Have an '80 F100, would like to swap in a speedo/gauge set with the 4 small gauges, instead of the two and two idiot lights.
Is this a simple plug-and-play - or will I need other parts / weird wiring fabrication? I was hoping the stock sending units would provide the proper signal for the ammeter and oil pressure. or am I dreamin'?
Gauge/speedo set I have to use if I do this is likely from an '81 - '86. No way of telling.
Best thing is - the miles are nearly identical... :)

Ennyone?

 

The sending units always have to be swapped. Yours are just switches, a real guage needs a sensor with a variable resistance.

But yours is a 80, I think I remember the 80 model is a oddball, and is not wired the same. And going from lights to gauges, you always have to mess with the alternator wiring a little bit on any year. Someone will come by with more info.

 

80 is wired different than 81-86. I litterally wrote the book on swapping 80 gauge cluster to 81-86, but that was full gauge cluster to full gauge cluster.
Going from lights to gauges is very involved. As franklin said, the alt is wired much differently. Plus, the cluster plug is totally different. Different size and number of wires.
Many have tried to swap, few have truly succeeded. Adding the 1 year only wiring layout, and it becomes even more daunting.

 

DHC, get yourself a copy of the 1980 factory wiring diagrams from ebay or faxon or wherever (they should be pretty cheap) if you really want to do this.

What Dave and Jim have said is true, it's pretty dang far from plug-n-play (especially the charging system wiring) but can be done if you're good with electrical stuff (but do your homework, first, it's not a simple, Saturday-afternoon component swap (well, it CAN be, if you swap the entire in-cab and under-hood wiring harnesses and maybe the voltage regulator, too).

 

Who's Jim?

 

Nevermind, it was Dave and Paul (you).

I have Jim (ArdWrknTrk) in my mind as he provided the answer some time ago to a different thread out here I was reading....

 

Just throwing this out there, a 1 wire alt setup eliminates having to rewire. Been there, done exactly what you're doing on my '80. And only 2 circuits were changed after 1980.

 

My truck isn't worth going too deeply into it for just the two gauges. Was kinda hoping the plugs in the back of the dash might be the same and maybe just have to install different sending units or the like. :-/
Ah well - maybe someone else on here could use the entire speedo/gauge set? It's from an automatic, & so has the indicator near the bottom center.
Thanks for stopping me before I dove in tho!

 

I agree, you would be better off keeping what you have and just adding aftermarket gauges with real numbers on them.

 

That is a good point, but if he's like me, it's nice to have all the factory stuff working too. You can repin the new 17 pin connector, add the wires for the tach, and install an oil pressure sender to get that gauge to work. I never did get the battery gauge to work, honestly didn't want the fire hazard associated with it. I just installed one of those WalMart digital do-hickeys in it's place. Kinda looks factory and it actually tells you how many volts it's getting.