New to all this stuff and really need some help identifying what exactly am I lookin at and is it necessary to keep. These 3 items on the screen are what I'm askin about.

 

One is an aftermarket switch, one an oil pressure gauge, and an old school trailer brake controller. All three can be removed.
The switch you would have to trace the wiring (if there is any) to see what it was for. The oil pressure gauge's line would need to be removed. The OP probably tapped into where the original oil pressure sending unit was located. If your instrument cluster light/gauge doesn't work, more than likely the factory sending unit has been removed and replaced withe the line for the gauge.
The brake controller can be removed but you'll need to properly reroute the brake lines so your brakes will work.

 

Thank you for the response the previous owner did a lot of wonky stuff I'm noticing and I was just wanting to make sure the stuff in question wasn't factory related.

 

1. The red lens cover item looks to be a switch. I bet you pull it out is turns on something and the switch should light up also. See if the red cover will unthread and you see a light bulb in there. Trace the wiring to find out what it should turn on, before you try to disconnect it. If its not making anything needed work, remove it and have a hole in the dash.

2. Yes the pressure gauge looks to be a oil pressure gauge. Again trace the line coming out the back and it will probably go to the OEM sending unit on the engine block. Aftermarket oil pressure gauge is a good idea to have. A working OEM and aftermarket together, even better.

3. Yes looks like an old style electric trailer brake controller, also looks to be tapped into your brake lines? See the ridged line coming out the back, does it go thru the dash and tap into your brake lines around the master cylinder?

If you take it out of your brake line system, do it carefully, and do a brake system bleed afterwards.

 

The trailer brake controller is plumbed to the master cylinder with a Tee fitting. If you remove it, you'll need to bleed the brakes, cuz you'll introduce air into the system.

Heres an internet picture of the master cylinder side:

 

From what I've seen that brake line isn't attached anywhere seem to be disconnected a while ago ... where can I buy an OEM sending unit? And how's it all laid out?

 

Then it must of been connected to an old style brake controller. Is the other end connected to anything under the hood? Like in papaB's pic?

Local parts house should carry a OEM oil pressure sending unit. 351M 400 engine? The sending unit is threaded into the block behind the carb. Has a one wire connection with a 90* slip on elbow connector.

Also I believe there is a difference in sending units when your instrument cluster has just a oil pressure warning light or an actual oil pressure gauge.

Here is how the OEM and aftermarket can get plumed together.

 

no not connected the line was literally just dangling in the open so I pulled it. And the oil pressure gauge just has the 1 line running from block to inside the cab

 

That is your OEM oil pressure sending unit connection point. And I would say that line goes to that oil pressure gauge under that dash.

So do you have a OEM gauge or warning light in your instrument cluster? No matter, because it looks to not be hooked up anyway.

 

great lol... I wish I knew the parts so I could replace back to OEM

 

All you should need is an OEM sending unit and correct associated wiring to match your cluster set up.

Can you locate the one single wire with a 90* possibly WHT with a red stripe?

Not 100 % on that wiring, because in the pic I posted it looks brown with a red or orange trace.

FYI the PO might of took it out for a reason (wiring/cluster issue) ? And went aftermarket only?

 

I understand the desire to have all the gauges in the factory dash working. However, the factory gauges in our beloved trucks aren't all that great:

• The factory oil pressure gauge isn't an accurate portrayal of high versus low pressure-it's pretty much "normal" for anything over 3 psi.
  
• The factory temp gauge isn't much better. After all, what the heck does R mean anyway? Is it on the cool side of ok, and how much so?
  
• The ammeter is pretty much useless. I only see mine move, and it's just a hair, when I turn on the headlights

.

If you really want to know what's going on, you need aftermarket gauges.

On my trucks, I've got all the factory gauges, so the dash is complete and functional, and also aftermarket gauges, so I know what's really going on.

For example, the mechanical oil pressure gauge shows 75 PSI when I fire it up cold, and 15 when it's hot sitting at a light. But all that is "normal" on the factory gauge-which doesn't show any difference between the two extremes.

My mechanical temp gauge shows me the truck warming up, when the thermostat opens, and when it's really getting warm. Knowing that the coolant is 220 degrees is far more useful than knowing the temperature is about A

Many guys have their ammeter converted to a voltmeter. There are several threads on that. Knowing you're at 14.2 is a heckuva lot better than trying to discern if the needle is to the right of vertical.

I've got a thread on installing an aftermarket gauge set, with pictures on where everything hooks up. However, if you decide to stay with stock, remember that the oil pressure sender is different for gauges or "idiot lights"

 

[QUOTE=77&79F250;17214163]All you should need is an OEM sending unit and correct associated wiring to match your cluster set up.

Can you locate the one single wire with a 90* possibly WHT with a red stripe?

Not 100 % on that wiring, because in the pic I posted it looks brown with a red or orange trace.

FYI the PO might of took it out for a reason (wiring/cluster issue) ? And went aftermarket only?[/QUOTE

thank you

 

Didn't realize all of that since I'm new to most of this but makes sense. I'll look into your thread about it ... rather have accurate reading instead of guesstimations