How do I add a clock to the blank spot? 84 Suburban

[JakeC]

I purchased an original clock that should work in the spot. What all has to be done to make it work? Do I need to cut a hole for it? Any help would be appreciated.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Vbb199]

@bigcountry78 has done it to his 78. He might even have a thread on it.

 

[bigcountry78]

I did a write up, but I don’t know which thread it’s in. Build thread maybe? Anyway, that little blank is just a piece of plastic. Once you remove the lens, it’ll lift off. Yours being an 84 might be a bit different, but my 78 had a plastic tube and a bulb socket there for a non existent idiot light. I ended up having to dremel that entire tube out, and then cut a slot on the back to allow the wires to pass through, and to ultimately make the clock sit level.

I don’t remember exactly what I attached the clock to, since I don’t remember there being existing mounting points, but I believe I was able to attach it to the same point as the gauge beside it and then it just kind of sat there. It’s snug once the lens is put back in place. Then you just have to drill the lens for the adjustment knob. Don’t do like I did, half ass it first and then try to correct it later, as you’ll end up with a crooked clock and a hole in the lens that’s approximately 6 times larger than needed. I ended up getting another lens that already had the hole in the right spot.

This is also a great time to recondition the cluster. I wiped mine down, then grabbed some orange model paint form hobby lobby and painted the needles. I also went through and cleaned all the bulb holders, bent them slightly so the bulb fit snugly, and then put all new bulbs in. It made a night and day difference, especially being able to see them at night. Anyway, I hope I didn’t make this sound complicated, it really wasn’t. It was just very time consuming. There was a lot of dremeling and fitting to make it turn out right. Well worth it n my opinion though, since I always hated that blank spot.

EDIT:
https://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/78-k10-custom-deluxe.13651/page-20

There’s the link to my build thread, with pictures of the clock install.

 

[mtbadbob]

I just added a clock to my '87. I cut the hole out of the back of the cluster behind the clock, I grabbed the factory clock harness(2 wires-power & ground) from the the bone yard truck I picked it from. It plugs into a ground block terminal behind cluster, and into fuse panel below dash, into a specific "clock" positive terminal. You have to get the black plastic cluster surround that has a clock hole in it, along with either a clock cluster lense, or drill a small hole in yours for the clock adjuster peg. It'll bolt right into cluster where the blank circle panel was and it'll be straight.

 

[Raider L]

I had the clock in that location when my dash was stock. I never could get the stupid thing to work. But since I didn't care what time it was, I wore a watch back then, I didn't need it so I just let it be.

 

[Ellie Niner]

Yeah. It's been almost 20 years since I installed mine, but do remember that it's easiest to just get the correct parts off of a junkyard truck that already has the clock option. The lens and black mask are significantly different when you've got the blanking plug; the latter is a part of the mask on later (1981-up?) trucks. The lens also has a little grommet for the time set stem. I did reuse my cluster back, as it was in significantly better condition than any of the wrecking yard ones, not then suffering from "bulb burn" around the illumination bulbs. On the later clusters, you also don't have to contend with the tube for a Brake warning light, and the bosses for mounting the clock are already present... just Dremel a hole for the clock plug. The printed circuit isn't in the way, and there's a already a general illumination bulb in the area to light the clock.

The quartz clocks used in the later trucks are pretty reliable, too.