Big Blue's Transformation

[ArdWrknTrk]

See if you can find one of the buldholders with the resistor jumped across.
Much easier and looks 'factory'.
I know my '87 came that way.

[Gary Lewis]

Interesting that moving the previous posts didn't change the title of the replies here or in the email notices.  I've done it on this one, so let's see what happens.

Anyway, I'm confused.  Why would it be easier to find a bulb holder with the resistor?  The 5 inner warning indicators are part of the instrument cluster's printed circuit.  But the two outer ones are twist-in with separate wiring.

So it'll be easy to wire up the emissions light on the left end as it is stand-alone.  But the Seatbelt light is part of the cluster's printed circuit and I can only get to the individual wires ahead/behind the big connector (C208) which goes to the printed circuit.  That's why I'll cut the wires to the Seatbelt bulb and do my re-wiring out there.

But, I could solder the resistor across the traces of the printed circuit next to the bulb, which would make it even easier.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Hmmmm
I guess I'm confused because I don't spend time inside Bullnose clusters.

The '90 cluster I bought for the voltmeter (which had stopped working) had the charge resistor soldered across the flex.
I suppose the resistor bulbholder was another of those '87 transition (use up the stock) things.
Though it wouldn't be hard to push a resistor into the back of the bulbholder, like Ford did.

[Gary Lewis]

No prob.

This shouldn't be too difficult.  As said, the Emissions light should be separate so those wires are easily accessible.  And the other wires are easily gotten to as well when the cluster is out.  Then just put the resistor across the traces and it'll work.

Now if I can figure out how to do the Engine or Check Engine and Battery strips.  Thoughts?  You seem to be experienced in those kind of things.

[ArdWrknTrk]

You mean change the lettering, or make a new gel to go in the recess?

I suppose both battery and check engine would be red....

You can get a colored acetate that goes in your printer.
Then just cut them out with scissors or an xacto

Kodalith is an old style stat acetate we used to photo block emulsions on silk screens.
It would be ideal, but I don't know how it prints compared to the dedicated product.

(GEEK again!  )

[ArdWrknTrk]

Maybe something like this would work?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Red-Tinted-Plastic-Reading-Sheet/122571665?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=1854&adid=22222222227046135737&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=t&wl3=95837332610&wl4=pla-218251041170&wl5=9003439&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=112561751&wl11=online&wl12=122571665&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAjwx_boBRA9EiwA4kIELgJhu1wYZT2_SgijAgDfJvyR0GANsRazt6RWiBAAfKgk-aqJ2Dvs5xoCJb4QAvD_BwE

It's cheap enough and Wal-Mart's are everywhere.

[salans7]

Gary Lewis wrote

This shouldn't be too difficult.  As said, the Emissions light should be separate so those wires are easily accessible.  

You have around 8-10" of wiring to work with before the Emissions socket wiring tucks into the main harness.

[Gary Lewis]

Cool!  I didn't think about printing it.  But I've printed plenty of overhead slides, so this would be the same thing.  Just have to find red and figure out what font to use.  

[Steve83]

Gary Lewis wrote

So we need a diagram for a truck with a voltmeter so they can see how they have to feed a switched-source to the alternator.

...but the VR always gets switched 12V, and you can always use that wire when swapping to any other alternator (of any age or brand).  The voltmeter has nothing to do with the alternator circuits.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

...ammeters were like having no indication at all.

BINGO!

Gary Lewis wrote

..."voltmeter", yes the '87 change did bring them.  But apparently not all of the later ones got them as the diagram shows a charge indicator.

The charge indicator is part of the alternator control circuit.  The amp- or voltmeter is just a gauge wired into the power distribution circuits.  They're not directly related.

Gary Lewis wrote

The 1996 trucks apparently had both a voltmeter and an idiot/charge-warning light.

All '87-up have that.

Gary Lewis wrote

...3G installation w/o the warning lamp, which is the way the vast majority of Bullnose trucks will be wired when doing the conversion.

Why?  It's just a simple bulb - it's easy to add one, and very useful.  But it's not required - the alternator will work with the I input wired directly to a switched 12V source, as that first caption explains.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

What does the emissions light indicate...?

That Ford goofed the design, and abandoned a bad idea shortly after building the trucks with it.

Gary Lewis wrote

But, I could solder the resistor across the traces of the printed circuit next to the bulb, which would make it even easier.

That's how I do cluster mods.

Gary Lewis wrote

Now if I can figure out how to do the Engine or Check Engine and Battery strips.  Thoughts?

For a while (after caving in the quarter panel), I had a warning light for the swingaway tire carrier done the way you're talking about.  I simply printed the word "SWINGAWAY" onto common paper, put a layer of amber taillight repair tape over it to make it yellow, and then blacked it out with a permanent marker so it wouldn't be legible until backlit.  Cut it to fit, and glue it to the back of the cluster bezel, like the factory ones.

I think I might have printed the word black on white paper, but you could also print a black background, leaving the words white (in negative).  But a thermal printer (like a Brother P-Touch PT-2430-PC or QL-570) on self-adhesive tape would be cleaner & crisper.  They can never run because they don't use ink.

[Gary Lewis]

Jim - I'd found that sheet, but am worried that it will be smooth and, therefore, the ink will run.  The sheets I've used for inkjet printers have had one side that is pebbled or textured and you have to print on that side.  (Trust me, printing on the smooth side didn't work.  )

Shaun - Yes, there should be plenty of wire length with which to work.  I'd been thinking about this mod for some time, but this conversation got me down to the details.  I think it'll work nicely!

[ArdWrknTrk]

Inkjet I'm assuming?
Do you have access to laser or toner style printers?

Do you know what kind of plastic you were trying to print on?
Even a brand name like Mylar or Tinjin would give me an idea of the problem.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I noted that for this one on Amazon the last reviewer on page complained that the sheets were "frosted and not clear"

Harking back to the pedantry in Ricks thread, I would say ANY color is transparent or translucent, not 'clear'.
But, that's me...

Maybe give the Wal-Mart sheet a look.
For $3 it couldn't hurt to try

ETA: the mention of LED's in Matthews thread has me wondering if you could print on clear film and use a red led.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, inkjet.  And, I might well be able to print black on clear and use a red LED.  

But, it might let you see into the recess with the right lighting.  I think I'd like to find a red sheet on which to print.

[Steve83]

Did you see my previous post?

[Gary Lewis]

Steve - I saw it last night and given the detail in it was going to respond later after I knocked out a response to Jim.  But then the fireworks got going STRONGLY in the neighborhood so we went out to watch - until late.  So I forgot it.  But, the fireworks were GOOD!

Anyway, let me respond now:

Ammeter: On my "diagram for a truck with a voltmeter", that should have been "ammeter" and I meant a Bullnose truck diagram.  What I was saying is that many of the trucks being converted to 3G will have an ammeter in them and we need a diagram for exactly what that wiring will look like.  And while it is fairly easy to wire in a bulb w/a resistor, as I just outlined, I'd bet most of the folks won't want to do that.  So I was looking for a good diagram specific to a Bullnose truck that originally had an ammeter.

I think I'll have to create that, and I will not only want to address the switched power but also point out where the shunt is and how to bypass it.

Voltmeters: As for voltmeters themselves, we are in complete agreement that a voltmeter is much more functional than an ammeter.  And obviously Ford agreed as they dropped the ammeter in favor of the voltmeter in '87.  Good to know, thanks.

Cluster Mod's: I see how you've done the mod's and I like that.  But on the bulb socket, did you cut off the top of the socket to get to the contacts so you could solder in the resistor?  That's a slick trick.
 But my worry with placing it there is that my offspring might put that bulb holder in another hole.  So I'm wanting to solder the resistor to the circuit like you did in another spot.

Label: I'd like to do something other than a piece of paper.  So was contemplating the thermal printer idea as I have a little label printer.  But those self-adhesive strips aren't translucent, so how does the light get through?

[ArdWrknTrk]

Gary Lewis wrote

 I was looking for a good diagram specific to a Bullnose truck that originally had an ammeter.
I think I'll have to create that, and I will not only want to address the switched power but also point out where the shunt is and how to bypass it.

Cluster Mod's: I see how you've done the mod's and I like that.  But on the bulb socket, did you cut off the top of the socket to get to the contacts so you could solder in the resistor?  That's a slick trick.
 But my worry with placing it there is that my offspring might put that bulb holder in another hole.  So I'm wanting to solder the resistor to the circuit like you did in another spot.

I'm not Steve, but I did note in Schawbbers thread that you don't have a Bullnose with a 2G diagram.
(again, I'm sorry I missed his response)

Just sand the corners off and stick the resistor legs in. Done.

Why do you worry so about the future?
It's arcane NOW.
If it's just the one bulb out they will just remove the one holder.
If the rest are led's they will never burn out.
And if *someone* 50 years in the future pulls the whole thing apart they will probably have AR recordings of the disassembly guiding them on the task of resurrecting 'the chariot' that was unearthed.

[Steve83]

Gary Lewis wrote

So I was looking for a good diagram specific to a Bullnose truck that originally had an ammeter.

I thought you already had those among your scanned manual (EVTM) collection.

Gary Lewis wrote

...want to address the switched power...

Just use the factory voltage regulator switched wire, as with that early Bronco diagram.  It works for any alternator in or from any vehicle.

Gary Lewis wrote

...point out where the shunt is and how to bypass it.

It doesn't actually need any bypass or attention.  It will work just like any other wire on the truck.  What's critical is that the higher-output alternator be connected at the starter relay on the battery side.  That "bypasses" the shunt.

Gary Lewis wrote

...did you cut off the top of the socket to get to the contacts so you could solder in the resistor?

No, that's a factory bulb+resistor holder, specific to '87-88 clusters.

Gary Lewis wrote

So I'm wanting to solder the resistor to the circuit like you did in another spot.

That's certainly easier & better than finding the rare bulb holder, or copying it.

Gary Lewis wrote

...something other than a piece of paper.

Mine was laminated between plastic layers, and it looked & worked like the factory films.

Gary Lewis wrote

But those self-adhesive strips aren't translucent, so how does the light get through?

Nothing is 100% opaque, including those tapes - even the ones that have a permanent background color.  But clear tapes are available, as those pics show - those were white printing on clear tape.  I also have black on clear, but the white backgrounds show backlighting.  And with a bright-enough backlight (like a modern LED), you can also see it through the colored backgrounds - even black.

[Gary Lewis]

Jim - I worry about the future because I know my kids.  Everything they drive has idiot lights and OBD-II sockets so someone else can figure out what the problem is.  So I don't want to hand them a truck, or trucks as Dad's truck is going to follow Big Blue's lead, where they have to scan the gauges - like we were taught to do.  Within reason I want there to be warning lights to get their attention.  (I plan to have the Arduino that translates from the later sending units to the Bullnose gauges also monitor various parameters and sound an alarm as well as flash up a warning when limits have been crossed.)

Hence the Battery warning light.  But it would be very easy for someone to pull the bulb holders for the gauges, put them in a pile, and then put the wrong one in the right spot.  Maybe they are changing the LED colors, or maybe one burned out, but it could easily happen.

So I think about how to do it where it isn't likely there will be a problem.  And while it would be possible for them to change out the cluster and therefore lose the resistor, even then the alternator would still work if the bulb is there.  (Hmmmm, is the current from an LED enough to bootstrap the alternator?)  So I'd rather put the resistor on the cluster rather than on the bulb.

Steve - I'm having a problem with how I say things.  I do have scanned copies of the: 1G with ammeter; 1G with warning light: & 2G with ammeter.  But what I either need to find or create is a diagram that shows the before and after for all of those three scenarios.

The 3G with warning light is easy as I have Ford's diagrams for those.  But there isn't a Ford 3G with ammeter diagram since they never offered that combination, so I need to create that.

But you are right that we can use the factory voltage regulator switched wire for the source, and that works for either the 1G or 2G configuration.

As for the shunt, you are right - as long as there is no more current draw in the accessories than before the 3G swap there's no need to bypass the shunt.  I keep forgetting that, so I'm glad you reminded me.

On the labels, I just checked and the slots in the instrument bezels are .510" wide and the strips that are in there are .490" wide.  And, there's black on red 1/2" tape available for my Casio KL-P1000 printer, so I could go that way.  I think I'd still want to put the self-adhesive tape on a clear strip for support, but that would work.

However, I'd still like to find red sheets intended for inkjet printing as I believe that would give a brighter light.  But, it is very good to have options.  

[ArdWrknTrk]

No, an led does not pass enough current to excite the 3G.

AMHIK.

[ArdWrknTrk]

To me the issue with using a label writer would be the lack of a matching font or any icons.

It's trivial to scale a battery or oil can down to 3/8" and print it on a regular printer