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Build a DIY Single Instrument Cup Sun Aug 08, 2010 7:42 pm
robmack
Life time member
Previously, I mounted the gas and water temperature gauges on my K100RT directly on the dash by drilling two 52mm holes in the dash and inserting the instruments. When I upgraded the windscreen on my bike to that from a K1100LT (electric windscreen), mounting the gauges in the dash was no longer an option. The space I had used prior was now reserved for speakers. I had to find an alternative.
What I came up with was to construct instrument pods that could house the gauges and allow them to be mounted externally. The idea came from a photo I saw online of a K1100LT, fully outfitted with gauges and GPS. I scoured around for suitable instrument pods and/or cups but could not find any that fit my application (or which could be adapted). So, I decided to manufacture my own pods.
Needed Parts
1-½” ABS drain pipe coupler
1-½” ABS permanent end cap
length of 3/8" threaded rod
nuts and lock washers for 3/8" threaded rod
3/8" I.D. plastic pipe or appropriate angle washers
ABS cement
On a trip to Home Depot, I made some measurements of various pipes and fittings. I determined that a 1-½” ABS drain pipe coupler and end cap would be perfect for the cup. The outside diameter of a coupler is about 58mm. I needed 52mm to accommodate the gauges in a slip-in fit, leaving me a 3mm wall thickness aproximately. I used a 2” hole saw setup on a drill press to ream out the coupler to 51mm approximately.
I then proceeded to sand the inside of the coupler until the gauge just slipped in easily. The photo above shows the two couplers in various stages of completion. On the left, the coupler has been reamed using the hole saw. On the right, the coupler has been sanded to 52mm. Note the difference in wall thickness between the two pieces. For my rotary sander, I wrapped 80 grit sandpaper around a smaller diameter hole saw, put it in the drill press and married the workpiece to the sander carefully so as to keep the material removal even all the way around. I test fitted the gauge often to make sure that I didn’t sand too far, as shown below.
Once the coupler was sanded, I used ABS cement to glue together the end cap and the coupler. I fit the parts carefully to ensure an even seam and weighed the parts down with weights to make sure that the bond was strong.
This photo shows the inside of the glued assembly. For insurance, I wiped ABS cement around the seam on the inside. This melted some of the ABS and reflowed it, re-enforcing the bond.
When dry, I drilled two 10mm holes to receive the lock nuts that secure the gauges in the cups, as shown in the photo below. I also drilled a 9.5mm hole in the center of the cup to receive a 3/8” threaded lamp rod.
These rods are usually used on table lamps to secure the lamp receptacle to the base yet allow for the wire to be threaded through. I would need the threaded rod to secure the cup to the dash and to allow the gauge wires to pass through to the back of the cup for connecting.
I completed the cups by filling the seam using Bondo Spot Putty, sanding, priming and spray painting Black.
I wanted to mount the gauges low on the dash so that they would not interfere with the instrument pod on the steering head. I wanted the gauges mounted at a 60 degree angle as well so they woul be easy to see from the driver’s position. To maintain the 60 degree angle, I manufactured bevel spacers (similar to what is shown in the photo below) from a ½” ABS “L” coupler that I bought at the Home Depot.
This plastic coupler had an internal diameter that was a precise slip fit over the 3/8” threaded rod and, I chose plastic because it was easy to fabricate into an angle washer set using woodworking tools. If I had found a plastic pipe that was a slip fit, I would have used that instead.
I drilled a 10mm hole in the dash just below and to the outside of the speaker grill. I had to remove the pins from the AMP connector so that I could fish the wires through the threaded rod. I inserted the rod through the hole in the dash and tightened up the nuts, securing the gauge to the dash at the correct angle. I reinserted the pins in the AMP connector and put the bike back together.
Below is a picture of the completed installation.
What I came up with was to construct instrument pods that could house the gauges and allow them to be mounted externally. The idea came from a photo I saw online of a K1100LT, fully outfitted with gauges and GPS. I scoured around for suitable instrument pods and/or cups but could not find any that fit my application (or which could be adapted). So, I decided to manufacture my own pods.
Needed Parts
1-½” ABS drain pipe coupler
1-½” ABS permanent end cap
length of 3/8" threaded rod
nuts and lock washers for 3/8" threaded rod
3/8" I.D. plastic pipe or appropriate angle washers
ABS cement
On a trip to Home Depot, I made some measurements of various pipes and fittings. I determined that a 1-½” ABS drain pipe coupler and end cap would be perfect for the cup. The outside diameter of a coupler is about 58mm. I needed 52mm to accommodate the gauges in a slip-in fit, leaving me a 3mm wall thickness aproximately. I used a 2” hole saw setup on a drill press to ream out the coupler to 51mm approximately.
I then proceeded to sand the inside of the coupler until the gauge just slipped in easily. The photo above shows the two couplers in various stages of completion. On the left, the coupler has been reamed using the hole saw. On the right, the coupler has been sanded to 52mm. Note the difference in wall thickness between the two pieces. For my rotary sander, I wrapped 80 grit sandpaper around a smaller diameter hole saw, put it in the drill press and married the workpiece to the sander carefully so as to keep the material removal even all the way around. I test fitted the gauge often to make sure that I didn’t sand too far, as shown below.
Once the coupler was sanded, I used ABS cement to glue together the end cap and the coupler. I fit the parts carefully to ensure an even seam and weighed the parts down with weights to make sure that the bond was strong.
This photo shows the inside of the glued assembly. For insurance, I wiped ABS cement around the seam on the inside. This melted some of the ABS and reflowed it, re-enforcing the bond.
When dry, I drilled two 10mm holes to receive the lock nuts that secure the gauges in the cups, as shown in the photo below. I also drilled a 9.5mm hole in the center of the cup to receive a 3/8” threaded lamp rod.
These rods are usually used on table lamps to secure the lamp receptacle to the base yet allow for the wire to be threaded through. I would need the threaded rod to secure the cup to the dash and to allow the gauge wires to pass through to the back of the cup for connecting.
I completed the cups by filling the seam using Bondo Spot Putty, sanding, priming and spray painting Black.
I wanted to mount the gauges low on the dash so that they would not interfere with the instrument pod on the steering head. I wanted the gauges mounted at a 60 degree angle as well so they woul be easy to see from the driver’s position. To maintain the 60 degree angle, I manufactured bevel spacers (similar to what is shown in the photo below) from a ½” ABS “L” coupler that I bought at the Home Depot.
This plastic coupler had an internal diameter that was a precise slip fit over the 3/8” threaded rod and, I chose plastic because it was easy to fabricate into an angle washer set using woodworking tools. If I had found a plastic pipe that was a slip fit, I would have used that instead.
I drilled a 10mm hole in the dash just below and to the outside of the speaker grill. I had to remove the pins from the AMP connector so that I could fish the wires through the threaded rod. I inserted the rod through the hole in the dash and tightened up the nuts, securing the gauge to the dash at the correct angle. I reinserted the pins in the AMP connector and put the bike back together.
Below is a picture of the completed installation.
Last edited by robmack on Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:07 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : Updates and spelling)
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Robert
1987 K75 @k75retro.blogspot.ca
