Ok, so my 76 f250's gauges don't work (except for the speedometer). The person who owned it before me rewired gauges and placed them on top of the dash. I want to go back to the original gauges, any advice? Thanks!

 

What are you specifically asking? You've stated you are reverting to the original gauges to replace something done by the PO. What's your question? A broad request for "advice" doesn't really give anyone anything to go on. Is there a problem you're having, or something you don't understand?

 

I haven't started that process yet, would it be a good idea to get a new instrument cluster and circuit board? I would assume that the po went to aftermarket gauges for a reason but not sure. How hard would it be to wire it back to the original gauges? I have no electrical experience but would like to do the work myself.

 

Whether or not you need a new instrument cluster and printed circuit depends on the condition of the original. I will say that these pieces typically do not stand the test of time. The instrument cluster is made of a composite material that crumbles; the process is accelerated by heat. The printed circuit can peel and the contacts can become corroded.

Aftermarket support is marginal for these pieces. The instrument cluster is available aftermarket, but it's hit or miss with quality. In some cases, the plastic used is so translucent that you must paint it to prevent the bulbs from bleeding into other areas. However, the clusters were re-used for Econoline vans into later years, and by then they switched to real plastic. You may be able to find one in a junkyard. Aftermarket printed circuits are terrible; they are literally as strong as cling wrap. Depending on the condition of your original, you may want to repair and re-use.

I can't tell you "how hard" it is to restore the original gauges because that's an ambiguous term. "Hard" means different things to different people. Things like time, cost, difficulty in finding materials, familiarity with tools, etc. are a little more universally understood. If you have minimal experience with electrical, this may or may not be the first thing you want to tackle.

There isn't actually much "wiring" with the factory gauges. There's a printed circuit on the back that everything locks into. There's a voltage regulator on the back that actually powers the gauges. The input to the voltage regulator is powered by a special length of resistor wire terminated in the cluster connector. You don't simply run 12 volts up to the cluster like you would something else. If all that has been removed or modified, then this can be a relatively daunting task. If the connector is preserved and it's simply a matter of rebuilding the cluster, then that's more like building a model car and there's relatively little electrical work. You said you haven't actually taken a look yet, so there's no use in speculating.

 

+1^ FMC.... totally agree.

 

Removing the dash bezel, and instrument cluster, is easy enough. Take some pics of what you have wired to what, the back of the original cluster, an so on.
Things are either more difficult or less difficult than we first decide.

But there is no reason that you, with the help from the guys here, cant get this fixed if it is fixable.

 

Thanks for the responses, I will try to get in there this weekend and see about taking pictures of the cluster, etc.