Building new dash for 2001 FW Horizon 180

Wet Doggg · **Joined:** Fri May 19, 2006 11:15 am **Posts:** 682

So could you not tap your new speedo into the existing? I will need to be doing this in the next year or so as my trim gauge is never accurate and I know I am on borrowed time. Your dash area that you are replacing seems to be a little bigger than mine.

SeriousRob · **Posted:** Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:09 am

Unfortunately the paddle wheel sensor is electrical and the pitot tube is pressure based. They are not compatible systems. So I have to install the pitot tube sensor and run a pressure tube from the sensor to the gauge.
I think our gauge clusters are the same. What looks different are the surrounds. When you remove the black surround from your gauge you should have much more room to install a new custom made panel.

Wet Doggg · **Joined:** Fri May 19, 2006 11:15 am **Posts:** 682

When I am ready I will have to figure out the speedo thing. I do not have a paddle wheel on my boat. Problem with my dash is I need to reuse the dark gray panel and just replace where the gauges are at. That gray panel has major contours to it that would be impossible to replicate.

ric · **Posted:** Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:26 pm

Or just use a gps speedometer

Giffo · **Posted:** Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:25 pm

ric wrote:

Or just use a gps speedometer

OR, a wet finger!!

:lol:

Paul I. · **Posted:** Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:59 pm

SeriousRob wrote:

I will be spraying the back with a urethane coating to protect it. I also purchased a rubber gasket that will go between the new dash and the hole to seal it from water.
The new speedo came with the pitot tube and hose so I will be swapping out the old paddle wheel. The depth gauge (Faria digital with air and water temp) is due to arrive today. That will fill in the remaining hole.
I hope to have this all done this weekend.
Rob

Looks good! I was wondering on the "rubber gasket" that would FINISH it nicely! You could even add a fuel flow gauge or any thing else. You could replace the gauge lights with red LEDs too.

Whats nice too is starboard, to make a dash out of.

SeriousRob · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:58 am

I got all of the gauges wired in this weekend. All test out good except I can't test the depth gauge (needs to be in water), and the speedo.
Here is all of the wiring completed. I cut off the old connector and labeled all of the wires and made the connections. All unused connections were capped.

SeriousRob · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:06 am

And the finished dash with the rubber trim.
I connected the new Faria depth gauge to the existing thru-hull transducer and I hope it works but will not know until I put the boat in the water. Both the existing thru-hull and the new transducer were a three wire AirMar so I am hoping it works. Otherwise I have to run the new transducer to the transom and bolt it on.
I ran the speedo pitot tube hose and the water temp gauge to the transom.
The only thing left to do is secure the panel into the dash. I plan on installing pins on the bottom edge that will slide into holes drilled into the bottom of the dash and heavy duty Velcro on the sides and top. That way I get a seamless look without having to add screws through the panel.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:18 am

Awesome! You should post which wire does what for people, so the next person that does this doesn't have to trace out every wire!

SeriousRob · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:34 am

I downloaded this which turned out to be accurate. Page 7 has the pin outs for this dash
http://www.cdielectronics.com/downloads ... nsDash.pdf

Otherwise here is what I used.

Giffo · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2012 6:27 am

Fantastic job! Should go into business.

SeriousRob · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:48 am

Thanks but as slow as I work I would be broke in no time. :lol:

Total parts cost was about $400. But I probably have 20 hours of effort into it to make the panel, wire the gauges, run the new wires to the new sensors on the transom, and test it out.
Still I have a new panel that the gauges are now easily replaceable without the old cluster with the printed circuit board mess.
Take care
Rob

yrless11 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:05 pm

Great job! When/if my vdo goes out, I'll be replicating your setup. Thanks so much for posting.

Can't you test the depth gauge on the trailer? You'll just get the 2' or so from the ground to the transducer, but I think it would work.

LouC · **Posted:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:29 am

Depth gauge has to be in water to work, won't work through air.
Beautiful job. When I re-do my dash I will also do something similar, I have the old brushed aluminum with separate gauge design. They all still work except the speedo.

One question, where did you get the rubber trim, I can use that for another project.....

SeriousRob · **Posted:** Mon Apr 23, 2012 7:29 am

Hi Lou,
Thanks to everyone for the replies.
I decided this weekend to make a new dash panel since when I did the first one I didn't lay out the gauges in the best locations. The speedo and tachometer were too low and were partially blocked by the steering wheel.
So I made a new one with only 6 gauges and moved the depth gauge to the side dash where the old SET and MODE switches were located. I made a new panel for that area as well. This time I learned a few lessons as well. I went up to a 1/4 inch sheet of plywood veneer for more stability and trimmed the edge out with a higher quality of trim. I still used the fake carbon fiber veneer from McGuires called WrapTivo http://www.wraptivo.com/ but this time switched to black as I thought it looked better.
I will get some photos tonight and post them tomorrow.

The new trim I used I got from the McMaster.com site
part number 8451A724
Self-Gripping Vinyl Edge Trim w/ Metal Core 1/16"-11/64" Opening, 33/64" H, Textured Black, 50'L

It is a very tight fit over the 1/4 inch plywood but I wanted it to fit tight so it would not slip. 10 feet would be plenty.

www.iFourWinns.com

Building new dash for 2001 FW Horizon 180

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