My 1996 BRG NA8C Build Thread

[BRGNA8]

20/12/2016

JDM NA8C 180km/h Cluster + Revlimiter Gauge Faces + ArtWorks DEWA Needle Caps

The OEM cluster finally reached the magic number : 166,386kms. This is the same number as what my JDM cluster has and therefore it now means that I can finally swap the clusters over and go about installing the custom "Type Smith" gauge faces made for me by Adam from Revlimiter.net​. I also had some billet aluminium needle caps I was going to install which were made by ArtWorks DEWA Japan. I was lucky to get these because the founder and creator Ryoichi Dewa passed away a few years ago and since then, ArtWorks DEWA is no more, so their products are getting harder to source and rarer to find.

Anyway, the gauge face install wasn't too hard but just time consuming. I wore powderless gloves at all times to make sure I didn't smudge the faces with any finger prints. To go through what I did step by step is too much to write but basically, I closely followed the DIY tutorial which was written in detail by Adam. It tells you exactly how to go about tackling the install of the gauge faces with detailed explanations and photos to accompany them. You can find it here :

http://revlimiter.net/mods/gauge_install.php



Testing the JDM cluster to make sure everything works and I'm pleased to say it does. Not only that, the NA6 oil pressure gauge I fitted works too.



166,386km reading on both clusters.



Cluster cover off, ready for surgery.



OEM gauge faces and needles off.



OEM centre panel indicator off.



Cutting away at the three indicator lights as per instructions by RevLimiter. This is done so that the bottom of the tachometer face from the 7:00 back to 4:00 position will light up.



New RevLimiter "Type Smith" gauge faces installed.



RS Products cluster cover put back on.



Installed in the car.



Lit up.



After putting the needles back on, the only needle which was self-zeroing is the speedometer. The rest of the needles need a bit of trial an error and need to be installed while the engine is on. The water temp was easy to set and so was the fuel gauge as I had filled the tank to the brim so I could set the needle just slightly past the "F". For the tachometer, I had written down a few readings prior to me taking the OEM cluster off. They were :

- 2nd gear at 40km/h, tach reading at exactly 3000 rpm
- 3rd gear at 60km/h, tach reading one needle width over 3000 rpm
- 4th gear at 80km/h, tach reading one needle width over 3000 rpm
- 5th gear at 80km/h, tach reading at exactly 2500 rpm

It would have been easier if I had a Haltech ECU or something because that way, I can just plug a laptop in and monitor the engine speed and adjust accordingly. But because you can't really plug anything in to the stock ECU, this method was the only way. I also downloaded a digital speedometer app on my phone as an extra tool to test whether the tachometer needle was reading correctly. The app uses the GPS to determine how fast you are going.

After putting on and taking off the cluster multiple times, all five gauges were correctly calibrated and it goes without saying that I'm super happy with the results. The gauge faces look great and fits the vintage retro theme very nicely. I'll also be upgrading the HVAC panel to something similar so that it matches with the gauge face and everything ties in, but that will be for another day.