1.15 mm or .0450’

On Mon, Mar 6, 2023 at 3:58 PM ddbjorkman@verizon.net <
ddbjorkman@verizon.net> wrote:

> Hi Jim.
> What was the thickness (Z axis) of the parts you cut?  It occurred to me
> the brass need not be thick, just better than the plastic.
>
> Dave B.
> the Boston one
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Sent: Mon, Mar 6, 2023 12:33 pm
> Subject: [VANAGON] Instrument cluster repair completed
>
> The plastic instrument cluster housing rests on two plastic pads, one on
> each end, about one inch wide and 5.25 inches long. Those are the parts
> that break off over the years. I cut same-size strips out of brass and
> taped them over the original plastic pads in order to mark the holes. I
> unmounted those and drilled them for screws. I scuffed up the brass plates
> and the plastic and epoxied the plates to the plastic feet.
>
> Then comes the exact measurement part: of course the holes must align
> perfectly with the holes in the dash before the epoxy cures, else you will
> never make it fit since the only adjustment is in the repair part, not the
> dash. You have already established the distance between the holes in each
> plate when you used the cluster platform as a template. Note: You don't
> need four unbroken corners to make this work--the two plates are identical,
> if you find one side good enough then use it for both. Tape the two plates
> together and drill them together.
>
> Measuring the horizontal distance--the distance between the holes on the
> left and the holes on the right--is trickier since the brake fluid
> reservoir prevents a ruler from being put to the dash to measure the top
> holes, and the instrument light molding on the cluster prevents the use of
> one to measure those holes. You have to use a trammel unless you happen to
> have a very large caliper. The measurement between the bottom holes
> laterally is 87mm, between the two top holes is 370mm.
>
> I think this approach is better than others I have seen that just deal with
> the corners because the adhesion to the plastic is distributed over the
> maximum area of both feet, and there is metal reinforcement over 100% of
> the available surface of the plastic feet over which to spread the load.
> The effect is a rock-solid and strong instrument cluster mount.
>
> My advice would be to not use any metal that won't spring enough to conform
> to the gentle curve of the plastic feet. If it's too thick and stiff, you
> will force the feet to conform to the metal, which will end up making your
> cluster not sit well on top of the dash and whose tightening will
> eventually crack the plastic. I used brass strips cut from an old front
> door kick plate. Now I know what I saved it for!
>
> Anyone wanting photos, email me.
>
> Jim
>