Instrument cluster plastic cover replacement

[Diverjer]

While cleaning instrument cover, I must have broke the plastic cover, I don't know how, sure didn't press hard.  Anyway tried dealer to get a plastic cluster replacement cover and he tried GM and some of the other places that are after market dealers and couldn't find a plastic instrument cover for my truck.  All of them said I had to buy the whole new cluster.  This guy at dealer has always been good and tries to find parts from other places.  If it is like I think, that plastic cover comes off and it isn't that hard to replace  Truck is a 2014 Silverado work truck, 2 door, 8 foot bed, 4X4..........Nothing fancy no power window, mirror and vinyl floor mats- and that is the way I wanted it.  Hard to find a truck like that.   I did take a hot pick, heat it up, and made a hole at end of each crack, don't know if it works on plastic, but works on metal buzz saw blades when I use to cut wood.  It would stop the crack from getting bigger. 

 

Anyway can anyone point me to a place that may have a plastic lens for instrument cluster?   

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by Diverjer
Make clearer

[HeySkippyDog]

You could try a junkyard to pull one out of a wrecked truck. Surely you'll find one these days.

The holes that you are putting at each end of the crack are for stress reduction. By widening the tip of the crack, you are relieving localized stress in the material and it's much less likely to continue cracking.

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[Diverjer]

Thanks, I been looking at salvage yards and haven't found one yet.   Kind of wonder if the work truck has a different cluster without some bells?   It was hard for me to find this 2 door 8 foot bed WT, thinking maybe the cluster is different? 

[HeySkippyDog]

The LT cluster lenses don't have the hole for the manual trip odometer reset, but should be the same other than that.

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[Diverjer]

I don't know about the other models, but that is a trip, shows avg MPG, transmission temp, engine oil life in percentage since oil change, hours engine has ran.   I don't know if other models show this in a different way or not.  You turn the knob clockwise for the different readouts and press it in to reset the readout (well can't reset engine hours or trans temp).   I will keep looking for a cover, maybe my fix will last.  Besides it doesn't keep the truck from getting the job done.   But if they were available, I think it is an easy fix.  I am just a little OCD on keeping stuff up. 

[HeySkippyDog]

The other ones have the slightly larger screen in between the RPM and Speedometer gauges, and the PRNDL indicator runs horizontally at the bottom. The trip knob isn't there, the steering wheel buttons are used instead to navigate through menus and reset trips.

I would leave it alone, it's not a big enough crack to bother with.

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[Diverjer]

I think that sounds like a plan, unless one fall from the sky, leave it alone.

[HeySkippyDog]

Big props for using the crack stress relief technique.

That was a method they taught us waaaaaay back in structure and property of materials, a 3000 level engineering course.

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[Diverjer]

Thanks, an old farmer friend of mine use to come down and want me to get one of my horses and help him gather up some cattle.  He was old style, had lots of cattle around the Flint Hills and only used horses for working livestock.   Other folks used ATVs.   Back then I burned a lot of wood and he seen my buzz saw blade I ran off front of tractor. Said if I didn't do something about that crack in blade, I was going to get hurt.    Had me drill a divot at end of crack until I got a new blade. 

[Diverjer]

Parts guy at Chevrolet said he was talking to sales rep and asked about plastic cluster replacement cover part.   Sales rep told him for something like that you have to call the back office (whatever that is I don't know).  However, calling the "back office" got the part for $51.00 and now it's installed.  It was nice of the parts guy to check up on it, I wasn't bugging him or anything, guess it just came up in a conversation.