Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Technical => Engine Tech => Topic started by: streetracer on February 18, 2016, 07:16:45 PM

Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: streetracer on February 18, 2016, 07:16:45 PM
Any help with wireing and or videos?
Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: vinnietbird on February 20, 2016, 11:32:02 AM
http://www.coolcats.net/

That page should have the info you need. You'll have to change some sending units, and more, also, not sure if the tach is set up for anything other than a 4 cyl. engine. I really can't say one way or another on that.
Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: Haystack on February 20, 2016, 03:40:44 PM
Yup, specifically this link
http://www.coolcats.net/general/cluster.html

From what I remember, I beleive the base to buttstuffog is the easiest swap. Let us know how it goes. If you have any questions or hit a snag let us know. Lots of people way smarter then me on here.
Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: daminc on February 20, 2016, 07:02:20 PM
I'm still waiting for a base to full electronic swap with milage change... ;)
Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on February 20, 2016, 07:46:30 PM
The tachs are engine specific but It's only necessary to change one resistor to re-cal the half motor tach for V8 usage...

Note this applies to '87(maybe)& '88, AFAIK earlier units cannot be recalibrated...
Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: Kitz Kat on February 21, 2016, 07:24:17 AM
Quote from: daminc;453935
I'm still waiting for a base to full electronic swap with milage change... ;)

That would be nice!, I've been avoiding doing mine.
Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: streetracer on February 21, 2016, 08:02:43 PM
Thanks guys I will let you know how it goes.
Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: 1BadBird on February 21, 2016, 09:01:52 PM
What part of Washington you from??
Title: Hey guys update on instrument cluster wiring.
Post by: streetracer on March 02, 2016, 09:04:49 PM
I got all the wires lengthened and match. Everything seems to work except for the alternator gauge and the tach the alternator signal wire seems different on the base that  the turbo cluster . I'm stuck.
Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: Haystack on March 03, 2016, 02:15:20 AM
The alt meter is actually a pretty useless amp guage. Essentially a shunt which all the current for the entire car has to run through in order to get a not very accurate reading

Jcassity I believe has a write up on how to modify it into a much more use able volts guage.

The tach wire will have to be spliced into the coil wire, shouldn't take much to figure out there. It will read too high if it is a 4 hanger cluster, but adding a resistor or two should also straighten that out pretty easily.
Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: Haystack on March 03, 2016, 02:18:33 AM
The alt meter is actually a pretty useless amp guage. Essentially a shunt which all the current for the entire car has to run through in order to get a not very accurate reading

Jcassity I believe has a write up on how to modify it into a much more use able volts guage.

The tach wire will have to be spliced into the coil wire, shouldn't take much to figure out there. It will read too high if it is a 4 hanger cluster, but adding a resistor or two should also straighten that out pretty easily.

Here is the tach "conversion"http://www.coolcats.net/modifying/4to8tach.html

Run the wire for the coil first and see if it moves before worrying any about calibration.
Title: Base Instrument cluster swap to. Turbo cluster
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on March 03, 2016, 06:41:28 AM
Quote from: Haystack;454120
The alt meter is actually a pretty useless amp guage. Essentially a shunt which all the current for the entire car has to run through in order to get a not very accurate reading
.
Yeah you can forget the ammeter, they won't work anyway because the internal magnet around the movement has been dead in all but one I've seen... I did "recharge" the magnet on one and it worked, for about a week, POS gauge...