Recalibrateing the stock gauge cluster
 

Hey guys, I've tried searching for a way to fix the stock gauage needles, with no luck. I just insatlled the reverse glow gauges and had to remove the needles. Now they're all off. Any ideas how to fix them? I'd really appericate any infomation regarding this matter. Thank you in advance for your time.

Which needles are off?

you took'em off? :eek:
most glow gauges are designed so that you don't hafta remove the needles.

Ummmmm....buy a new cluster. That is a not so good idea to remove them. I would not begin to understand why you had to take them off in the beginning anyhow. The white guages should have been an overlay sticker in two pieces. If you pulled the needles off and put them back on perfectly, I would say you should be fine but you may have a hard　time recalibrating them at all if you don't know where the stop point was. In that case, most likely you need to send off the cluster to a professional. I think there is a pin attached to the needle itself. If it did not come out with it...well, it is easier and likely cheaper buy a replacement cluster. Usually about $80 for a TT if that is what you have.

Point being if they are actual guage plates and you are not familiar as to how to do it, you should have asked someone with experience. Like these guys...

http://www.nrauto.com/

you may wish to keep that link handy for the next time

may I ask why all that??

Fuel gauge - just top your car off and stick it at full (while the cluster is powered and the ignition is turned).
MPH and RPM - Just stick them at zero with the car off.
Temp - Stick that one at C w/ the car off.

Wouldn't that work?? I did this in my old honda, more than once I might add, and that's all I had to do to get it back on (and it was on, the cops verified that :D)....please educate me if it wouldn't be the same here.

A few people I know have been less lucky than you, but then again they had a Z. Not a Honda. I would assume they made the cluster slightly different for a Nissan.

Just my .02

well, the gauages were one peice, Got them off of e-bay (cheap, but look great), and wouldn't fit over the needles. Stupid me took them off. But i'm going to try and pull them off again and do the honda thing. I was thinking about doing that last night. We'll see what happens. Thanks guys for your help. Also have any of you used gripforce clutches the F1 specificaly?

hey, um... if you don't take the needles off how do you put the on the inner boost and oil gauage? It is a 90 tt, those two gauade faces are recessed behind the tach, and spedo. There is no way to get to them with out taking the needles off. The to plastic supports that hold the upper gauage faces have to come off to get to the inner ones. But I could very well be wrong, right? If there is a way, those D@m tricky japanees. lol

You are wrong. The small guages are easily removed using a philips screwdriver. 4 screws drops out the speedometer and an additional few screws do the boost guage. No needles needed to be removed. I have had the cluster out 3 or 4 times to do different things and I did disassemble the speedometer to put my nismo guage in place.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/JapanZ/rings.jpg

Not so difficult to do that but the needles..well I still can't see a reason to have removed them.

well Then i screwed up pretty good huh. umm.... know any one sell good used cluster? lol. oh also the technique used on the honda worked for ajustment, but the tach is really lazy, and the spedo sticks at 50 mph and at 120 mph so I may as well by a replacement. Any way thaks for all your help. Education at it's best, the hard way.

Thats when you're most likely to retain it ;)

Oh, ya I will. But uh hey any one lknow any good ways to remove the driver side top bolt on the tranny?

Ever heard of Ebay? This is an average deal at $70 and I would grab it and be done if I were you. Unless you know of a wrecker near by who does not know a Z32 and parts value. Swap the insides to yours. The whole swap should take you no more than an hour. 2 if you are slow.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JDM-N...QQcmdZViewItem

as for the bolts use a long extension with a universal and someone with small hands to get up to the top tranny bolts.. Much easier that way.

Awsome. Am i stuck with the km/hr or will my gauages read correct on the mph gauge? God those bolts, 2 hrs to get 'em off. Yay, new clutch is installed!

Sorry about the kmph...had not realized that. I am Canadian and living in Japan. Doh! Keep an eye on the ebay link or run a search, you will find one easily enough. Good luck!