Hey guys...I just finished installing auto meter gauges in my '80 F150. I was getting tired of the slow moving stock ones and the *shudder* idiot lights. It was a bit of a pain in the *** figuring out where/what to mount the gauges to. I ended up fabing up an aluminum plate and brushing it, mounting that to the stock guage faceplate (the piece that says fuel oil charge etc). Everything worked out good but I still can't figure out how to get signal light/hi beam indicators in the cab, since I couldn't use the gauge cluster with the circuitry. If you guys have any ideas on how to wire the indicators up, please let me know...and apparently I can't post pictures...i will put them in my gallery. Thanks guys

Jordan

 

Got any pictures?

 

All the functions you want are in the connector that mates with the original instrument panel printed wiring. I don't have a diagram for an '80 which is supposedly different from later versions. Maybe someone else on the forum can help.

 

Very nice truck , the gauges look sweet.

 

nice looking gauges

 

You did a great Job on your dash and gauges

 

The only differences with the 1980 and 1981, to 1986, is the 1980's printed circut board is rearanged slightly, and the wires are rearanged in the cluster connector. The wire colors should match fine 1980 to 1986.


Do you still have the plastic piece of the cluster? With the light bulb "socket" holes?

You could do it one of three ways.

If you still have the light bulb socket holes, where the original light bulbs were, you can solder wire to the Black light bulb "Socket" holders, that originally went into the specific holes in the cluster. You know the ones that twisted in.


1: Solder One wire for Ground to one side of each bulb socket EXCEPT one for the brake warning light. Then find a good ground and attach them to it.

2: HIGH BEAM: Remove the Light Green/Black wire from the cluster connector and solder that to the High beam socket. Other side to ground.

3: FASTEN BELT: Remove the Dark Green/Light green wire from the cluster connector an solder that to the Fasten Belt socket. Other side to ground.

4: RIGHT TURN: Remove the White/Light Blue wire from the cluster connector an solder that to the Right turn signal socket. Other side to ground.

5: LEFT TURN: Remove the Light Green/White wire from the cluster connector an solder that to the Left Turn signal socket. Other side to ground.


6: BRAKE WARNING LIGHT: Remove the Red/Yellow hash wire from the cluster connector and solder that to one side of the brake warning light socket. Then remove the Purple/White wire from the cluster connector and solder that to the other side of the brake warning light socket.

7: CLUSTER ILLUMINATION (If needed) (5 Lamps): Remove the Light Blue/Red wire from the cluster connector an solder that to the Cluster Ilumination sockets. Other side to ground.

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Another way is to get at least six light bulb sockets from at least six different 4x4 models for their 4x4 light, in the junkyard, and splice the apropriate wires mentioned above into the wires of the socket. Then twist them into the apropriate holes.


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And yet another way is to make/or buy your own sockets, and use LEDs or some other such bulbs you think up yourself, using the wiring like above.

Hope this helps you out.

 

Looks great! I'm assuming you wrote down the MPH - KM/H conversions somewhere?

RP
Zach

 

Thanks 81-F150-Explorer. That was exactly what I needed. I will try wiring it all up and let you guys know how it all works out. And no, I don't have the conversions in my truck. I need a new speedo cable for the autometer speedo. Does anyone know where I can get one? Would tranny shops have them (I need a correcting gear too, my speedo is out of whack 83=100 actual) Thanks guys.

 

I noticed that you have two fuel gages, which it appears that only one is connected, and that the left top corner is rounded and the right side top corner of the Alum Backing plate is squared, overall it looks nice but could use a slight improvement on the corners to even them up to match. Gages are centered but placing the instrument lights inside gages is what mine came with....and putting neon green lights for the flashers is better on the eyes at night. Overall a very nice truck for the age of it.

 

I'm thinking he has two gas tanks perhaps? A front gas tank and a rear gas tank and the rear just happened to be empty at that time? Maybe I'm wrong. Awesome truck indeed.

O'Reilly's (if you have those up there) sells little cheapie lights you can mount in your dash. Drill a half inch hole, wire it, and they just pop right in no problemo. You can use 'em for anything, they're LED so they'll last a while, and they come in all sorts of colors.

RP
Zach

 

The plate has one edge (top left) with a notch taken out of it because the stock panel has a small piece of plastic there. I am, however, going to do the same to all 4 corners to make them look the same. As for the lights, I was thinking of just getting small lights and mounting them in the plate. We don't have an O'Reilly's up here though. We'll see what I can find. Thanks guys.


Oh and I do have dual tanks and they are both full, but the one tank has a hole in the brass float, i guess. It has read like that since the day that i got it. I'll drop the tank this winter and fix it.