instrument cluster swap - need help

[Ian Szgatti]

With my cluster, I get a speedo, fuel gauge, and a temp gauge.

I want the tach, oil pressure, and voltmeter. The easiest way I found was to buy the oil and volt gauge and mount them below the steering column, each about 10 bucks... then the tach for a DIS system mounted where ever you want also. It's cheap, and they light up too. Unless your aiming for the stock look...

If the OD comes from the ECM like X says... this is going to get pretty complicated... haven't you concidered using aftermarket gauges to monitor your engine? Why do you want that info displayed?

[Tonglebeak]

The odometer actually works, I just need to adjust it to the mileage it was at before. I just want all the fancy gauges with the stock look that came with the optional guage package.

Xeroinfinity, why do you say it won't be fun? Personally I'll find all of this puzzle-piecing to be quite fun, and it'll be entirely satisfying when it's completed.

Call me crazy, but I completely like the idea of making this car look more modern without hurting the stock look, and giving it great maintenance to make it run like a champ. Many people call me stupid for doing this, but if I can get another 200000 miles off of this, it's my gain, not theirs

[xeroinfinity]

Originally Posted by Tonglebeak

The odometer actually works, I just need to adjust it to the mileage it was at before. I just want all the fancy gauges with the stock look that came with the optional guage package.

Xeroinfinity, why do you say it won't be fun? Personally I'll find all of this puzzle-piecing to be quite fun, and it'll be entirely satisfying when it's completed.

Call me crazy, but I completely like the idea of making this car look more modern without hurting the stock look, and giving it great maintenance to make it run like a champ. Many people call me stupid for doing this, but if I can get another 200000 miles off of this, it's my gain, not theirs

Sometimes it starts out fun, then ends with hair pulling, :banghead , screaming , etc etc.

Though its a good learning experiance, I wasnt trying to discourage you.
It actually isnt that hard once the wires are located .
Putting in the oil pressure sending unit might be the dirtiest part.

On the milage, thiers a specific wire that runs from the Ecm to the gauges to read the odometer.

Good Hunting

[Tonglebeak]

Yes, it will be a great learning experience. This is my first car, before I got it I didn't even know how to replace windshield wipers. I've learned quite a bit from this car, from replacing brakes, spark plugs/wires, changing oil, wiring an audio system...all pretty basic stuff, I know, but it's a hell of a lot more than I knew before. I think that's why I'm putting so much work into it: it's served me quite well and I've grown attached to it after only 6 months, as retarded as that might sound...

First thing I need to do before I go any further is to pull out the cluster again, and compare the printed circuits to make sure the plugs on them match. If I don't do this, I might just be wiring up dead plugs, so hopefully they do match, but if they don't I get to run to the junkyard to cut off two plugs...

As far as splicing and such goes, I'll just hit up walmart and grab a bunch of butt connectors. Oil sending unit...let's hope it's already wired correctly and hope that I'll just need to run a wire off the ECM. Hopefully...

I hope this doesn't take more than several hours, I need this car to drive with although I don't need any instruments for short trips. I'll just miss my radio, I love having my grannymobile pound away subs in the trunk

Wish me luck (you already have ), and I know in the end if this works out, I'll be very satisfied at actually having a tach along with a few other things.

EDIT: ...Just looked at the diagrams on autozone.

http://autozone.com/images/cds/gif/l...3d800f403d.gif

According to autozone, that is the wiring for 1987-1988 2.8L...correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't this pretty much telling me a simple harness swap is needed, with non-ECM connected units such as engine temperature sensor and oil pressure sensor (according to the service manual) just having a wire ran, and it'll be good to go afterwards? Or am I on crack and still living in my little dream world?