Don't do what I did

[Anonymous Poster]

Don\'t do what I did

One of my idiot lights on the dash burns out, so I pull the instrument panel out of my L2850 and change the bulb. As long as I'm in there, I might as well clean the inside of the glass panel and the faces of the instruments, right?

So I remove all the screws that hold the surround plastic to the instrument cluster, carefully detach them, and start cleaning the glass on both sides, which is remaining in place inside the surround plastic. It seemed to be glued in there somehow, but it was just held together by 10 years of being bolted together, and the next thing I know, the glass falls out and hits the floor and shatters. I said a bad word.

Okay, a few minutes to cool down, this is no big deal, just gotta get the glass. I might as well go ahead and clean the instrument faces as long as it's apart. Using a soft flannel cloth dabbed in a bit of water, I start carefully wiping to remove the dust and dirt. Well, the white paint from the lettering and tach markings started smearing all over the place! Water was dissolving the damn paint. I couldn't believe it. I took it in the house and used q-tips and got most of it cleaned up, but the white lettering is definitely dulled.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Don\'t do what I did

If you haven't put it back together yet, a gauge shop or glass shop can cut a glass if your dealer can't get one, and I went to the local high school once and the art teacher knew just who would want a job (and had the talent) redoing the numbers on an old car speedo. They were happy to get some paying work and I was flabbergasted by the quality of their work.

 

[Bird]

Re: Don\'t do what I did

Hey, Dummy, I'm still laughing./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif But only because that sounds so much like so many of MY projects.

Bird

 

[Thomas]

Re: Don\'t do what I did

Now would that be like cooking a stuff turkey and when one returns home after couple of hours only to find I forgot to turn on the oven.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Muhammad]

Re: Don\'t do what I did

Yeah, like del said, you can probably get the numbers either redone, or just replace the gauge face sheet... if it is a sheet. I'm pretty sure it would be all one on the L2850. Good word of caution if anyone else gets to tinkering. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Boondox]

Speaking of turkeys..

Hey Thomas, did you ever try grilling a turkey on the BBQ? We have a little domed gas grill. Just big enough to cook a small turkey standing up. If you don't stuff it, but set it up so the hot gasses rise right up that "chimney," in about 1 hr 45 mins you'll have the tastiest bird you can imagine.

Pete

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Don\'t do what I did

The gauge faces is 3 separate pieces, one each for the fuel, tach, and temp gauge. It looks like to change'em would involve pulling the needles off of each and then carefully removing a couple tiny phillips head screws. It's not that bad, though, since I cleaned off all the white smears there's just a little discoloration on some of the white markings. And honestly, after what I've gone through, I'm a little gun shy, I'm sure if I tried to replace those face plates I'd rip the innards out when I pulled the indicator needles off. So I got a piece of glass cut for $20 and I put it back together as is. I just wanted to warn anyone else, if you're in there, be careful. Who'da thunk the paint on the gauge faces would be water soluble? Certainly never occurred to me.

 

[Muhammad]

Re: Don\'t do what I did

Yeah, that is probably safe. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I pictured the numbers as smeared... I think I have seen that type of 'paint' before... after it dries out and you add water, you get that mess you described. I'm not sure if the new models use the same paint, though...

 

[Bird]

Re: Speaking of turkeys..

Pete, that don't sound bad, but is it as good as a Cajun fried turkey. I fried 3 little 12 pounders Sunday morning, 42 minutes each, and don't know how one could taste much better.

Bird

 

[Boondox]

Re: Speaking of turkeys..

That sounds spicy, Bird. The only disappointment of my marriage is that my lovely bride doesn't like anything hot, except the weather. Having been brought up in SoCal, I love Mexican food. She, being a native Vermonter, thinks Taco Bell is too hot.

Conversely I, having been raised in Southern Cal, simply adore our New England winters. She, having had her fill of cold, hates anything below 60 degrees.

Pete