I'm sure Mil1ion will answer this for me in a jiffy...

I have a bad instrument cluster - circuitry. No lights work in the entire dash except blinkers. I checked the bulbs... Everything else works fine.

My cluster is in my 77 F150 body on my 76 F250 frame. 390, c6, divorced 205. (Don't know if all that info's needed, but it never hurts)

Will the cluster out of any 73-79 work to replace it? Rather than buying the circuitry for $60-some bucks from Dennis Carpenter.

Also does anyone know what the part number would be to replace the bulbs with LED ones and where to get such a creature?

 

There is a difference between the early clusters, and the later clusters. I do not know the year when they changed. I would believe that you can directly swap one with an ?80?MPG cluster out with another 80 MPG cluster, but not an 80 for a 100, or vice versa. You can however install the 100 MPH speedo into a later cluster if that floats your boat. The connector between the 2 clusters are different, and will not interchange, unless you take the pins out and switch them between the plugs (or cut and splice wires)

 

OK, So 80mph to 80mph? I really ask because I bought a darn near new cluster on ebay for next to nothing without really thinking about the possible problems. I figure I'll be installing it this weekend. Or not, depending. Both are 80mph...

Who needs a 100 mph speedo on a 30 year old truck anyway? I've got 37's anyway, not likely I'll be going that fast any time soon. I have hit 80 before in this truck but if I want to go fast I'll ride the bike or a car.

 

Np, it has to do with either having the standard guages or idiot lights. Those are not interchangeable.

Josh

 

I thought the wiring harnesses were all the same inside the trucks, the only difference being the sending units used for guages or idiot lights????

 

No the wiring is completely different.

And also the problem with using an early style cluster is the high beam jewel is wired different than a later style that has the highbeam jewel in the speedo.

Josh

 

Alright, so will this work for me or not. The both look the same to me, though the old one isn't out of the dash to look at right now. Both have gauges not idiot lights, 80mph speedos, high beam in speedo...

Yes, or no.

Or I'll just tell you in a couple days when I get to trying it out.

 

if it plugs in, it *should* work. Take a look at backs, trace the leads on the printed circuitry, make sure they go to the same places. If not, worst case is you can take a look at how the pins in the harnass are anchored, defeat that little pin, and move wires as you see fit.

Josh, I still do not follow how the truck will be wired any different for a cluster with the idiot lights versus the guages, with exception to maybe the low fuel economy light, and the ammeter, and stuff that is different for AC, and cruise control. (I can't even begin to remember what a cluster with just idiot lights looked like, I always see them with the guages) To reinforce what I thought I knew, Million stated a few pages back that the trucks were wired the same as well. I am not talking about the earlier style over the later, I am talking a 73 with gauges vs. a '73 with idiot lights. I know that around '76 or so they changed the plug for the printed circuitry. I am not wanting to say you are wrong, I just would like to see some more information to support your position, to further educate myself if I am once again, wrong.

 

If I remember right those circuitry boards are color coded so you dont get them mixed up,

 

I had one that had a red printed circuit. the plastic was rotting off the rest of the cluster, I replaced the complete unit with one from the junkyard that had a blue printed circuit on it. The part numbers were different, but I don't recall seeing any difference between the 2.

 

i second that about the plug-ins being different. i had a cluster out of a 74 w/ gauges and it wouldnt plug into my 77 or 79 w/ gauges. i could interchange the individual gauges themselves but had to use the old board and circuit.

 

There is a company that is presently working on an LED setup and they will even be coming on board as an FTE sponsor

contact Bill at

www.hipoparts.com


Cluster PC differ slightly.

Placement of the HI-beam light for one.

The 77 cluster can be swapped in from a 78-83 Fseries & E-Series

The printed circuit board number is :

 

One upgrade you may want to consider while you have your cluster out are these LED bulbs http://www.whitegauges.net/products_list.php?catID=4550I put them in my cluster and they are much brighter than the 194 bulbs. I also put one in the headlight and wiper switch to brighten those up as well.

 

5 bucks apiece and 7 bucks shipping!!! I snatched 7 from the yard with sockets for 0

 

7 of the old, barely light up the gauges kind, or 7 LEDs out of a new car? If so what new cars have LED's that work?