el shift indicator how to solder wire to el board?

[hammond472]

I got my el gauges working tonight and got the headlights to roll both ways so it's been a great night, but my shift indicator light is not working. I pulled the top plate and found the power wire had become disconnected from the el board. It looks like a glue and not solder. Is it a conductive glue or epoxy? Also found the console clock was a 67 with the orange wires. I should have looked at the face better. I will put it up for trade for an el clock along with a set of 67 Charger fender mount turn indicators I found in the trunk. Today was great and I am forever hooked on the glow of our el dash.

 

[hammond472]

I was looking at the attaching point and it looks like it was cold soldered with some kind of metal powder in glue. I think Vigor CE-890 circuit maker might work. The stuff is for watches and has a 60 second dry time. It is a conductive glue but it's about $30. a bottle. I might play around with a high temp epoxy and infuse it with some different finely ground metals and take the ohms meter and see if I can come up with a home brew remedy that will work and last.

 

[shorty64]

There is a conductive epoxy out there. I found the reference years ago from a fellow who published a "How To" booklet for the EL gauges.

The info from that time is:
MG Chemicals - Silver Conductive Epoxy
http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/8331.html
they have a "where to buy" page.

In Houston, he bought it at Electronics Parts Outlet - 731 784-0140
p/n 8331-14G

no mention of cost but might be good source for other electronic odds and ends.

Randy

 

[hammond472]

I tried silver, iron, copper, and a few others today. The epoxys were all too brittle and probably would separate from vibration. The silver had the lowest ohms resistance and copper came in second. Aluminum was the worst. I tried a few rubber based products and found liquid electrical tape worked well. I mixed graphite in the liquid electrical tape in a zip lock bag and cut a corner out of it to use it as an icing bag. After it dried I put the whole setup on a power supply and It works great! Oh I love a good fix on the cheap! Now I will repaint the black on the top plate and put it all back together.

 

[shorty64]

OK MacGuiver, what's your next trick?

 

[ODZKing]

Shorty is right on with the conductive epoxy.
As far as the clock, not really a big deal. Just tap off the 12 volt that is under the console for the glove box light. Or if you would rather it come on with the headlamps, run a wire down under the front of the carpet. I have a 66 clock in my 67 and that is all I did. I tapped off the white wire under the dash and ran it under the console.

 

[gibber]

Nice work! I use MG two part conductive silver epoxy for the first gen Charger EL repair work I do in my gauge restoration business. But making you own, quite ingenious! And much cheaper.