dash swap
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Junior User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 94
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dash swap
Hey anyone taken the dash out of a 80-86 truck and swapped it out for one from a newer 87-90something truck. Seems like I saw a bunch of the newer style that were the hard plastic and didnt crack up like mine which is a 86.
if its been done is it a pain
any thoughts
if its been done is it a pain
any thoughts
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 94
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by chad85
actually the hard plastic in the 87-91 is more prone to cracking as it is more brittle
Well I cant say that im an expert about this but I have been at a few junk yards lately and have seen a number of 87-91 dashes in much better shape than the 80-86's. Now part of this could be from age. However the hard plastic just seems to have held up better. I saw many that looked to be in great shape.
anyways I dunno.
Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 40
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I replaced the instrument cluster from my 1981 F100 with one from a 1985 F150 last week. The headlight and wiper switch ***** have to be removed. The cluster trim has 2 screws located at its top edge. The bottom is held by 2 ears that go into slots in the bottom of the dash. 4 screws hold the cluster to the dash. There isn't a lot of room for big hands to work in when you get the cluster loose. There is only one electrical connector. The speedometer cable has to be disconnected from the cluster, the steering column shroud has to be removed and the cable leading to the column for the gearshift indicator has to be disconnected from the column if the truck has an automatic transmission. Be careful with the gearshift cable. I broke mine :0(
I wanted a tach and a trip meter on the odometer. Tach wasn't any good. :0(. The mileage on the odometer will be wrong also. It will start from where it was when you installed it.
Good luck.
I wanted a tach and a trip meter on the odometer. Tach wasn't any good. :0(. The mileage on the odometer will be wrong also. It will start from where it was when you installed it.
Good luck.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 285
Likes: 0
From: Terre Haute, Indiana
For what it's worth I am in the middle of a dash swap on my 79, I am installing a 93 Lincoln Mark 8 dash, the LM8 plenum is mounted along with the steering column, I am currently working on additional brackets to mount the top of the dash to the firewall. The bottom ones and 2 of the top ones are in place but I want the additional support.
My gallery has some mod pictures in it, the dash however is not ready to photo, still need to do some fiberglass work too.
My gallery has some mod pictures in it, the dash however is not ready to photo, still need to do some fiberglass work too.
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,658
Likes: 5
From: Out of here
Originally Posted by payday33
I replaced the instrument cluster from my 1981 F100 with one from a 1985 F150 last week. The headlight and wiper switch ***** have to be removed. The cluster trim has 2 screws located at its top edge. The bottom is held by 2 ears that go into slots in the bottom of the dash. 4 screws hold the cluster to the dash. There isn't a lot of room for big hands to work in when you get the cluster loose. There is only one electrical connector. The speedometer cable has to be disconnected from the cluster, the steering column shroud has to be removed and the cable leading to the column for the gearshift indicator has to be disconnected from the column if the truck has an automatic transmission. Be careful with the gearshift cable. I broke mine :0(
I wanted a tach and a trip meter on the odometer. Tach wasn't any good. :0(. The mileage on the odometer will be wrong also. It will start from where it was when you installed it.
Good luck.
I wanted a tach and a trip meter on the odometer. Tach wasn't any good. :0(. The mileage on the odometer will be wrong also. It will start from where it was when you installed it.
Good luck.
Apples and Oranges.
BTW: You can still find good dash pads in the yard every once in a while, but they are rare. I managed to score 2 of them just this week after nearly 2 years of looking.
The dash pads are hard to find, everything else is readily available. At lease around here they are. I have tons of extra stuff for 80/86's.
One more thing: The reason the tach didn't work is because the 80-81 F100 wiring harness is different. You can't just plug and play 80/86 instrument clusters in 80-81 trucks.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,935
Likes: 34
From: Arcadia, Fla
I was going to use a newer cab to replace my 84 F250 cab(rusted out) The cab I was going to use was a 89 cab, I found out after gutting the 89 and the 84, the dash's will not be a bolt in between the years, Ford changed the way the dash's are mounted in the cab on the firewall and door jams and steering colums are totaly diffrent(mounting). You can make mounts up to adapt them. and change out the colums for the proper year dash.I almost started that way, but got ahold of a deal to make the 89 a running truck now(too bad that 87 cab is rusted out or I would be using that to replace my 84 cab)
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