher watt bulb to illuminate the dimmer of the two (speedo/tach) at nite, but I'm now happy I didn't find a higher watt bulb. Because I haven't melted anything and won't!

Best regards,
Ron

Ron, the 5 watt bulbs are plug-in replacements for the stock 2-watt ones. The gauges don't need to be removed to do this mod- just reach back there & pull- the bulb holder pops right out. Removing the speedo or tach is not difficult either. There's a steel 'cage' surrounding the tach or speedo behind the dash, which fastens to the backside of the gauge with thumbscrews. By removing the thumbscrews, the tach comes out the front dash opening, leaving the 'cage' in place. The speedo is identical except you also have to unfasten the speedo-cable jacket from the gauge before it slides out. Now, removing the whole dashboard & reinstalling it- THATS difficult!

Thanks Mark & Jack,

I have the newer 'L' dahboard. I did the 5 watt bulb replacement already, and, for me, it was a comedy of errors, the a/c hose disconnected from the dash vent, over and over, several times. My fat hands kept pulling plugs apart under the dash. I knocked off the bulbs from the flasher and that other switch indicator light a few times, etc. My dad told me I wasn't a mechanic 30 years ago, and I'm not! My back felt like I might need a wheelchair for a while, but once I got the sequence right, the 5 watt bulbs were in and working, and I didn't knock anything else off or apart under the dash. But one of them (either speedo or tach) is still not that well illuminated. Much better though!

So, I'm now knowledgable that I don't have to pull these instruments out through the back of the dash, which means I can replace these guages with white face replacements with much less difficulty than I was concerned about. I have a LeCarre steering wheel, so I can just remove a dozen allen screws to get that off. I'm gonna do it, but still think I may add an extra built-in 5 watt bulb to either one or both the Speedo and Tach guages.

(I may have to get bi-focals sometime soon too, but that's a different story and another expert I need to consult! The aging process! 46, man, bi-focals..., great! I'd rather put in another couple of bulbs!)

Any ways, I'm looking forward to the day I can have just a simple weekend project: install another couple of 5 watt bulbs, change over to white face guages, and presto! I'm jazzed about it though, white '73 'L', black interior, white face guages, I think it will look nice, and postpone the day I need bi-focals by a few months!

I say a weekend project, but every other 'weekend project' has taken ME two (2) weekends. We love this stuff though, right? So what if it takes me four (4) weekends?

This project is coming up as soon as I complete my two (2) weekend A-Arm Bushings project, which is gonna take four (4) to five (5) weekends! I just keep expanding all the things I gotta do while those A-Arms are off, clean, wire brush, paint, rust proof, take out the slash shields, headers, exhaust, Jet-Hot coat them, replace old hoses, etc...!

Do I get carried away with this stuff? I'm gonna get her back together, drive her in August, and do more (smaller) projects in September. I'm sure you guys have been here and done this! Thanks guys.

Ron