I will write more later after I read your post a few more times, but I found a
similar condensor behind the the cluster in my '63 also. It wasn't connected to
anything so I removed it and put it in the glove compartment. I have had ten or
more of those apart and never run across that part before. Mine was mounted the
same way as yours. I have added a separate voltage regulator and by passed the
one on the temprature gauge since it goes bad suddenly and frys the gauges. I
had guessed that the condensor that you described was used to somehow remedy
the bad built in voltage regulator but I don't know. I can report that all
instruments and clock are working perfectly without it.
Paul
In a message dated 12/28/2003 12:07:32 AM Eastern Standard Time,
gearhead@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
>
> Ah, the wonderment of figuring out what some past person has done, an
> automotive CSI in the making here. I removed the instrument cluster in my
> recently acquired '63 Crown Four-Door to find a couple of unusual items.
>
> There is a condenser shaped and sized device that was in a holder that was
> mounted behind the right nut holding the clock in. This condenser has a
> black female connector on the end of it. The FSM instrument cluster page
> doesn't come thru very clearly, but I don't show mention of any condenser to
> the temp gauge. I'm picturing this condenser connecting to the dual tanged
> connector on the back of the temp gauge. This deduction comes from the fact
> that there is a black wire on that 2nd tang w/what looks like a non-orig
> connector. This apparent newly installed wire goes to nothing else, dead
> ending w/a similar newer connector end. Is it likely someone was attempting
> to revive a temp gauge, not realizing this condenser was unplugged?
>
> The wiring harness to the 2 right gauges has a red wire cut at the end of
> the harness tape wrapping. Being the FSM instrument cluster page isn't
> copied as clearly as the other pages, I can't quite make out where this wire
> goes yet, still working on tracing this down. There is also a very thin
> black strand of rubber hose in this harness that seens to be cut off. Maybe
> this is a wire tracer?
>
> In a spare instrument cluster I have partially apart, there are a few small
> rubber holders or spacers. They are small squarish blocks w/a channel thru
> them. It looks like they could hold in the EL sticks or be a spacer of some
> sort. Also, a rectangular strip of rubber came out of the assembly, about
> 3/4x1''. This cluster had been apart before and these parts loose in the
> unit, I think. This was my 1st opening of one of these, not sure where these
> 2 different items are placed.
>
> I'd appreciate a word of guidence from some '61-61 instrument cluster folk
> out there. Thank you.
>
> Eric
> Portland, Or
>
>
>
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