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Gauges stopped working


XXL

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Well, since I'm kind of worn out on this particular activity, I decided to just 'make it work' instead of 'figure out what is wrong.' ... I gutted the IP cluster I got from Charlie 69 and refitted it with my gauges (my gauges are a little prettier, and I wanted to keep the 520 display-- red high beam indicator, yellow turn signals, etc.) so I could use the PC board from his.  As it turns out, the metal housing that attaches the speedo itself is also different... the 520 mounting screws are at top and bottom, while the 521 mounting screws are on a diagonal.  So... I made a paper template of the holes I needed and transferred them to the 521 panel and drilled them out... took about 2 minutes.  However, I forgot to trace the 521 holes, so I wasn't able to reassemble the old parts back into a cluster... easy enough to fix... just for another day/maybe never.

 

Next, I chucked up a micro wire brush in my Dremel and cleaned all the copper contacts, including those on the front side of the gauge panels (they're in the masonite part and make contact to the PC board when the gauges are screwed in.  In went the new gauges, then I went ahead and swapped in LED bulbs that I have had sitting on my desk for a month... I snagged enough bayonet housings from both panels so I could use the same bulb throughout.  I stuck the factory regulator that came with Charlie's panel on and put everything back together in the truck.  Everything works again.  Big thanks to Charlie69 for his help in getting me some working parts!

 

BTW, I ended up swapping out the LED bulb for the ignition light for an incandescent bulb.  The LED bulb would stay lit forever, whereas the incandescent goes out a second or two after I start the truck and rev the engine, as expected.

 

I am going to do a little RCA on this... I'll put the transistor regulator on a power supply and meter and blow the heat gun on it to see if it wigs out when it gets hot.  If it stays true, then I'm going to ASSume that the PC board was going bad... old copper clad boards can crack and lose continuity over time.  And if the problem comes back, I have the buck converter I can use instead of the simple transistor... they are much more energy efficient = less heat build-up.

 

Now... is everyone ready to start working on my wiper motor parking issue?!?!?  :devil: 

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The wiper motor is always hot, and to run, the wiper switch grounds it. 

There is a contact inside the wiper motor that grounds the wiper, except when in park position.

 

Turning the wiper switch off removes the switch ground, but the motor stays running, until it reaches park position, and then then internal ground goes away, and the wipers stop, parked.

 

Actually, the wiper motor is hot, when the ignition is on.

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The wiper motor is always hot, and to run, the wiper switch grounds it. 

There is a contact inside the wiper motor that grounds the wiper, except when in park position.

 

Turning the wiper switch off removes the switch ground, but the motor stays running, until it reaches park position, and then then internal ground goes away, and the wipers stop, parked.

 

Thanks.  My issue is specific to the park.  I think the "dead" spot that constitutes park is either corroded or damaged such that, when I remove power and the motor swings around to the park position, it studders past park and continues on.  So I get a "continuous on" situation even when my switch is off.  The only way to stop the wipers when that happens is to turn off the ignition switch long enough for the motor to swing back around and not have the 'go around again' voltage still there.  In other motors I've rebuilt over the years, I've found the park section of the contacts inside (the part where there aren't contacts) has been gummed up or damaged in some way.  

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You are welcome.

 

I did not realize the 520 & the 521 clusters were different.  It has been years since I messed with one. 

 

I have a 410/411 cluster that I will be modding to match my 1980 720 wiring harness in my 66 520.

 

XXL the rusty nasty looking VR I added to your shipment was good also.  Just thought it would be a good spare for you just in case.

 

Is your wiper motor the 520 1 speed or is it the 521 2 speed motor?

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Thanks.  My issue is specific to the park.  I think the "dead" spot that constitutes park is either corroded or damaged such that, when I remove power and the motor swings around to the park position, it studders past park and continues on.  So I get a "continuous on" situation even when my switch is off.  The only way to stop the wipers when that happens is to turn off the ignition switch long enough for the motor to swing back around and not have the 'go around again' voltage still there.  In other motors I've rebuilt over the years, I've found the park section of the contacts inside (the part where there aren't contacts) has been gummed up or damaged in some way.

 

I had the same issue on my 510, the solder joint failed, easy and quick to fix. You can probably do it without removing the wiper motor.

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