Warning to those working with a F-600 dash.

hutch1973 · Post by **hutch1973** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:10 pm

This might just be common knowledge and I'm an idiot, but if not, I'll pass it on. I pulled apart my F-600 cluster last night to clean it up and found some junk on the face of the speedo. I couldn't get it off with a fingernail so lightly dampened a sponge to clean the surface. Low and behold, the ink used to print the face of the gauges is water soluble.

So simply put, don't wash it.

On the plus side, it made my personal debate on stock or aftermarket gauges in the cluster pretty simple. If anyone needs the stock Vacuum gauge for this cluster let me know, I didn't clean that one

steveheer · Post by **steveheer** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:21 pm

Really??

That's good to know!! I have one of those sitting up in my storage area. I've always used a damp cloth to clean faces, not F600 though, before and have had no ill effects--

spartman · Post by **spartman** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:34 pm

I know that has happend when I was cleaning the gauges in my Chevy truck and some other chevies.

Thought fords were screened on. Oh well

indy358 · Post by **indy358** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:32 pm

I'm planning on using a F600 cluster in my truck, but I don't know where to start with finding aftermarket gauges. Also, what is involved with hooking up the gauges to the factory harness?

hutch1973 · Post by **hutch1973** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:07 pm

At this point I'm thinking of buying some 3-3/4" gauges for the tach and speedo, and some 2-1/16" for the other gauges. I've measure out the back of the panel and if you cut around the built in bezel of the cluster, it's just about a perfect diameter to sink some gauges in from the front. I'll post pics when I do it if it actually works. I'm going to try to hack one up and see if it looks decent, then powder or chrome it when i'm done.

fordman · Post by **fordman** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:59 pm

so did the numbers smear or flake off?

hutch1973 · Post by **hutch1973** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:39 am

They smeared.

Fordfool · Post by **Fordfool** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:47 am

I just bargained for a F600 dash panel and am considering using some Stewart Warner guages. The have some really nice looking ones. I figured the 4 in 1 guage with temp, fuel, oil press, and voltage, then the speedo and then the tach on the right side. Not sure what to do with the smaller holes there tho.

hutch1973 · Post by **hutch1973** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:26 pm

I'm thinking of getting some VDO Vision gauges with black bezels and sinking them into the factory instru. cluster. I want to keep everything behind the original panel if I can because I have an idea for how I want it to look. I'm trying to find a way to do it with aftermarket gauges because the quotes I've gotten to restore the originals and get a matching tach is going to hit 800 bucks in a heartbeat.

CJ,s 67 F100 · Post by **CJ,s 67 F100** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:09 pm

I put my F600 dash in and the plugged it right into the plug on my 67 F100 and every thing worked except the turn signals. I took the stock wiring harness off my 67 dash and put it on my F600 dash and every thing worked right.

hutch1973 · Post by **hutch1973** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 3:12 pm

Just a quick note about the Vacuum gauge. I'm going to hold onto it a bit until I make up my mind on what I'm doing with the panel. If I end up putting aftermarket gauges in I may end up using the Vac. gauge bezel to ensure I'd have all the proper rings around the finished product.

f100ranger1969 · Post by **f100ranger1969** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 3:39 am

I'll add one more to the lot. I had my numbers smear on a standard gauge cluster youd find in any F100. As soon as it looked as if the numbers were coming off I stopped wiping. It was only a spare anyway but still, it becomes a very frustrating suprise when something like that happens!

Jeff

jor · Post by **jor** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 9:10 am

Low and behold, the ink used to print the face of the gauges is water soluble.

I also found that out the hard way. I had wetted a Q-tip and was gently cleaning the face of my speedo when the "1" turned into an "i." Ouch! It was one of those moments when you just stare at what you have just done and wonder if it really happened... Anyhow, probably best to gently blow air on the face and wipe with a soft cloth.
jor

hutch1973 · Post by **hutch1973** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 5:10 pm

My moment was one of throwing the sponge and cussing, but to each his own..

Just put in the order for all new VDO gauges. My hope is to mount them behind the original panel. $419 for 6 gauges and all needed sending units, which is pretty much what it was going to run to get an tach to match the factory gauges.

capeclassics · Post by **capeclassics** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:16 pm

For the guys who got their gauges smeared.....might be a good time to get a set of the white face gauges on ebay....about $15.00 and really sharp lookin.Just a thought.

The FORDification.com Forums

Warning to those working with a F-600 dash.

Warning to those working with a F-600 dash.

re: Warning to those working with a F-600 dash.

re: Warning to those working with a F-600 dash.

re: Warning to those working with a F-600 dash.

re: Warning to those working with a F-600 dash.

re: Warning to those working with a F-600 dash.

re: Warning to those working with a F-600 dash.

re: Warning to those working with a F-600 dash.