Cluster swap question
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New User
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Southeast Kansas
Cluster swap question
Looking at swapping out the cluster on my '87 F250 and just wanted to confirm some things before I picked one up from the JY.
The clusters from 87-91 Broncos & trucks will swap out.
The oil sender on the 87 trucks were different the the later years and an 88-91 cluster will not show oil pressure, it just becomes an on/off gauge. You can put in a 20ohm resistor on the oil gauge wiring to not have the needle go all the way to the right.
Thought I read that the odometer reels could be swapped too.
Anything else that I would need to know. That was all that I gleamed from searching and just wanted to make sure I didn't get any surprises when I tried to hook up the new cluster.
The clusters from 87-91 Broncos & trucks will swap out.
The oil sender on the 87 trucks were different the the later years and an 88-91 cluster will not show oil pressure, it just becomes an on/off gauge. You can put in a 20ohm resistor on the oil gauge wiring to not have the needle go all the way to the right.
Thought I read that the odometer reels could be swapped too.
Anything else that I would need to know. That was all that I gleamed from searching and just wanted to make sure I didn't get any surprises when I tried to hook up the new cluster.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,823
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From: New York
Are you looking to get one of the "better" clusters with tach and trip-meter or is there something wrong with yours? I need to remember to list my spare tach-equipped cluster up for sale.
Regardless, they should all be interchangeable through '91. I presume you know how to disconnect the speedo cable clip, yes? You may find that pulling the cable up from near the gas peddle is a better way to give it some slack to get access to it.
If you can document (or link to another thread) on where to add the resistor, that would be helpful for those of us who want to "convert" our oil pressure gauge to an actual gauge. Replacing the sender is the no-brainer part.
Regardless, they should all be interchangeable through '91. I presume you know how to disconnect the speedo cable clip, yes? You may find that pulling the cable up from near the gas peddle is a better way to give it some slack to get access to it.
If you can document (or link to another thread) on where to add the resistor, that would be helpful for those of us who want to "convert" our oil pressure gauge to an actual gauge. Replacing the sender is the no-brainer part.
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New User
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From: Southeast Kansas
Yeah, wanting to add a tach. Like to pick one up locally so I can get it installed before I head out this weekend. Calling around now for that.
No, hadn't gone so far as to looking into how to disconnect the speedo cable.
No, hadn't gone so far as to looking into how to disconnect the speedo cable.
Post Fiend
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2011
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From: New York
BTW, I read some incorrect posts indicating that there was a 6 and 8-cyl version of the clusters. That's incorrect, they are the same. Perhaps they're different for the '92+ clusters? Dunno.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,823
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From: New York
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...tructions.html This might help.
And for the I6 guys, ignore all the stuff about plumbing in an elbow - you just replace the switch with the pressure sender one-for-one.
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New User
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From: Southeast Kansas
Okay, wife called around and then picked up a cluster today (Gotta love her)
Out of a 88 F350, manual tranny, 3750 redline on the tach.
After a brief issue trying to get the speedo off, got the cluster removed and the replacement set in. Got just the two cables plugged back in, tried the dash lights, everything worked. Fired her up and the tach maybe got a hair over 250 rpm, and with revving the engine just cleared 500.
Any suggestions as to something else I need to do or is this cluster just messed up? Got two days to return it for a full refund.
Out of a 88 F350, manual tranny, 3750 redline on the tach.
After a brief issue trying to get the speedo off, got the cluster removed and the replacement set in. Got just the two cables plugged back in, tried the dash lights, everything worked. Fired her up and the tach maybe got a hair over 250 rpm, and with revving the engine just cleared 500.
Any suggestions as to something else I need to do or is this cluster just messed up? Got two days to return it for a full refund.
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New User
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From: Southeast Kansas
Picked up a different cluster this morning, plugged it in and the tach works this time. This tach shows 6000 rather then the 4000 of the one that didn't want to work.
Now to return the other one and pick up a bunch of bulbs, and swap the odometer and shift selector cable out.
Now to return the other one and pick up a bunch of bulbs, and swap the odometer and shift selector cable out.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
The 6cyl and V8 tachs are infact different (They do NOT operate differently) they simple "look" different.
The 6cyl Tach has a red line, the V8 ones have no red line.
But either one will work with either.
I swapped and played with the odo on my 89 F150, I swapped in an 87 odo with tach, and trip odo. Resetting the mileage (to keep trucks original low miles), wasn't hard at all, theres even an adjustment for someone who changes tire size, to calibrate the speedo with the bigger/small tires.
It's a plug and play deal, except I had to get a 1987 oil pressure sender to have a working gauge, witch is a real gauge, works with engine RPM, it's not just a dummy light like it use to be with the original 89 cluster.
The 6cyl Tach has a red line, the V8 ones have no red line.
But either one will work with either.
I swapped and played with the odo on my 89 F150, I swapped in an 87 odo with tach, and trip odo. Resetting the mileage (to keep trucks original low miles), wasn't hard at all, theres even an adjustment for someone who changes tire size, to calibrate the speedo with the bigger/small tires.
It's a plug and play deal, except I had to get a 1987 oil pressure sender to have a working gauge, witch is a real gauge, works with engine RPM, it's not just a dummy light like it use to be with the original 89 cluster.
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New User
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Southeast Kansas
Got the gear selector switched out since the new one's cable was messed up. Cleaned the dirt/dust off the face and she looks almost like new.
Didn't swap the speedometer section since I would like to keep the trip odometer. If there was an easy way to adjust the odometer on the new one I would do that, but since the title already says mileage is exempt it would just be to keep it consistent.
Nabbed a bunch of 194s as well, they said they gave me a "shop rate" but it still feels like I just stole them.
Didn't swap the speedometer section since I would like to keep the trip odometer. If there was an easy way to adjust the odometer on the new one I would do that, but since the title already says mileage is exempt it would just be to keep it consistent.
Nabbed a bunch of 194s as well, they said they gave me a "shop rate" but it still feels like I just stole them.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,935
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From: Arcadia, Fla
Okay, wife called around and then picked up a cluster today (Gotta love her)
Out of a 88 F350, manual tranny, 3750 redline on the tach.
After a brief issue trying to get the speedo off, got the cluster removed and the replacement set in. Got just the two cables plugged back in, tried the dash lights, everything worked. Fired her up and the tach maybe got a hair over 250 rpm, and with revving the engine just cleared 500.
Any suggestions as to something else I need to do or is this cluster just messed up? Got two days to return it for a full refund.
Out of a 88 F350, manual tranny, 3750 redline on the tach.
After a brief issue trying to get the speedo off, got the cluster removed and the replacement set in. Got just the two cables plugged back in, tried the dash lights, everything worked. Fired her up and the tach maybe got a hair over 250 rpm, and with revving the engine just cleared 500.
Any suggestions as to something else I need to do or is this cluster just messed up? Got two days to return it for a full refund.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Southeast Kansas
That cluster came from a diesel engine truck hence the 3750 redline. With out the correct RPM sending unit the diesel engine has, the tach won't function properly. Actily your the 1st person to test a diesel tach on the 87 to 91 years that I know of! Now we know what happens.
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