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1953 Chevrolet Pickup - A Simple Plan

Rebuilding AD Gauges With Jim Carter
By Rob Fortier
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
Don't you hate when this happens?... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
Don't you hate when this happens? Old fittings that have been in a cylinder head for some time tend to get quite comfortable and don't take kindly to removal. This one put up a good fight until the very end. No worries, Jim Carter Classic Truck Parts was waiting for the call!
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
Prior to the capillary incident,... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
Prior to the capillary incident, the gauges in the '53 worked well enough, all except the fuel gauge, which didn't work at all, but a spare gas can helped with that. As for the oil pressure gauge, it seemed to work the best-but as you will soon see, it was all a lie!
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
Since the sending unit was... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
Since the sending unit was already dislodged, it was just a matter of removing the gauge cluster unit in order to get the parts ready to ship off. On the backside of the dash you'll find four nutted studs holding the cluster in place. A 3/8-inch nutdriver works well here, but have a small open-end on hand, as well.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
Prior to undoing any of the... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
Prior to undoing any of the electrical connections, disconnect the battery! It's also a good idea to mark the wires to avoid any confusion later on. Now's also a good time to address any "iffy" wiring, too.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
After disconnecting all the... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
After disconnecting all the wires, drop the cluster out from behind the dash. In order to get the individual instruments out, you'll need to separate the bezel/glass from the housing.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
The mechanical gauges are... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
The mechanical gauges are held in place with small screws, while the electric gauges have nuts that tighten down on their sending posts that go through the housing.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
If reusing the decorative... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
If reusing the decorative parts of the cluster, take care in removing and store somewhere safe until it's time to reinstall.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
The "square" hole that the... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
The "square" hole that the temp tube feeds through is just the right size for the capillary bulb to slip through; since this particular one didn't cooperate, it didn't make any difference. If you're disassembling just to restore cosmetically, be extra gentle with both mechanical sending unit lines.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
The temp gauge and corresponding... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
The temp gauge and corresponding parts were ready to ship off to Jim Carter; now all that remained was removal of the fuel gauge.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
Because of my increasing forgetfulness,... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
Because of my increasing forgetfulness, I numbered the connections on the housing, too. The broken piece of cardboard on the electrical posts actually serves as a protective barrier between the "hot" and sending sides.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
When the truck was updated... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
When the truck was updated to 12V, the Fuel gauge wasn't wired through the voltage reducer. Obviously, it didn't appreciate the extra zap it got, which rendered it useless...until now.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
While new cosmetic components... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
While new cosmetic components are available, these parts were still in really good shape. All they needed was a little extra TLC.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
For the bezel, I simply gave... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
For the bezel, I simply gave it a once-over with extra-fine steel wool followed by some Mothers chrome polish.
1953 Chevrolet Pickup
The glass was also hit with... 
   
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1953 Chevrolet Pickup
The glass was also hit with the steel wool, while a fresh razor blade got rid of insulator "stuff" that began protruding from behind the bezel. The gauge faceplate simply needed to be wiped down with some window cleaner. Not bad, huh? If yours are beyond repair, Jim Carter has the goods to replace.

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1953 Chevrolet Pickup  1953 Chevrolet Pickup
1953 Chevrolet Pickup  1953 Chevrolet Pickup
 
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