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1949 Chevrolet Gauge Cluster - Dashing Good LooksSolving The '49 Chevy's Unique Gauge Size Problem From the February, 2011 issue of Rod & Custom By Kev Elliot
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Haneline USA supplied one... Haneline USA supplied one of their 5 in 1 Cluster Gauges and the unique aluminum ring that allows it to fit into the odd-sized '49 Chevy dash. They also sent the necessary oil, water, and fuel senders and associated hardware, plus the Pulse Generator (next to the gauge) that allows the electronic speedometer to work. The gauge is supplied with a wiring harness and multi-plug connector, so it can be easily removed from the dash if required. I always liked the appearance of the stock gauge cluster in the Purple Pig, but the speedometer stopped working a while before I quit driving the car, the chrome on the surround was rusty, and the numerals were worn out. In short, it would have needed a total restoration and recalibration. The idea of a modern but retro-looking electric gauge was appealing, but the '49 Chevy has a unique gauge size; at 7 1/4 inches in diameter, and coupled with its recessed surround, sourcing a replacement that suited the theme of the car (Dakota Digital offers a digital gauge for these models) was proving next to impossible. Then I discovered the 5 in 1 Cluster Gauge by Haneline USA, and more importantly, the adapter ring they offer to fit a '49 Chevy. These gauges are available in white and black, but when I found they also come in cream, I was sold. The gauge is all-electric, meaning there's no speedometer cable to worry about, and comes with a harness and connector to enable easy hook up to an existing wiring harness. Having no cable means a pulse signal generator is required, but Haneline supplied one for our GM transmission, which will also work withmost Chryslers and even early Ford torque tube speedometer drives, as it is equipped with a 7/8-18 inch thread. GM computer-controlled transmissions require a signal translator, so speak to Haneline about your requirements if you're using a late 700-R4, 4L60E, or 4L80E. Ford owners will require a different hard-coupler, as well as a different pulse generator, also available from Haneline. It should be noted that if you use a pulse signal generator from another manufacturer, ensure it is an 8,000 pulse per mile unit or the speedometer won't work. The water temperature and oil pressure senders are simple to fit and hook up, though the fuel tank sender has to be set up correctly, as the gauge uses a 240-33-ohm sender (supplied). Your tank may already have the correct sender, though my Aeromotive tank was supplied with a 0-90-ohm sender, which I had to replace. The whole job was easily completed in a day, though I had to paint my dash before I could fit the gauge, as it's held in by the retaining bolts on the chrome dash trim. Once installed, the speedometer requires calibrating, though the comprehensive instructions explain how to do this. However, this needs to be done once the car is driveable, so that will have to wait a little while longer. Soon though, soon ...  Shown alongside the original...  Shown alongside the original gauge, which also contained the four ancillary gauges, you can see why the 5 in 1 was so appealing, as it meant I wouldn't have to cut holes or add brackets to mount any other gauges in the dashboard, or below it. Given the Chevy's 7 1/4-inch dash aperture, sourcing a suitable gauge (other than digital) was proving difficult, until I discovered Haneline's adapter ring.  The stock gauge was held in...  The stock gauge was held in place using the retaining bolts at the ends of the chrome dash trim, and the Haneline adapter ring is supplied with brackets to use these same bolts. Every dash will be slightly different; I had to flatten mine slightly in order to hold the ring firmly in place.  With the ring in place-and...  With the ring in place-and the upper and lower dash painted-the gauge is simply pushed in from the front. It's a tight fit, with the gauge bezel mounting flush with the surface of the adapter in a machined recess.  The main bundle of wires exiting...  The main bundle of wires exiting the housing is for the various gauge senders, turn signal indicators, and high-beam warning light, while a separate group leads to this trip switch, which I'll mount out of sight under the lower lip of the dashboard.  The knurled nuts are designed...  The knurled nuts are designed to be finger-tightened, so as not to crush the back of the gauge housing.  Once seated, the gauge is...  Once seated, the gauge is held in place using a pair of knurled nuts and L-shaped brackets, which push against the adapter. Though deep, the gauge clears the stock wiper mechanism.  Remove the rectangular plastic...  Remove the rectangular plastic cover on the rear of the gauge housing and you'll find these adjustment switches used to calibrate the speedometer. They're set here in the factory starting calibration positions, then using the instructions and calibration table supplied, they are set to calibrate the speedometer depending on variables, such as the vehicle's tire and rim size and rearend gearing.  The Haneline gauge is all...  The Haneline gauge is all electric, meaning the speedometer has no cable, but uses a pulse signal generator. The unit provided attaches on GM transmissions, such as the Powerglide, TH350, 400, early 700-R4, and 200-R4, directly to the speedometer drive housing at the rear of the transmission casing, and should be wired as per the instructions. The speedometer drive housing is shown here (arrow). The original cable would exit the yellow plastic part.  Of course nothing's ever straightforward...  Of course nothing's ever straightforward when building a car, and I had to notch my transmission crossmember in order to clear the pulse signal generator. As the crossmember mounts to the frame in four places, and the trans bolts to it below this point, I didn't remove any serious structural metal from the section that loops over the tailshaft. If it were elsewhere, I'd have inserted a full tube instead of a recess to retain strength.  After checking with Haneline...  After checking with Haneline that I had the correct generator, a call to Gearstar, which provided my transmission, revealed that I have a late 200-4R that has a housing with a protuberance on the "outside" of the thread, and I needed an earlier version, with a "flat" end (in foreground). Problem solved.  Thanks to Zack Farah at Gearstar...  Thanks to Zack Farah at Gearstar and his company's prompt service, a couple days later I was able to hook up the pulse signal generator to the correct drive housing, and complete the installation.  Here's where I hit a snag,...  Here's where I hit a snag, and the more research I did, the more confused I became. Though they don't look it, as the pulse signal generator on the left is closer to the camera than the speedometer drive housing on the right, the threads are both 7/8-18 inch, and the "cable" that operates the generator is 0.104 inch, the correct size for a GM drive, but I couldn't thread them together as the threads on the generator weren't deep enough to even get started on the drive housing.  Haneline supplied this oil...  Haneline supplied this oil pressure sender, which was mounted under the distributor using the 45-degree adaptor in the kit. I have yet to hook up the wires to any of the senders. It should be noted that if your engine has a computer management system, the stock sender should be retained to maintain correct sender calibration signals.  A water temperature sender...  A water temperature sender was also supplied, and mounted in the intake manifold next to the thermostat housing. Again, if an engine management system is used, the stock sender should be retained, and the Haneline sender located in an alternate position, such as between the center cylinder on later GM heads, where there's a removable plug.  With the new sender assembly...  With the new sender assembly adjusted to its shortest setting, I installed the float arm. Here I'm pointing to the tabs on the bracket that limit the arm's travel, denoting its upper and lower limits.  The Haneline instructions...  The Haneline instructions provide detailed notes on setting up the sender for specific tank depths, with measurements for the length of the adjustable assembly and length of the float arm, but seeing as the Aeromotive sender was already set up, I merely copied that one. Here I'm determining the upper (full) and lower (empty) limits of the float arm and marking them on cardboard.  Though my Aeromotive fuel...  Though my Aeromotive fuel tank came with a fuel gauge sender already installed, it was a 0-90-ohm sender (the black version in the foreground) and the Haneline gauge requires a 240-33-ohm sender. Luckily, the mounting holes matched on both, so I "just" had to swap them out.  As the arm has to reach those...  As the arm has to reach those limits to operate correctly, and the pivot was now so close to the top of the 8-inch-deep tank, the arm required bending to place the float in the correct positions for full and empty. Trial and error using the cardboard pattern determined this.  Using a new rubber gasket...  Using a new rubber gasket (supplied) the sender was inserted into the top of the tank. Before I started, I ensured the float arm could move freely in the position determined by the asymmetrical mounting holes, though the assembly can be rotated on the top plate. The float arm faces the rear of the car, placing the float in the center of the tank.  Voilá! Here's the arm in the...  Voilá! Here's the arm in the upper, full position and here it is on the lower, empty mark.  Installed and ready to connect...  Installed and ready to connect the wiring, which of course uses different connectors to the sender it replaced; spade terminals instead of ring terminals!
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