I have a 1989 E250 conversion to a motorhome (Falcon) It has dual gas tanks servicing a 351W and C6 transmission. The current instrument cluster has a bad temperature gauge and no tachometer. I would like to know if I could swap out my current instrument cluster with a similar year cluster from an F250/Bronco with a tachometer. Issues that concern me are 1) are the clusters the same size and shape and do they have similar mounting locations; 2) I notice that the gauges on the F250/Bronco cluster are on the opposite side of the speedometer from my current E250 cluster. Would all the wiring reach and be compatible. Would this cause any problems? 3) Finally as my current cluster does not have a tach, I suppose that I would have to run a wire to the distributor. Would this cause any problems with my existing sending units? Finally, are there any problems that I have not considered? If this is all to complicated, I guess that I could simply replace my failing temperature gauge and install a separate dash mounted tachometer. Any guidance or advice would be appreciated.

 

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It will work
You have to add a wire and or snip one IIRR at one of the connectors to the printed circuit IIRR
The problem was with the PSOM to ABS interface IIRR, yours might be earlier than that and might just be plug and play (if you get the right year cluster)

 

Thanks Manic Mechanic for your reply. Sorry for my ignorance but I am unsure of your abbreviations. What does IIRR and PSOM stand for? You indicate that I may need to "add a wire or snip one" but you did not give me any info as to how I will tell the difference or where I should snip or add. Please have patience with me as I am still learning the electrical side of my auto restorations.. To give you some additional insight into my plans, I was intending to purchase an instrument cluster such as Ebay #355155218557. Would this likely be a "plug and play " or am I going to have to modify the wiring on this unit? Thanks for your help.

 

I swapped an F-Series complete cluster into a 2003 E-250 in order to have a tachometer---it was successful but only after doing a lot of researching the electrical differences between the electrical connections from the stock chassis wiring that would feed the cluster. For the most part the two clusters physically interchange but the various connections into the cluster from the E-Series chassis wiring needed to be modified so the F-Series clusters could "read" and display the parameters required. This required having an EVTM for both chassis so I could re-pin the E-Series wiring.

It's not impossible BUT you need to know which year cluster you'll be using, obtain an EVTM for it and an EVTM for the vehicle the new cluster will be installed. You also need to know IF the connectors from the chassis wiring are compatible with the new cluster.

I did have to add a few wires; one ground wire, a wire for the tach and another in order to have a IC lamp telling me when VSC (cruise control) was active. Nothing about installing a cluster like OP is hoping to do is plug and play.

FWIW my own process cannot be applied to anything older than a 2000 or so and I cannot/will not engage in any speculation "if I do this will it work?"--please don't ask.

 

I don't think the one you referenced will work for your 89
IIRR is shorthand for "if I remember right"
Yours will not have a PSOM (Programmable Speedometer Odometer Module)
Do get the pages out of the EVTM or service manual showing the clusters
You can get / print them free using All Data at your library (usually)

 

JWA and Manic Mechanic. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my inquiry. Please bare with me. If the gauge cluster I proposed to purchase "labeled 1987-91 F150 cluster" is not the best/simplest gauge cluster for me to swap into my 1989 E250, what would be? ( I understand that this cluster has PSOM and my van does not?) I have looked at earlier F150/Bronco clusters (to 1986) but they seem to be of a different configuration (row of lights above?) and I wonder if they would even bolt in to my dash correctly. My goal is to acquire a tachometer and a trip meter (odometer) which my current cluster does not have. (The trip meter is really important to me given the lousy gas mileage of my 351W pushing a dull sized motorhome.) I also need to replace a malfunctioning temperature gauge. I understand the challenges that you, JWA, incurred when you made your gauge cluster swap, but given that my van is more than 10 years older than your van, would not the swap be more straightforward? I feel that swapping clusters would make my dash a cleaner installation. BUT, are you guys trying to tell me gently that because of the complexity, my best solution would be to replace the faulty temperature gauge and mount external tachometers and trip mileage gauges? If the latter, do you have any suggestions of hardware? Thanks.

 

The cluster should fit in your dash. The advice is to sit down with the wiring diagram of your van and the wiring diagram of the donor to confirm that the wires in your van go to te appropriate pins in the new cluster. There are so many variations that no one can say which if any F-series clusters are plug-n-play with your van.

If not already mentioned, consider the final drive ratio of the donor if speedo/odo accuracy matters. I don’t know if clusters are marked or whether final drive ratio can be determined by the part number.

Sixto
07 E350 5.4 197K miles

 

You just need the cluster out of an 89 with a tach IMO
I would not bet on Ebay saying a 87-91 is the same, Ask the wrecking yard about compatibility
I would visit a wrecking yard where you can tear a few out and examine their connectors compared to yours
The green tach wire in particular and the difference in the printed circuits

 

One question I have. Does the 89 E-series have the same clusters as the F-series???

I recall the vans are not the same as pickup clusters(big square type gauges) till 1992 then the clusters will physically fit(with needed wiring changes)

The F-series clusters(mechanical speedometer) are the same for years 87 to 91 and you can swap in a tach in place of a non tach and its plug and play
The F-series cluster(electronic speedometer aka PSOM) are grouped as 92 to 93 plug and play, 94 to 95 are plug and play and 96 up are plug and play. Any swapping between those years will require repining of harness to make it work.

As for the 92 to 97 E-series, a F-series cluster will fit but you must repin and add tach wire for those clusters to work. I am not sure about the 91 and older E-series vans....

 

Good point! My mind is on 92-96 Econolines.

Sixto
07 E350 5.4 197K miles