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I searched, and didn't really come up with an answer.
i want to keep my stock guages, but i am wondering if there is any way to make them work with 12v. without having looked, i am hoping the oil psi and coolant temp are mechanical. if so that will be easy. the alternator output and fuel guage seem like they may be difficult. obviously the speedo is a non issue.
anyone done anything like this?
Ryan
All the gauges are electric, and none will work off 12V, even with any reasonable modifications... If you want to keep the stock gauges, your best bet is a small 12->24V converter stuffed in the dash. You can usually get them for $20-ish on ebay, if you don't mind a random part, not actual military parts. Any 12->24V converter will work, any isolated 12->12V converter will work, and some -12->12V conveters will also work.
--Bushytails
non military is not an issue for me. the entire driveline is civvy GM and my goal is just that it works, and has an outer appearance of being an m715. if you use the 12-24 converter will the output of the 12v senders jive with gauges? i assume that it would just double the voltage of the sender signal to the gauge? it appears to me that the stock charge guage is a voltage indicator as opposed to an ammeter so it would just double the actual battery voltage?
i am not very understanding when it comes to electricity unless it is drawn out in crayon in the simplest manner. when you step up the voltage, the current also goes up based on ohms law. so i guess it would just trick the guages into thinking that nothing has changed, right? therefor the normal 12v stuff is still safe from an increase in amperage but the guages work like normal.
next question, the senders would need to be correctly matched to the guages. shouldn't be a problem with battery voltage but coolant and oil pres. could be different i assume and the tank sender would need to be the same resistance swing as the stock one or would it need to be different too?
thanks
ryan
Ryan, I used Isspro gauges in my truck. They look really close to original military. They are made in Portland Or. and were reasonably priced for what I purchased. Isspro owns Stewart Warner and Datcon, which also make their own styles of gauges. Check out their website and or order a catalogue. They make and sell all kinds of neat stuff for trucks.
will do, thanks for the source. part of wanting to use the stockers is the fact that i have a couple sets of them, and that makes them free. plus they look all old and crusty like the rest of my truck. old and crusty is my asthetic for this rig unless i have to fab it. then it has to look top notch, or at least as good as feel that particular day :)
Ryan
I might be wrong, but I believe all the original gauges are Steward Warners. They tend to be pricey, but SW still makes a line of gauges that look very similar.
You are correct and they do make a series that looks very close...
One member posted this :
Stewart-Warner "Deluxe" series gages, they fit perfect and look almost identical to the military gages. I painted the chrome bezels OD and at a glance you cant tell the difference (these are electrical gages, the S-W mechanical gages do look slightly different from stock).