TR6 How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR6?

2wrench

Luke Skywalker

Offline

• Feb 18, 2007

• #1

I suspect faulty rheostat and want to investigate. How does the rheostat knob on the dash of a TR6 come off
without damage?

Other knobs have push pins requiring pulling. I don't
want to damage the unit and I do not see a push pin or
the like?

Do I just grab with a pair of pliers and tug/pull?

 

tomshobby

Yoda

Offline

• Feb 18, 2007

• #2

It can be difficult, it just slips on. I very carefully pried mine off and still scarred the dash. Only thing was that I was doing it so I could refinish the dash.

 

roofman

Jedi Knight

Offline

• Feb 18, 2007

• #3

Mine has a square shaft with a ball detent. Wiggle it off carefully by pulling straight off.

 

Harry_Ward

Jedi Knight

Offline

• Feb 18, 2007

• #4

If you can get to the back end of the rheostat switch and you have a multimeter? With the <span style="color: #FF0000">ignition power off </span> connect the + lead from the meter on one terminal of the rheostat and the - lead of the meter on the other terminal of the rheostat. Set the multimeter in ohms mode x1, turn the rheostat switch on and the needle or digital readout should move or read something depending on where full speed ahead is the multimeter will go up and down the scale as you turn the knob from fully on to off. At off you should have no reading. That's if you can get to it or the wires coming from it.

 

Brosky

Great Pumpkin

Offline

• Feb 18, 2007

• #5

It doesn't make any difference if the switch works or not, the lights are always dim. One of the TR6 curses.

Now, I'm just kidding so we don't get into a big debate about that topic again!

Well, your switch may be malfunctioning, but I'm really not kidding about the dim part.....

Definition of an oxymoron: dimmer switch on a TR6

 

tomshobby

Yoda

Offline

• Feb 18, 2007

• #6

I agree with all of the above. The only thing with mine was that with the sloped sides I could not get hold of it to pull and it was really on tight.

I did find that I could get to some of the dash wiring much better with the glove box out.

And as far as the dim lights go, I always liked them that way because they did not distract while driving at night and from the current and previous threads I seem to be in the minority on that. I actually keep my TR6 dash lights dimmed some.

 

D

DougF

Guest

Guest

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• Feb 18, 2007

• #7

One of the features of the TR6 from the factory was a faulty rheostat. Mine have only worked as on/off switches.

 

Brosky

Great Pumpkin

Offline

• Feb 18, 2007

• #8

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

Tom, be honest now! You keep your lamps dimmed because that's the only setting that actually works! Dim or dimmer are the two options available.

 

tomshobby

Yoda

Offline

• Feb 19, 2007

• #9

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

Hi Paul,
Actually my dimmer does work. It was froze when I got the car and when I refinished my dash I repaired the dimmer and it actually works now.

 

T

Tinster

Guest

Guest

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• Feb 19, 2007

• #10

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

The DPO Pedro of my car had the rheo ripped out
and put in a cigarette lighter. That was one reason
I had functional dash lights.

If you are not trying for 100% showroom, you can
purchase very nice looking, flat black, on-off toggle
low profile button switches. Mine has a tiny blue
light at the button bottom when my dash lights are lit.

In my opinion, the rheo is not worth the money to
replace it. You will always have it craked on full
and still have dim dash lights. Go for the $7.00 switch.

d

 

Brosky

Great Pumpkin

Offline

• Feb 19, 2007

• #11

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

Dale, one of these days, when it gets warm again and I'm done getting side tracked with carb and distributor projects, I'm going to take the dash apart, disassemble and clean all of my gauges. I'll replace the old bulbs with the higher wattage bulbs and then there will be light in the instruments. I saw a TR6 in one of the summer events that had the higher wattage bulbs installed in rebuilt gauges and it looked really cool at night.

 

T

Tinster

Guest

Guest

Offline

• Feb 19, 2007

• #12

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

Paul,

If you saw higher watt bulbs and brighter gauges,
you also probably saw gauges that had been altered
with mirror finish interiors and some of the back
lighting baffles cut away.

Think about back lighting along the ceilings in
restaurants. Brighter bulbs will have minimal
increase to room brightness, unless the ceiling and
back-lit areas are coated with a highly reflective
material.

Remember last summer we did the real world test of
unaltered gauges. 2.2 vrs 5 watt bilbs in unaltered
gauges? No apparent difference in lighting.

By design, the Smith gauges were never intended to be
bright shining stars.

d

 

T

tr6_easyrider

Jedi Hopeful

Offline

• Feb 19, 2007

• #13

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

My solution for the infamous dimmer switch. The hole is still there, only not cut out.
I wish I had used Dales,highly reflective material, idea
for the gauges. I did paint all the surface inside the gauges white, and that did help. They are defintely much brighter.

 

Brosky

Great Pumpkin

Offline

• Feb 19, 2007

• #14

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

Man, does that interior look like a familiar sight from a few months ago. Clutch time?

 

T

tr6_easyrider

Jedi Hopeful

Offline

• Feb 19, 2007

• #15

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

No, no clutch. I still have the cover off from the short I had with the insulation shorting the overdrive switch. Still in the restoration phase. She has not been on the street yet. As a matter of fact, she hasn't been out of the garage yet.
Joe

 

T

Tinster

Guest

Guest

Offline

• Feb 19, 2007

• #16

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

Here is my solution to the rheo in my 69TR

Local rainforest teak dash.

 

Brosky

Great Pumpkin

Offline

• Feb 19, 2007

• #17

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

Dale, that's a thing of beauty, buddy!

 

T

Tinster

Guest

Guest

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• Feb 19, 2007

• #18

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

Thanks Paul!

I ain't a half bad designer, am I?

right and left turn signal lights
and the dim high beam, brake failure and
ignition all moved onto the dash.
Toggles for wipers and washer fluid.
Red switch is my emergency driving lights
that feed directly off the battery, if need be.
Flush toggle between the 4 small gauges turns
on the lights inside the gauges themselves.

Now, if I only had an operational car!!

d

 

Brosky

Great Pumpkin

Offline

• Feb 19, 2007

• #19

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

Soon, my friend, very soon.

Just keep the faith. In the meantime, I've got to get outta here. 5AM comes too quickly these days, so hasta lavista for tonight.

Paul

 

roofman

Jedi Knight

Offline

• Feb 20, 2007

• #20

Re: How do I remove the rheostat from dash of TR

Verification question. If you disconnect reostat wires and tie them together, you will have full dash lites on all the time with no other concequences, yes or no?