HOW-TO: 03-06 NBS Gauge cluster LED conversion

[Bombsquad85]

I usually use about 220 to 320 grit. Any more than 220 and it leaves really deep sanding scratches. You CAN however start with 120 or 150 for fast knockdown, then finish with 220 or 320. I have also used Emery boards as well and they work ok.

Do you just run the LED across the sand paper?

 

[ScottyBoy]

Do you just run the LED across the sand paper?

Yep, that's exactly what I do. Just be careful that you are holding the LED straight up, or else the top won't be flat, it will end up angled.

 

[Bombsquad85]

Yep, that's exactly what I do. Just be careful that you are holding the LED straight up, or else the top won't be flat, it will end up angled.

Hmmm would you recommend me desolder the ones I already installed to do this? Or try to sand them while attached?

And how much pressure should I apply or how much material should I take off?

Sorry for the million questions I just can't stand the hot spots they look ghetto af

 

[ScottyBoy]

Hmmm would you recommend me desolder the ones I already installed to do this? Or try to sand them while attached?

And how much pressure should I apply or how much material should I take off?

Sorry for the million questions I just can't stand the hot spots they look ghetto af

You can try, but I doubt that you would be able to get at it good enough to sand it completely flat. Another option is to install LED strips on the white plastic portion of the cluster. I do that all the time now and have had great success with that, it produces zero hot spots.

 

[ScottyBoy]

And this is what a sanded down LED looks like next to an unsanded round tipped LED.

 

[Bombsquad85]

And this is what a sanded down LED looks like next to an unsanded round tipped LED. View attachment 190216

Awesome thanks. I'll try sanding the LEDs I have now down if that doesn't work then I'll wrap the white frame in aluminum tape for some reflection. If that doesn't work I'll try the strips. Do you just solder to 1 contact

 

[ScottyBoy]

Awesome thanks. I'll try sanding the LEDs I have now down if that doesn't work then I'll wrap the white frame in aluminum tape for some reflection. If that doesn't work I'll try the strips. Do you just solder to 1 contact

It depends on how long the strip is. I usually do it in two or three pieces to make it easier to secure it. On the one pictured above, I did in two sections and I soldered them together and to a plug that I soldered to the board. That way the white section can be lifted off and simply unplugged if anything needs to be serviced or repaired. Look closely just above that second stepper motor, and you can see that tiny white plug with two white wires plugged into it. The red and black wires on the strips are soldered to those white wires.
Here's another plug just like that one. I think I robbed these off an old computer printer that I gutted for any usable parts before throwing it away.

 

[Bombsquad85]

It depends on how long the strip is. I usually do it in two or three pieces to make it easier to secure it. On the one pictured above, I did in two sections and I soldered them together and to a plug that I soldered to the board. That way the white section can be lifted off and simply unplugged if anything needs to be serviced or repaired. Look closely just above that second stepper motor, and you can see that tiny white plug with two white wires plugged into it. The red and black wires on the strips are soldered to those white wires.
Here's another plug just like that one. I think I robbed these off an old computer printer that I gutted for any usable parts before throwing it away. View attachment 190218

I like it

 

[91RS]

You can try, but I doubt that you would be able to get at it good enough to sand it completely flat. Another option is to install LED strips on the white plastic portion of the cluster. I do that all the time now and have had great success with that, it produces zero hot spots.

That looks great. Where do you get those LED strips?

 

[ScottyBoy]

That looks great. Where do you get those LED strips?

You can get them on eBay or Amazon. Just search for "LED strip lights" and whatever color you want like blue, or cool white.

Something like this.....
https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Non...UTF8&qid=1515412557&sr=8-3&keywords=Led+strip