ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster (Red) LED upgrade - PICS

EDIT: To clarify my post retitling, only the gauge and warning bulb is red. The rest are color appropriate. This was to help people see that I installed red gauge LEDs.

EDIT 2: If you replace the colored indicator lights, you might get a phantom flash of the neutral light when using the clutch lever. NO worries apparently.


LED Cluster - Chapter 1: Disassemble, clean and install bulbs

Day 1:
Today as part of my larger project to do multiple LED conversions and eventually install my Windjammer fairing, I disassembled my Atari cluster.

I will try to include many pictures to help the timid, especially since many prior posts have long dead pictures. Note all of my bike folders are currently public. So check out the folders for extra pictures that may help with reassembly and other good info.

When I get a chance, I will link a great disassembly PDF and give credit to the user who made it. I may duplicate some of the info, but not all of it. Taking the cluster off you ride is relatively easy, as it the minimal work needed to get to the bulbs.

Removal:
I personally removed both front blinkers, the Yamaha logo piece, the aux light, the headlight bucket and finally the gauge cluster. Unless I'm itching to ride before installing the fairing, only the cluster will go back on in the end.



Diassembly:
As I stated it is rather simple. 4x screws for the back cover. 3x nuts to remove the two brackets. Everything after that is not required to change the 7 bulbs. (Two for the gauges, two for the singals, nuetral, high beam and warning).



More Disassembly and cleaning:
My OCD like tendenacies kicked in and I started to take the entire cluster apart for cleaning. I also wanted to paint the inside the housing to try to improve the light reflecftion for the gauge bulbs. NOTE: The 82 750 Maxim's trip knob has a TINY philips screw holding it on. Luckily mine came off w/o any problems. BONUS!
To remove the 2x button assemblies from the faceplate, gently squeeze one side of the buton housing while pushing out. Then squeeze the other side and push it the rest of the way out.
I also took off the rubber gasket that surrounds the housing and touches the clear plastic when assembled. It was glued it, but it was very easy to remove. I will reassembe it with a little bit of clear silicone.
I used glass cleaning and many Q-Tips to do the initial cleaning of the faceplate. Then I got some glass cleaner under the metal circles for the gauges. I knew it was going to streak and spot and I couldn't find my blowout tip for my air compressor. GRRRR. So I did the next best thing. I got my "streak/spot free diswasher tablet and filled up the kitchen sink with hot water. The water was a little slimy but the parts cleaned up nice and seems to be spot free. I also cleaned my headlight bucket, trip knob, one of the internal metal brackets, ithe internal cluster housing and the faceplate gasket.
As of my originl edit, I have also "Back-to-Blacked" the cluster housing front and back and the two computer buttons.







Improvements:
I purchased 7x LED 194 Wedge bulbs from superbrightleds.com based on there prices and specific suggestions from other members. I'll post model numbers in an edit or follow up post.
During a test fitting and lighting of the guage bulbs on my parts/junk Atari, I noticed the lower right corner of the speedo was relatively dim. Because the internal "reflector" design is very basic and poor, I can't expect perfection with the LED bulbs I got. So I painted the inside of the housing in an effort to improve the reflectivity of the bulbs. First I painted it with gloss white Krylon Fusion plastic paint. Then I toped it of with a Rust-oleum Specialty Metallic (which was far from the chrome look of its cap). Drying and reassmebly time will tell if it was worth the effort.
Unfortunately the bulbs I purchased are loose fitting in my rubber bulb sockets. I installed all of them with some clear silicone. I tested each bulb before and after I installed them with the silicone. The only one I couldn't test was the RED warning light.
While Back-to-Blacking the housing, I noticed the metal/chrome trim was rather worn and dull. So I grabbed a silver model paint pen and started repainting the trim. If it wears/flakes off, I'll repaint it better or just not worry about it.





Surpise and Luck
1 ) My junk/parts cluster's faceplate's clear plastic cleaned up better than my original did.
2 ) All of my screws/bolts came out without any problems or difficulty
3 ) Looking at my speedo and tac, I'm thinking the PO may have replaced them, or this bike spent many years in a garage and was driven gently. Other parts of my ride are also in suprising great condidion. Not rust free, but very good shape!
4 ) It was just barely 50F today so I was able to spray paint the housing like I wanted to Then I set up the parts in a spare room with a portable heater to help dry the paint.



Reassembly:
Depending on how dry some of the paint is I may start to reassemble tonight. (I'm not a very patient person).

 

Re: ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster disassembly & LED upgrade - PICS

A BEFORE picture, since many will ask:



A test run of the gauge lights:

 

Re: ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster disassembly & LED upgrade - PICS

Reassembly:
Went smoothly. I even put the brackets and rear cover on twice today. While out buying a car battery, I picked up some contact cleaner and dielectric grease.



So I took the cluster back apart to clean and grease all of its connectors.
Then I went outside and did the same for the wires that are normally hidden behind the headlight.

Because this is a part of larger project, I also made a custom "wire bucket" to hold all the wires normally behind the headlight. It mounts to the existing ears and has a 4 snap cover with a gasket.



I didn't take many WIP pictures, but it was a rather simple project that is pretty limited to an 82 750 Maxim and a Vetter fairing, assuming you want the wires in a clean container.

Daylight Testing:
Showed that the computer and colored indication lights were working. It was way to bright to check on the gauge lights.

Night Time Testing:
Coming soon!

 

Re: ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster disassembly & LED upgrade - PICS

Night time PARKED photos:



Ignore the yellow bleed/blur on the the gauges. Its a camera trick/error with the night shooting and engine vibrations.

Note: These were taken PARKED with a street light on behind the bike and the headlight uninstalled (for the fairing project).

I was pleased with the red color and overall brightness. It will also save me several amps on the battery's load.

 

Re: ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster disassembly & LED upgrade -

Looks good.
There's nothing on the bottom right of the speedo except 85mph! Lol
Upgrade it when you put in the 160mph speedo :wink: .

 

Re: ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster disassembly & LED upgrade -

Yeah its a late night typo on my post and picture text.
Should say speedo bottom left. :roll:

 

Re: ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster disassembly & LED upgrade - PICS

I think the Red Lighting is great.

Putting so much into the project as you've done, ...

Is it possible to add a Pot to have variable intensity?
That would be huge.

 

Re: ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster disassembly & LED upgrade - PICS

I'm going to be mobile today... If you have time/bored maybe you could find me one on Radio Shack's web site. (I'm hoping to reinstall the cluster by Tuesday evening, so I'd like a B&M store to buy it. If not it could wait till spring ).

I understand the concept of pot (variable dimmer basically), but do they have weather proof dials I could mount somewhere? I've never actually seen a "pot" so that is why I'm a bit clueless about buying/mounting one.

 

Re: ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster disassembly & LED upgrade - PICS

Parked night time photos uploaded above.

No POT installed yet, but I still have semi easy access until I install the fairing.

 

Re: ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster disassembly & LED upgrade -

Great write up. I have followed several of your "DIY" upgrades and love them and please keep 'em coming. Waiting for my LEDs to arrive and do this very same upgrade to XJ1100, will tackle the fuse box upgrade next.
Thanks again
Jamie

 

Re: ANOTHER Maxim Atari Cluster disassembly & LED upgrade -

So what did you do to improve the illumination of the lower/left portion of the speedo (from test image to final)?

 

I spray painted the the inner gauge cluster shell (seen above) a shiny silver, and also hooked it up to a running motorcycle vs. a low amp 12V test battery.

I'm not sure if it improved it ALOT, but it does look a little better than my early test picture.

I won't really know how good the lights look until my next dusk/night ride home.

 

Minor update: I rode home a few miles in the dark tonight in mixed lighting conditions in the town I live in.

Overall impressions of RED LED gauges - Looks great and the perfect amount of brightness.

I also love that my trunk's LED tail/brake lights are SO BRIGHT that most people back off if I tap the brakes. *evil grin*

I'm not so sure how well drivers see my amber LED turn signal strips mounted to my saddle bags, but its nice knowing they are there as well.

 

looks awesome. you must be proud.

 

rad... ride it hard

 

I have enjoyed all of my upgrades/mods so far. I do wish I had gotten different (main) brake lights, but what I have will do the job.

I have other plans/idea and still need to clean up some wiring, but the weather and lack of daylight is not making it easy.

 

I just finished adding some LEDs to my 750 Seca "Atari". Replaced all the 168 bulbs except the blue "Hi beam" indicator (long story). Used 2 of the red 5-LED SMD assemblies ($7 total) for the general illumination and did not need to re-paint the interior of the gauge cluster. Works real well. Got the LEDs here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... MEWNX%3AIT

 

Grats!

I didn't NEED to paint the inside of my cluster... And doing so didn't seem to help anyways