Instrument Lights

[Guest]

Looking for advice. I have had my first Stag (Mk2) all of 8 weeks now and loving it, but it means I am still learning about their foibles. Today's issue is the instrument lights. Driving at night for the first time I could hardly see the instruments at all. At first i put it down to a dodgy rheostat as it was loose fitting and fiddling with it did nothing to the lighting. After taking the dashboard out I see now that its not even connected. Reading some earlier threads it appears disconnecting the rheostat may be a common mod so there is full illumination at all times but if what I get now is full strength what must it be like with the rheostat working? What I have now is very weak green glow but its very difficult to read the instrument. Is this typical? What do Stag owners normally do with the instrument lights?

Thanks

David

[Ian Durrant]

Some people have used adhesive backed foil on the inside the instrument to help give more light. There is also a recent thread about changing to LED illumination from the normal bulbs. LED bulbs can't be dimmed by rheostat though.

[Peter Hills]

Hi Oz,

Welcome to the peculiar world of the Stag!

As far as instrument lighting is concerned, yes - it's rubbish! However, you can improve things yourself.

Firstly, ensure that you have +12v on the lighting circuit. The rheostat is well kept out of circuit. Also ensure all earth points are clean and well connected.

Secondly, replace all bulbs.

Thirdly, taking one instrument at a time, remove the front face. There are three (I think) little bent over clips securing the front bezel onto the body of the instrument. You may be able to rotate the bezel and release it from the body but it is more likely that you will have to ease the clips with a small, 1/8" or 3mm, screwdriver. The mechanism can then be removed from the body. Wash the front face, clean and dry it. Then clean the inside of the instrument case and repaint it white.

You may find a coloured band around the mechanism. If so, clean it both sides.

Finally, re-assemble everything and the lighting should be better but probably won't be to the same standard as modern car's instrument lighting.

Hope this helps

Peter

[Colonel Mustard]

Hi David,

The illumination is rubbish as standard. If you plan on cleaning the instruments...here's a word of caution...don't try to clean the face of the dial. I did mine and even gently rubbing the face with nothing more than a piece of damp cloth rubbed the paint strait off!

I cleaned the glass on the other dials inside and out and left it at that.

Although mine is a very early Mk1 and maybe they stopped using emulsion paint on later cars ha ha

Chris

[Guest]

Hi Guys,
Finally got around to stripping out the intsruments and cleaning them but when I remove the front bezel I find there is degraded hard black material behind the bezel which is now all crumbly and falling out. I guesse this is old mastic or other used to hold the glass in place. What should I use to replace it? Any help appreciated.
Thanks
David

[73stagman]

One of our fellow SOC members does gauge repair and lists spare parts on his site / shop
http://www.thegaugeshop.com/

He will come on here later and tell you himself Im sure but that is the link to his shop

[Guest]

Any ideas anyone? I am ready to rebuild my dashboard but are stuck on this point and would appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Thanks

David

[peterrc]

Hi David, I think this is similar to what you are looking for http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-MGB-GT-...item336ca0b4ea
I am sure that if you contact them they will help.
Peter, Cupar

[KOY 23]

I think you will find 2 rings, one on the outside of the gauge, as per the above listing. There is also a ring inside the gauge to cushion the glass which is the one Oz is talking about. Don't know if available, if not a thin carefully applied bead of silicon may substitute.

[DJT]

Buy some 1.5mm o-ring rubber like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quality-O-...item1c18ac196f

Fit that to the gauge, then fit the glass, then the bezel. You can also use it to make a seal to go between the gauge and the wood, as the rubber ring that was there is probably also 'toast' by now. It is a long time since I did this job, and memory being what it is I can't recall exactly what size o-ring I used as I have bags of different sizes. But 1.5mm seems about right.

Dave

[stag157.7]

Buy some 1.5mm o-ring rubber like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quality-O-...item1c18ac196f

Fit that to the gauge, then fit the glass, then the bezel. You can also use it to make a seal to go between the gauge and the wood, as the rubber ring that was there is probably also 'toast' by now. It is a long time since I did this job, and memory being what it is I can't recall exactly what size o-ring I used as I have bags of different sizes. But 1.5mm seems about right.

Dave

3mm neoprene for bezel to glass

square section o ring for dash to gauge

pm me and i will send you some

alan
the gauge shop

[Firept]

David.
Recently I had to rebuild my Tacho as the old electronics gave up so whilst rebuilding the circuit I started to look at the lights, I agree from a modern car going into the Stag you need night vision to be able to see the flickering instruments.
I have fitted these (220748636423) to the inside of the housing used enough to go about 75% of the way round the inside and as close to the front of the housing as you can get them and bingo its really bright at last. Just got to do all of the others now a winters job.
In reality the brightness of LED's need to be controlled by PWM (pulse width modulation) for proper brightness control but to be honest the rheostat works just fine may be not the full range of the filament lamps but who cares at least you can see the instruments now.

First used these on top of the kitchen cabinets to act as a diffused lighting great for that sort of job and cost next to nothing to run.

Paul.