[grok]

Of course the countersinks for the dash gauge screws are too shallow. Does anyone have a solution for this?

A tool? Punch? Screw/spacer/washer/nut/tighten?

 

[Michael Everson]

I would use a screw of same size or bigger and hit it with a hammer gently till it deep enough. Using support on the back side of course.

 

[forrest1]

Ditto what Mike said. I used a flathead woodscrew and backed it up with a 4x4, with a hole drilled for the screw shank. Hit it gently at first until you get the feel.

Forrest

 

[slapshot]

Grok:

I just ran up to the local hardware store and found some screws with smaller heads.

Also...give some thought to using epoxy to "permanently" install the screws into the dash. My fear was that if one of my donor gauges failed, I wouldn't be able to remove it because the dash padding would be covering the heads of the screws--spinning in place and never allowing the nuts to back off.

Has worked like a charm for me so far.

Good luck,

 

[dbarrym]

Make yourself a countersink die - basically, use a 1/2" or so drill (or countersink bit) and drill into a scrap piece of wood (12" long 2x4 is perfect) just deep enough to be slightly larger than the screw head.

then do what Mike says, but with the die placed behind the hole.

 

[FFR1668]

Well...
What I did was go to local hardware store and got some 6/32 (inch and 1/4) bolts with hex nuts as well as nylon insert nuts. I countersunk both ends of the spacer and installed the bolt with the hex head nut pulled down into the spacer. The gauge could then be mounted held on with the nylon lock nuts. This gives me the option of switching gauges with out pulling the fabric of the dash, and I get a neater job installing the dash material because I do not have the gauges in yet. Worked for me.
Good luck.

 

[grok]

FFR1668,
I am liking your solution. It involves extra work, a trip to the hardware store and everything. Every other part of the build has ended up semi-custom, why stop now!

I figure that I will have to use the hammer trick in any case so why not add the elegant solution to the brute force fix?

-Perry