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Any tips on getting the rheostat out?


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My instrument lights have all failed and so I am assuming that the rehostat is fried as all other bulbs ok.

But I cannot for the life of me locate a spanner on the retaining nuts.  I can see where I need to get to (best view obtained by removing the ash try) but my sausage fingers seem to stop me getting to them.

Any tips?  I plan to bypass the rheostat anyway and use the hole to mount a clock so have considered cutting / drilling it out from the front but thought I would ask on here first.  

Next I want to swap to LED bulbs as well so expect more stupid how to questions!   

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If all the instrument lights have switched off I would just rotate the rheostat to see if they come on.  Sometimes I have accidentally knocked the rheostat and then found some weeks later that the lights don’t work.  Turning the rheostat always switches them back on ( for me at least).

 

if the rheostat has failed then I would remove the dash and tackle it on the bench.  Especially so if you plan to install a clock!
 

good luck.

 

 

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De

55 minutes ago, aardvark said:

If all the instrument lights have switched off I would just rotate the rheostat to see if they come on.  Sometimes I have accidentally knocked the rheostat and then found some weeks later that the lights don’t work.  Turning the rheostat always switches them back on ( for me at least).

 

if the rheostat has failed then I would remove the dash and tackle it on the bench.  Especially so if you plan to install a clock!
 

good luck.

 

 

Definitely not turned off rheostat.  No amount of twiddling has got it working

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So the dash has to come out I’m afraid.  The two big instruments have to be totally removed and then perhaps you can tilt the wooden dash enough to get at the rheostat without removing the other instruments.  If you got this far though it’s easier to remove all the instruments and do the remainder of the task on the bench.

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Hi When you get to changing the dash lights to LEDs don't forget the indicator dash light must not be polarity sensitive to work. I used this kit which is inexpensive and includes special led for indicator dash light.

https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/products/triumph-tr6-warm-white-gauge-10-x-led-bulbs-upgrade-kit-glb987-e10-mes-987

I can now tell if the indicators are flashing in daylight which was impossible before !

PS I still have the reostat which is permanently on max for LEDs to work. Was also thinking of reving it to replace with a clock sometime in the future.

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4 hours ago, Hawk said:

I was hoping to avoid taking the dash out ..... and to do this I will need to remove the other instruments will I not? And this creates the same issues for my fat hands!

 

If you want to minimize the work-check the switch and as much of the wiring as you can before deciding to remove the dash & instruments.  Removing the instruments opens a can of worms with the old Lucas connectors in the instrument wiring. 

If you are replacing the instrument globes you will need to take the dash panel out- I've never been able to reliably replace the globes in the speedo and tacho with the instruments in place. And with LED's check everything works before you put the instruments back in - globe polarity etc.

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I’m presently redoing all the dash wiring and have done away with all the old connectors and replaced them with more modern ones.

The bulbs are being replaced with LEDs and I’ve also used new bulb holders.

 

Everything will be able to be disconnected easily and the multi plugs will only connect one way so any future maintenance ( hopefully not required for many years as everything new!!!) should be simplified.

Nigel

 

F0C6A587-E752-4F94-A1D0-D55B6A53CAFE.jpeg

Edited by Nigel A
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Thanks for all of the tips ....looks like the dash is coming out.

But not yet .... with the dash out I will want to do more than just sort the bulbs and rheostat and I don't want to take the car off the road until early next year.

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13 hours ago, Phil H 4 said:

Put LEDs in last year, and put in a Smiths clock at the same time.

LED's from Classic car LED's and  Clock from Speedy Cables - no connection just good service from these suppliers.

104.jpg

That is exactly what I am looking to do (but with green leds).

Thanks for the info on sources for clocks

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I might be mis-rememberiing, but don't you remove the knob & undo a nut to remove the rheostat? Then push it through so you can bypass it.   Or just snip the wires.

Jerry

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As a temp solution (and diagnosis), try to bypass the rheostat by swapping one of the connectors to the spare fitting on the same side. Should be able to do behind the dash and if it's the rheostat, your lights will be back

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  • 2 months later...

Hi, I had a problem with the rheostat and replaced it with a PWM unit (DIM-12 by Abeltronics) that is controlled by a 10kohm potentiometer. The unit comes with a potentiometer but I sourced a more robust one and fitted it in place of the rheostat. This will then work with either bulbs or LEDs. The biggest problem was fettling the round spindle to fit on to the original knob. 

I replaced the bulbs with LEDs and re-furbished the gauges at the same time. The instruments had diffusers in them which were variously absent, mucky blue, mucky green and burnt brown from a bulb failure. I removed them all and painted the insides of the instrument housings white. LEDs do not have a broad spectrum which makes them useless. Buy the LEDs from Classic Car LEDs and they can supply white, warm white, blue and green (excellent service by the way). As previously noted the indicator (trafficator) green bulb has to be dual polarity.

If anybody is interested I can supply circuit diagram and list of suppliers.

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21 minutes ago, Tom B said:

hey can supply white, warm white, blue and green

and red but, oddly, not as a TR6 car kit.

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Red? I'd have thought it would be the most appropriate. Commonly used anywhere the preservation of night vision is important. Blue , otoh, pretty much the opposite!

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