VFR750 dash rewire and LED conversion

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

The flexi PCB that provides all the wiring to the dash on my VFR was suffering badly from corroded tracks causing all manner of weird lighting faults.

I finally decided I'd had enough and set about rewiring it. I opted for traditional wires and terminals and to replace the terminal blocks on the loom with more conventional ones.

I also decided to replace all the bulbs with LEDs. I got a bag of 20x10mm LEDs with the correct resistor fitted for running on 12V, complete with flying wires and bezels for them to go in for a tenner on ebay.

So I wired it all up, pretty much copying what was on the PCB by doing one track at a time (two blocks of 10 connections which I labelled 1 to 10 and A to J to make attaching them to the loom easier).

The only thing I really needed to referr to the wiring diagram for was the polarity of the bulbs because the LEDs only work one way round.

Landed up with something of a birds nest and I think if I was doing it again I'd start at one side and work to the other, lacing the wires into a bundle as I went so i landed up with a single "loom" running across the back of the clocks with the terninals on the end.

All that said, it all worked first time with only one bad soldered joint. The LEDs turned out to be a bit too bright so I painted over the top half of them with silver enamel paint.

The bezels were simple to fit, just had to open out the original bulb holes a touch with a step drill, clicked them in then secured them with a dab of hot glue. The LEDs then push fit into the bezels

The wires from the LEDs are quite delicate so I wrapped any coming out to a terminal block in bundles then bonded the wrapping to the terminal blocks to prevent straining them.

To finish off, I cut out a rigid plastic sheet to cover over the more delicate parts of the birds-nest so all you can see from the back is the wrapped terminal bundles sticking out of a plastic sheet.

I'm quite pleased with how it went really. I reckon the whole job cost about £30.
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/clockwire.png
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/DSCN0987.png
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

If you wanted something less birds nesty, and more pcbish, you could have used veroboard also known as stripboard.

I dont know if you already know about this stuff, but its a way of doing a homemade equivalent of a pcb.

I dont know if it would have been any better.

Interesting bit of re-engineering you did there though.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

chillyman0 · Nearly there... Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Karma :

Nice idea! I've just had a few bulbs go in my dash go, no idea why (clock and left hand side of the speedo) without having to look through the clymer manual, how hard is it to get to the back of the dash?
cheers
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preivious : 2007 Skyjet 125 (died), 1991 gsf400 (problems, rotting in garden)
1996 gsf600n (sold)
current : 1996 VFR750 for sale, PM for info! 2000 E1 ZX-9r

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Here's what it looks like fitted:
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/clockback.jpg
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/clockfront.jpg
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.