1979 F150 Ranger Lariat 351M 2WD
I'd like to replace my instrument panel with one that has a voltage meter and oil meter, now I have the lights, I want or need to know if it can be done, my truck has under dash gauges for these , but the oil pressure gauge has a copper tube attached to it, and I don't know how it would hook up to the panel, any help, or ideas,


thanks

 

Find a 1979 donor truck with the gauges still in it. Also get the wiring harness including the oil sensor and all engine wiring.

Swap the cluster and harness. Make sure the harness is in good condition and end connectors are good and no wiring has been cut or modified. Rewrap the harness with 3m black electrical tape. Make sure to get a harness with the same engine as yours so the engine harness wires are the correct length. Lots of work but well worth the effort. I thought all xlt's and Lariats had full instrumentation.

Edit. You will need the water temp sensor as well.

This is the easiest and safest way and everything should work properly. When you get parts from different trucks it is hard to make sure the harness and hardware matches the cluster.

 

these trucks never had a volt gauge,they do have an amp gauge. but i'd leave those under dash gages alone if there working as there better than the factory ones.

 

That thing is like a lit fuse on a gas powered time bomb..LOL. There is a company in KC, MO that will install a factory looking VOLTmeter into the spot where the ammeter goes. Problem is...$150 for the conversion. I said skroo it and bought a nice set of Autometer triple gauges. If you want the name I'll dig it up for you, I have it at home.

 

If it's a copper tube that looks wrapped in a spring type cover then that is for your water temp. that is a mechanical gauge, not electric. It should have a torpedo looking sensor on the end. Oil gauges typically have a tube (If they are mechanical).

 

The factory ammeter was a POS, even the factory pretty much said so through TSB's issued on it. They often didn't work when new.
To install factory gauges in a warning light dash, you have to change the main under dash harness and the alternator harness plus swap out the instrument cluster.

Beedub, sorry guy, if you went for that, you got ripped off! There is a guy that will convert your ammeter to a real voltmeter for, as I recall, $35-45.00. You can opt to keep the ammeter face or he'll put a true voltmeter face on the gauge. It looks factory.
I'll find the link again and post it.

 

Here's the link. Scroll down towards the bottom, that's where the F series is.
Rocketman's Classic Cougar Innovations

 

Thanks for this! I would have never known about it otherwise.

 

Welcome to FTE, lots of good, knowledgeable people here.

 

Yes from what I understand you will have to swap the complete wiring harness to go from idiot lights to gauges.

 

I bought nice triple gauges and said F that dash ammeter.

 

Awesome.

Thank you for sharing that.