smart guages discoloured lenses

[grt1]

In 2001 i got a new alumacraft boat with a 150 hp merc optimax, the dealer wanted to put on the smartcraft guages because they had never installed them before and i said sure go ahead, well here we are a few years later (ok, a lot a years later) and the plastic cover on the guages has yellowed so bad you cant read the digital output that gives you all the readouts. I'm mostly concerned that i can't see the amount of gas in the tank, oil in the reservoir and the trim settings. 

yesterday i stopped at the marina where the boat was purchased and they gave me tachometer to try. it worked but i couldn't get it to read anything past the initial sign on screen. so i took it back to the dealer and he sent me across the street to see the other marina that now has the mercury dealership. they looked up information on the numbers i got off my speedo and tach on the boat and discovered that you cant getew   replacements for that version of the guages. so maybe, i thought i would just get new ones . 

turns out the new guages are just over 1600 bucks apiece. so that idea is out. 

so why i'm posting here is, is anyone out there familiar with getting the yellow out of the plastic, i have tried the stuff they advertise on tv but it doesn't seem to work all that well.

any suggestions would be welcome.

[grimsbylander]

From what I've read your're basically out of luck. The marina is correct that there are no replaceable lenses available and this is a fairly common issue with these older gauges. The problem is with the inner lens and not the outside cover. Guys have CAREFULLY pried the covers off and simply removed the foggy inner lens. Because those gauges are not factory sealed( ie nitrogen filled) units, you just have to be careful not to damage the seal which is really only a rain guard anyway. Good luck.

[spincast]

maybe here?

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/smartcraft-instruments

 

[BillM]

Plastic lens?   A quick cut and polish with an DA polisher would probably make them look new again.   Same issue that happens with headlight lenses.

[grimsbylander]

15 minutes ago, BillM said:

Plastic lens?   A quick cut and polish with an DA polisher would probably make them look new again.   Same issue that happens with headlight lenses.

From what I've read the discoloration is not on the outside and guys have tried that without success.

[BillM]

9 hours ago, grimsbylander said:

From what I've read the discoloration is not on the outside and guys have tried that without success.

Ah that sucks.  Plastic cleans up nicely with a little elbow grease.    Is there an inner lens?

[grimsbylander]

1 hour ago, BillM said:

Ah that sucks.  Plastic cleans up nicely with a little elbow grease.    Is there an inner lens?

I believe so, yes. Which isn't so bad if he can carefully remove them.

[aplumma]

Open it carefully and either cut a new lens or replace it with glass. I have done a few on motorcycles from the 80's with good results. 

Art

[grt1]

thanks for the comments, maybe i will try and buff them up again and see if they get any clearer.