F350 Digital Cluster Gallery
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
F350 Digital Cluster Gallery
Since I've posted bits and pieces of this project on everyone else's threads, I decided to make a new thread as not to annoy everyone else.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...?userid=134425
Working to fit a t-bird digital cluster into my 93 F350 crewcab. Not complete, but a work in progress. Just finished the first of what will be many test fits, and its getting very close.
About 5-6 minutes of grinding left to do, one swipe of the plastic facial across the table saw, and its time to start wiring!
Other coming F350 projects...
DIY front bumper with brush guard, recessed driving lights (off an 88 or thereabouts Caprice, you know, the big flat lights), and an underhood air compressor/storage tank for air tools on the road!
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...?userid=134425
Working to fit a t-bird digital cluster into my 93 F350 crewcab. Not complete, but a work in progress. Just finished the first of what will be many test fits, and its getting very close.
About 5-6 minutes of grinding left to do, one swipe of the plastic facial across the table saw, and its time to start wiring!
Other coming F350 projects...
DIY front bumper with brush guard, recessed driving lights (off an 88 or thereabouts Caprice, you know, the big flat lights), and an underhood air compressor/storage tank for air tools on the road!
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Well, today was fun, and now I'm going to take a break for a while. I'm covered in black, white plastic shards (that stink to high heaven!) and aluminum dust. Glad I wore shop goggles.
I've uploaded a whole bunch of pictures, but the "winning shot" is this one:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=37190&width=2
It actually looks like a cluster, no?
I've uploaded a whole bunch of pictures, but the "winning shot" is this one:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=37190&width=2
It actually looks like a cluster, no?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,526
Likes: 0
From: Round Rock, TX
This is a really nice project. I thought about your previous posts while my wife and I were at the junkyard on Saturday, but wanted to see how yours came out. It will certainly be a unique one.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Thanks guys... its been a fun project thus far. I'm amazed at how tedious it can get at times... grind, dremel, trim, blah blah blah.
Should have some pictures later in the day with it in the truck, unwired, for a final fitment if I can get off this conf call earlier.
I've always had a digital cluster fetish, not sure why, but if you want to do this yourself, there are many methods.
Some of the earlier 90's aerostars have digital clusters, and they mechancially fit well enough you don't have to cut, grind, dremel, etc. The plastic cluster housing is a direct fit for the F-series 92-96 truck.
The wiring is incompatible, so like with my t-bird hybrid cluster you'll have to rewire thing quite a bit, but at least the mechanical aspect of it is really easy.
Thanks for the compliments guys... I'm enjoying this regardless of the outcome. So far, so good. I did have it hooked up electronically with wires with alligator clips on the ends, worked fine as far as I could tell. Even the Tach.
Should have some pictures later in the day with it in the truck, unwired, for a final fitment if I can get off this conf call earlier.
I've always had a digital cluster fetish, not sure why, but if you want to do this yourself, there are many methods.
Some of the earlier 90's aerostars have digital clusters, and they mechancially fit well enough you don't have to cut, grind, dremel, etc. The plastic cluster housing is a direct fit for the F-series 92-96 truck.
The wiring is incompatible, so like with my t-bird hybrid cluster you'll have to rewire thing quite a bit, but at least the mechanical aspect of it is really easy.
Thanks for the compliments guys... I'm enjoying this regardless of the outcome. So far, so good. I did have it hooked up electronically with wires with alligator clips on the ends, worked fine as far as I could tell. Even the Tach.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Six new pictures in my gallery.
The winning shot:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=37237&width=0
No, it doesn't light up yet, thats the next phase. Making an adaptor harness that connects the new cluster to the original cluster connectors, so in an emergency I can put the factory cluster back.
Just in case
The winning shot:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=37237&width=0
No, it doesn't light up yet, thats the next phase. Making an adaptor harness that connects the new cluster to the original cluster connectors, so in an emergency I can put the factory cluster back.
Just in case
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,526
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From: Round Rock, TX
Looking great. And you're going to do this all over again with the Cimarron dash?
Doc, she suggested that we go. She also bought me some stones and told me to go ahead and port my heads while they were off... She's great.
Doc, she suggested that we go. She also bought me some stones and told me to go ahead and port my heads while they were off... She's great.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Looking great. And you're going to do this all over again with the Cimarron dash?
But, I already cut out the aluminum plate necessary for the Cimarron cluster
Only a rough cut and the mounting holes to the f-series internal dash mounting points are done, but I figured cut the two plates out at the same time. Was easier than remeasuring. More on that later once I get the 460 finished off.oooooooo.... turbos.....
stones and told me to go ahead and port my heads while they were off... She's great. [/B]
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Originally posted by doc_nomad
Bigric, How do you get your wife to go to the junkyard!!!
This is a great project, you should see if FTE would post it in the tech section.
Bigric, How do you get your wife to go to the junkyard!!!
This is a great project, you should see if FTE would post it in the tech section.
Regarding wives, mine actually is a good sport. She's not with me every time (I tend to go more often than I should heh-heh) but when I need an extra pair of hands, she's there with me no problem.
In fact, we have fond memories early in our relationship of standing in almost-to-the-knee junkyard goo trying to remove two passenger side doors from a partially submerged (in the same goo) vehicle, to replace her passenger doors from an incident where some idiot hit her parked car pretty hard and drove off.
She's helped "click heads" on the twin-turbo 451 stroker for my old Dodge truck, she's made runs to the auto store with a list the length of her arm while I'm underneath something pretending to have a clue, and every engine swap she's right there helping me.
She's a good sport. But I'm smart enough not to buy her a torque wrench for her birthday
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Originally posted by doc_nomad
I am speechless!, it must just not be my wifes thing. I'll have to start training her, maybe I will hide some new shoes in one of the cars in the junkyard. LOL.
I am speechless!, it must just not be my wifes thing. I'll have to start training her, maybe I will hide some new shoes in one of the cars in the junkyard. LOL.
when I was hanging sheet rock in my studio, she was there helping. When i was upgrading the electrical in the house, she was downstairs helping.
Roofing she's not particularly into, though she did call 911 when I slipped, slid down the slate roof, and catch my elbow in the gutter taking it down with me.
She often professes women are equal to men, which i don't disagree with, but its a good opportunity to hand her an air ratchet and say "yes, women are equal to men, now take that bell housing off!"
New User
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: BC
My fiance is a girly girl ... thats how i like it ... i like doing all the "manly" things ... call me old fashioned ...
she still loves the thrill of going out to the mudhole and drenching our truck in a thick cover of slop ... thats all i care about!
she still loves the thrill of going out to the mudhole and drenching our truck in a thick cover of slop ... thats all i care about!
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Cluster update, 3.07.2004
With the aerostar PSOM having dipswitches, presumably or programming the tire size, I spliced its input in parallel with my cluster's PSOM input.
This means the speed sensor on the diff feeds both PSOMs, and in turn, both clusters.
Was a little nervous at first, but hey, life is about taking risks
So, put the thunderbird cluster on my lap so it wouldn't go flying off the seat if I turn or stop hard for any reason, and went for a test drive. Okay, its off a bit.
After six random dip switch settings, I have them darn close. The thunderbird cluster displayed 79 mph, and the speedo needle in my dash cluster was a minute amount over that.
For me, this falls under "good enough" since the "minute" amount the display is off, will only be a "hair" at 55 mph.
I will consider this success. No, I didn't take any pictures simply because shifting and steering while holding a cluster on my lap was enough of a distraction at highway speeds. heh-heh
Now, to make female cluster connectors from scratch, so I can use the existing f-series harness without cutting or damaging the wires that are there.
Juuuuuuuuuuuust in case I need to put the original cluster back someday.
With the aerostar PSOM having dipswitches, presumably or programming the tire size, I spliced its input in parallel with my cluster's PSOM input.
This means the speed sensor on the diff feeds both PSOMs, and in turn, both clusters.
Was a little nervous at first, but hey, life is about taking risks
So, put the thunderbird cluster on my lap so it wouldn't go flying off the seat if I turn or stop hard for any reason, and went for a test drive. Okay, its off a bit.
After six random dip switch settings, I have them darn close. The thunderbird cluster displayed 79 mph, and the speedo needle in my dash cluster was a minute amount over that.
For me, this falls under "good enough" since the "minute" amount the display is off, will only be a "hair" at 55 mph.
I will consider this success. No, I didn't take any pictures simply because shifting and steering while holding a cluster on my lap was enough of a distraction at highway speeds. heh-heh
Now, to make female cluster connectors from scratch, so I can use the existing f-series harness without cutting or damaging the wires that are there.
Juuuuuuuuuuuust in case I need to put the original cluster back someday.