Swapping out an instrument cluster in '78 F-150....Have a question.
I recently purchased an instrument cluster from a '79 F-250 to replace my old one. Should everything work as normal in the new cluster just by plugging it in or will it require some electrical work??
If both trucks had a charge gauge and oil pressure gauge, then it will work. Or, if both trucks had an "ALT" light and "OIL" light, it will work. If one truck had gauges and the other had lights, it won't be a direct swap. The alternator wiring harness and some of the wiring up to the cluster will have to change.
thanks for the info. If I remember correctly, they both had lights for Oil and Alt. The only differences were the new one has 100 mph speedo (old was 85) and the high beam light is off to the side rather than the top of the cluster.
The 79 cluster should be 85 mph speedometer and have the bright indicator at the top of the speedo. The description sounds like a cluster from a 76 or older truck.
I had a 74 F100 with a cluster like you described except all gauges. My 77 has a cluster with the high beam indicator at the top. It also came with a 100 mph speedo (I have since had to change to speedo out, it now has an 85 mph speedo).
I agree the description is of the older "gauge" version. Not sure, but my memory is telling me the high beam light will create problems swapping one for the other.
I agree with the guys here; the "new" gauge cluster isn't really from a '79. Since that's the case, I can't say whether or not it will work. Originally the high beam indicator was on the side, until that spot got taken by a "fasten seat belts" light due to a federal mandate, at which time the light got moved to the top center of the speedometer. I can't comment on the wiring harness interchange between high-beam indicator positions; I don't see a practical reason for the connector being different but I really have no idea.
There are also some rare clusters with an economy indicator that were connected to a vacuum solenoid; I want to say they were only offered one year. I can't remember which one, but it was earlier than '78.
If memory serves me correctly, there are differences in the wiring plug in between the older (76) and newer (78) clusters as previously mentioned. I put a 100mph cluster in my 78 also and had to change the wiring a little bit at the plug. Your best bet is to get ahold of a Haynes manual for 73-79 trucks. In the back they have schematics for all the model years so you can see the differrences. Once you figure out what does what at the plug, its pretty easy to follow the traces on the foil on the back of your new cluster to see what goes where.
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