New cluster issue for me...no lights or Gas gauge

So I took care of my original issues with a new sending unit, new flasher, and even put a brand new printed circuit board and regulator on the back of the cluster. I grounded it like it should. The only lights that come up on the dash are my alternator light and the high beam indicator light. No other lights. Not even the gas gauge moves when powering the wire. The headlight switch in the dash seems fine, I replaced that with a new one years ago too.
any help appreciated

 

Is there power on the light blue & red wire? Can check at cluster, ashtray etc. If not, fuse is blown or rheostat in headlight switch isn't working.

 

Yes there is power coming through that wire. The rheostat appears to be working

 

What year is your car/cluster? The new repop printed circuit board does not fit all years.

 

1972 I mean everything seemed to match the old one, which was shot and separating everywhere

 

I haven't installed my new circuit board yet. I hope I don't run into problems...

 

Found something tonight.. Looks like the contact tabs on the alternator light are broken off. Maybe this is the problem.

 

That should not be the issue as I believe that socket does not need to make contact to the printed circuit board.....it is "wired" as you can see.

I don't recall exactly what years the repop circuit board fits.

 

Autokcrafters lists their board as '70-'73. I've seen vendors that said '70-'77 but I'd be leery of that.

The ALT light is independent of cluster.

 

Yes the board is for a 70-73 so I'm good there.
I don't know guys. I tested the voltage regulator with a test light and 1 terminal is bright while the other is dim and I believe that to be correct.
I checked power across the fuse for the '14A warning lamps' circuit and I am getting only 1V across the fuse.
I doubt this matters but my emergency flashers are working, but I noticed that the driver rear light is the only one that does not. Bulb is good.
What would the contacts from the idiot light be doing then if that has nothing to do with my issue?

 

If you have no "dash" lights....does the heater controls bulb light up when the parking lights/headlights are on?

 

Is your IVR (instrument cluster voltage regulator) plugged in and working? that powers the fuel gauge. I think it should be 5 volts?

 

don't ask me why but none of that is there anymore

I didn't test volts but it powered a test light

 

If your other instrument lights were not working, I would suspect you have a blown fuse.

 

Went out to the car again yesterday. The car had most of the old sockets and bulbs working outside of the cluster, until I put them in. Pulling out on the tabs didn't help. I bought new ones. Same damn deal. They locked in perfectly. I first started to pull one to swap and that's when I saw light. wtf? the contacts weren't quite as long as the old ones, but then again those didn't work once locked in either! All i did was either slightly turn out one, or flipped them around. Makes no sense. But I appear to have lights including my blinkers.
What's supposed to go into the holes for the red lights? sockets or a specific wire like for the ALTERNATOR?