F600 panel questions

[69rangerman]

Thanks. We use wood hole saws all day long, but I didn't know if there blades for metal.

Seems like you'd have to secure the bezel really well to keep it from spinning.

[fordman]

yes they make metal whole saw blades. a wood whole saw blade will either take forever or dull before your done. i would go try and get a metal whole saw blade that fits your arbor.

[l1k2gadd]

Electrical contractors and electricians use a tool called a Greenlee Hole Punch to make knock-outs in meter cans and electrical panel boxes. If you know of an electrician or electrical contractor you might be able to get them to help you use their hole punch to knock out a hole in the instrument panel for you. Tom, I know they have one of these at work (City) because I had to use it when we installed the box for the City's fiber optic cable near NE 25th Ave and Ft. King St. where Fire Station # 2 used to be.

[kaptnkaos]

I should have taken pics when Installed the one in my '68 CS.
With both panels layed upside down in front of, I looked at them closely before installation.
I noticed that all the wire colors and functions matched my stock panel.
I just swapped the wiring harness from the stock panel to the F600 panel.. no cutting wires or swapping plugs.
It does seem like I had to lengthen one wire, but can't for trhe life of me remember which one it was.
It plugged right in and worked great.

KaptnKA S

[basketcase0302]

Yet another F-600 instrument panel question...
I got the 67' F-600 instrument panel that has the vacum gauge.
I'll apologize in advance for not having a better picture of it than this:


My question is:
Can anyone please tell me what the indicator light in the bottom of the vacum gauge was used for originally?

I've got several different ideas on what I'll use it for, I guess I'm just curious.

And yet another thread our brother Allen was in also.

[mljjones67]

I think it was for the low air pressure warning? Not sure though just guessing.

[Thunderfoot]

Yet another F-600 instrument panel question...
I got the 67' F-600 instrument panel that has the vacum gauge.
I'll apologize in advance for not having a better picture of it than this:


My question is:
Can anyone please tell me what the indicator light in the bottom of the vacum gauge was used for originally?

I've got several different ideas on what I'll use it for, I guess I'm just curious.

And yet another thread our brother Allen was in also.

maybe... That is what it is listed here.
http://www.fordification.com/partnos/instpanel.htm
http://www.fordification.com/tech/image ... upanel.jpg
14698 - Wire and Socket Assembly, Brake Air Pressure Gauge '64-'72 All with air brakes C3TZ-14698-A

Not sure why it would have a low pressure light without a pressure gauge but shows same bulb for both Vacuum and Pressure gauges...

[mljjones67]

woops I meant low vacuum. Sorry

[basketcase0302]

Shayne and Mike,
Thanks guys, I think I'll use the indicator light for my NOS solenoid indicator light.
BTW both your clusters look awesome!

[basketcase0302]

Guys,

I need some help please on my F-600 panel wiring. My 71' is not the "plug and play" for the panel to hook up, (I couldn't be so lucky)! I got most of it done today, (soldered / heat shrink tubing). I'm down to three wires on the truck side and two wires on the F-600 harness side. I've read about every thread on the panel discussion, maybe I'm looking too hard...And my "color coded" laminated classic wiring diagram is blurry, (right eye issues past two days / maybe metal in my right eye).


On the truck side I have left:--------- On the F-600 harness side I have left:
Green w/ Red stripe------------------------------------ Yellow
Red w/ Yellow stripe------------------------------------- Red
Red w/ Yellow stripe

I know the F-600 harness side Red and Yellow go to the amp gauge in the panel.
The two Red w/ Yellow on my 71' panel both go the the same terminal on the harness for the 71' panel.
I ohmed out the Green w/ Red stripe on the 71' panel, but can't remember what I found there...
My 71' instrument panel had swept temp gauge and "idiot-type" oil and alt gauges.
Having the existing wiring for the above alt "light" in my truck, would there be a shunt in my wiring? And how do I wire the F-600 "alt" gauge?

In this archived thread:
http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... anel#p5171
I read:

Trucks with full instrumentation panels had a wiring harness with a shunt built in to it to power the ammeter...trucks with idiot lights didn't have this shunt in the wiring harness.

And understand I'd have to run a shunt to enable the F-600 amp meter?
So if I don't run a shunt (I probably won't). How do I tie-in the rest of my wiring?

Thanks in advance.

[Thunderfoot]

Jeff,

You wont be able to use the Amp gauge because your truck doesn't have the wiring for it (idiot lights)...
The Green/red striped wire is the wire for the alternator idiot light. You would need to hook it in with the Black/green striped wire via a light bulb so you have an idiot light again, if you want an idiot light. Basically you run the power from the Black/green striped wire in and use the Green/red striped wire as the ground for the light bulb, the voltage regulator grounds that wire to activate the light. If you are going to use a Voltage Gauge or not worrie (monitor it) just cap it off and it should be fine as it still gets its power to excite the Voltage regulator from the ignition switch.
The Two Red/yellow striped wires I'm going to have to look into those more... Can you follow where they went to on the original 71 cluster out of your truck?

[Thunderfoot]

Jeff,

Now I got it...
That would be the same wires as 640 and 640A in this diagram http://www.fordification.com/tech/wirin ... master.jpg they are the power wires for the oil and amp bulbs (idiot lights) as you are going to gauges for these they are not used so just tie them together and cap them off (or see below).
Also, do remember that you will need to change the sending units (sensors) on your motor "oil and water" to the ones for gauges, as they are different from the ones for idiot lights.

On the Voltage gauge, YES you can install an after market Volt gauge into the panel and wire it in easy! Check out mine. http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... =2&t=39982&
For wiring it in use the "Red" and the "Yellow" wires that were for the original amp gauge, after mounting the new gauge in place of the old amp gauge. One wire will need to be tied into the ground wire of the harness (Black wire) for the ground connection of the gauge, and for the positive you can use those Red/yellow striped wires from above (easiest) or splice into the Black/green striped wire.

[Thunderfoot]

The Green/red striped wire is the wire for the alternator idiot light.

Will the truck's charging system still function normally by "dead ending" all five wires?

And would adding an inline fuse to the two Red w/ Yellow stripe wires circuit, then using it to power a 20 watt stereo work without any issues? Or do these wires get supply from a power source that should be left alone?

You better go get that eye checked out!!! You're going to need it for work.

The Alternator should work as there is a resistive exciter wire from the ignition switch to activate the alternator (at least that is what the diagrams show) double check it out when you get it running.

You should be ok on using the Red/yellow striped wires for that, 20W is only ~1.7amps... The only things on that power feed are/were those light bulbs for the oil, alt, and brake light, plus a fast idle solenoid for the carb on some models.

[basketcase0302]

You better go get that eye checked out!!! You're going to need it for work.

I've got no more chicken bones for the "witch doctors".

Thanks again Shayne for the panel help!

[Dragon]

I have various hole saws for electrical work and I found one that does my 2 inch gauges and 3.5 gauges.