. So be careful guys when you remove the needles. 
Installed McNord gauges today...
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Installed McNord gauges today... I installed 2 today (mine and Dave's) and it is super easy. If you even have a rough idea where the needles were they basically WANT to go back where they are supposed to be, it is weird.
Anyway, checked both against a laptop and they were great
Here's some of our pics...
Dave has a Granatelli Signature Series Camaro 1 of 3 (was supposed to be 1 of 5 but only 3 ended up being made). He got permission to put the signature on the face..
Here's mine... Made to look like my Cobalts (which I didn't have them I'd have done the above color IN A HEARTBEAT, it looked SOOOO good
):
I'm really considering changing mine up completely by going back to a stock trans-am bezel and possibly ordering different color and getting different gauges...
Anyway, checked both against a laptop and they were great
Here's some of our pics...Dave has a Granatelli Signature Series Camaro 1 of 3 (was supposed to be 1 of 5 but only 3 ended up being made). He got permission to put the signature on the face..
Here's mine... Made to look like my Cobalts (which I didn't have them I'd have done the above color IN A HEARTBEAT, it looked SOOOO good
):I'm really considering changing mine up completely by going back to a stock trans-am bezel and possibly ordering different color and getting different gauges...
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From: Valley Village, CA
No lit pics yet but it looked awesome (on mine, haven't seen Dave's). I'm going to be stuck on a set for the majority of the next 48 hours so you fellows are going to have to be patient...
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the gray ones are mine. they dont have the "silver" effect to them, i didnt want it.
as for night shots...not yet. i just ordered a white LED set from Brian. I would say that its almost a requirement, as the stock bulbs are yellowish, and still have the same bright/dull spots that the LEDs leave. i also think that since i got gray, its not as dark as the black, so some light comes through. im going to try to use some black paint (if possible) to darken that up a bit.
as for night shots...not yet. i just ordered a white LED set from Brian. I would say that its almost a requirement, as the stock bulbs are yellowish, and still have the same bright/dull spots that the LEDs leave. i also think that since i got gray, its not as dark as the black, so some light comes through. im going to try to use some black paint (if possible) to darken that up a bit.
On a seperate note, I tried to install LED's while I had it out, but none of them would come on. I wound up putting the old lights back in. All but one came on. Not to highjack, but any ideas as to why this is?
if the LEDs didnt work then you should have tried to reverse the polarity, LEDs are polarity biased, standard bulbs arent. so if you reverse + and - on LEDs they wont work, on regualr bulbs it doesnt matter, they work either way.
if one standard didnt come on, it might be burned out. try swapping it with another one and see if its the location, the bulb, or maybe it wasnt in right.
on another attempt to hijack this thread, Mark, i don thin you installed the voltmeter gauge or the gas gauge properly. last night i filled up with 12 gallons of gas but it said i was jsut under 1/2 tank when i pulled into the station. it also said that i never got above 13 volts, but usually im just above 14. ill adjust the voltmeter, but the gas gauge ill just watch for now. i clock the miles anyways.
if one standard didnt come on, it might be burned out. try swapping it with another one and see if its the location, the bulb, or maybe it wasnt in right.
on another attempt to hijack this thread, Mark, i don thin you installed the voltmeter gauge or the gas gauge properly. last night i filled up with 12 gallons of gas but it said i was jsut under 1/2 tank when i pulled into the station. it also said that i never got above 13 volts, but usually im just above 14. ill adjust the voltmeter, but the gas gauge ill just watch for now. i clock the miles anyways.
^^^For your gas guage, next time you fill up, set the needle where it usually goes when you are completely full. Same with the volt meter, turn on the car and let it warm up. Then put the needle where it typically goes when you are warm. Not exact, but it'll have to do. Unless anyone has any better ideas.
Back to the hijack, damnit, I'm sorry. I did reverse the polarity (if by this you mean turning it 180* and trying "backwards", if you will).
Back to the hijack, damnit, I'm sorry. I did reverse the polarity (if by this you mean turning it 180* and trying "backwards", if you will).
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I just installed my Mcnord overlay as well. Very easy, but definetly be careful with the needles. I didn't make note of where the needles were because they all moved around when I took the guage out. Now I know that is normal. I had to put the guage in (without the cover), turn on the car, and pretty much estimate where all the needles should have been. The speedo is off, so I'm going back in to fix that soon.
On a seperate note, I tried to install LED's while I had it out, but none of them would come on. I wound up putting the old lights back in. All but one came on. Not to highjack, but any ideas as to why this is?
On a seperate note, I tried to install LED's while I had it out, but none of them would come on. I wound up putting the old lights back in. All but one came on. Not to highjack, but any ideas as to why this is?
Now here's how to fix it if you didn't do that and don't have a computer....
At idle your oil pressure should be 40 or just below, your water temp should be 210 (if the car is 1999+ and warmed up) voltage is usually 13.2 but you can check that with a cheap/free (if you go to AutoZone and rent it) voltmeter.
Fuel gauge, as said fill it up and install needle on full...
MPH you just put the needle on so it reads 0mph (which you have to measure or imagine since the gauge's lowest reading is 5mph...
RPM is hardest if you didn't mark where it was before. You need to buy a cheap tach and tap it into the computer to get a measurement. Or just put it where it "should" be at idle (I don't know what a stock car idles at though)...
Now, it sounds like this will be off because they are just guessed BUT it isn't. When you go to put the needle back on in the general area it is SUPPOSED to be in (my references above) it will actually grab itself and put it where it really ORIGINALLY pointed to.
They aren't keyed but from where or whatever they do self align to an extent. This is not something I read and can confirm, just something I know from experience on multiple cars (installing this way and checking against a laptop later and verifying they are accurate)..
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if the LEDs didnt work then you should have tried to reverse the polarity, LEDs are polarity biased, standard bulbs arent. so if you reverse + and - on LEDs they wont work, on regualr bulbs it doesnt matter, they work either way.
if one standard didnt come on, it might be burned out. try swapping it with another one and see if its the location, the bulb, or maybe it wasnt in right.
on another attempt to hijack this thread, Mark, i don thin you installed the voltmeter gauge or the gas gauge properly. last night i filled up with 12 gallons of gas but it said i was jsut under 1/2 tank when i pulled into the station. it also said that i never got above 13 volts, but usually im just above 14. ill adjust the voltmeter, but the gas gauge ill just watch for now. i clock the miles anyways.
if one standard didnt come on, it might be burned out. try swapping it with another one and see if its the location, the bulb, or maybe it wasnt in right.
on another attempt to hijack this thread, Mark, i don thin you installed the voltmeter gauge or the gas gauge properly. last night i filled up with 12 gallons of gas but it said i was jsut under 1/2 tank when i pulled into the station. it also said that i never got above 13 volts, but usually im just above 14. ill adjust the voltmeter, but the gas gauge ill just watch for now. i clock the miles anyways.
From the factory they always read wrong, yours must have read high because unless you have a higher amp alternator is shouldn't have been above 14...
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Oh Dave, just remembered... For the gas you HAVE to do it when it is full. Our stupid shaped tanks make it read funny (hence when you fill up it stays full for days then when it drops it drops rapidly).
It was at 9 gallons and I put it just over half which with our screwed up gauges I should have put it closer to 3/4's or more...
It was at 9 gallons and I put it just over half which with our screwed up gauges I should have put it closer to 3/4's or more...
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Be careful when you install them. If you snap the bezel back on a certain way it causes the overlay to bunch and pull up a little (I know from experience). Easy fix though...
If you look at the top left of the overlay (with the bezel off) you will see the top left tab made to align the overlay (you stick it on the guide peg at this point). This is where it gets pushed down on causing it to bunch up.
Some bezels are rounded there and it has a sharp corner. Most fit in fine but you have to make note of that when you install it or it bunches up as I have learned myself...
If you look at the top left of the overlay (with the bezel off) you will see the top left tab made to align the overlay (you stick it on the guide peg at this point). This is where it gets pushed down on causing it to bunch up.
Some bezels are rounded there and it has a sharp corner. Most fit in fine but you have to make note of that when you install it or it bunches up as I have learned myself...