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Reply #390 –
Quote from: jkirchman;317354
That looks significantly better than the old gauges you had in there.  And the small touches to the needles really are a nice effect.  I think it would be cool if you could get the inner and outer parking lamps to alternate flashing when the turn signal was activated. 

It's nice to see you making so much progress, especially considering you're doing it all on your own!


This conversion to the Mustang instrument cluster was way easier than I expected to be. The two most critical wiring connections that I had the most concern about, the speedo and tach were very simple. The car already had the VSS sensor, so I tapped into the green/white wire where it comes in at the side of the floor tunnel. The tach was an easy one wire tap into the negative side of the ignition coil. Both the speedo and tach work perfectly after pulling the needles from the gauges and turning them so that they are at true 0 when the engine is not running.


Now I have to change out the temp and oil senders and make connections there. The only two issues I have is the fuel guage reads 1/4 full when it is 3/4 full. The other issue is that the odometer stopped working after putting 6 tenths of a mile on it.

I got a three spoke Mustang wheel from an 85-86 model and tried it but I am not feeling it. I think I will go back to the four spoke wheel I was using.

I completed the front end with the left hand corner turn signal lamp.

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Reply #391 –
I had an issue with a Lincoln reading wrong like that (fuel reading) and ended up having to swap the sending unit .There are buttstuffog and digital senders.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

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Reply #392 –
Quote from: vinnietbird;317513
I had an issue with a Lincoln reading wrong like that (fuel reading) and ended up having to swap the sending unit .There are buttstuffog and digital senders.


Yeah I have been reading up and it seems I need to have a digital sending unit for sure. I am dreading the task of dropping the tank and the thought I may need to do the same to get a donor sending unit. However my fuel pump is very noisy I think and I it will need to be replaced eventually just for peace of mind, not to mention the hoses that allegedly disinigrate inside the tank. That is two pumps on mine internal and external. Looks like I may need to return to the salvage yard for a sending unit though because I will not be satified with this gauge install until everything operates perfectly. I am surprised I have had no real complications. The only thing bugging me right now is figuring out why the odometer stop registering after 6 tenths of a mile I put on it during a test run in my neighborhood. I need to pull the cluster and see if a gear or something in the odometer lost conact while the little motor is turning. I hope that is all it is and not a bad motor. The speedo and tach work perfectly.

I really need to focus on getting the car in mechanical shape. I am at the point I am really done with the cosmetic mods until it becomes sound enough to be ready for finishing touches.

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Reply #393 –
Dropping the tank is nothing....two bolts,a floor jack and a small piece of wood between the jack and tank.easy stuff.easier than swapping dashes.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

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Reply #394 –
Quote from: vinnietbird;317537
Dropping the tank is nothing....two bolts,a floor jack and a small piece of wood between the jack and tank.easy stuff.easier than swapping dashes.


I guess I am dreading dropping the tank because I changed the fuel pump unit in my Mom's Cavalier several months ago and it took quite some time.

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Reply #395 –
Our cars are super easy.Lift the rear,spray a little penetrating oil up on the bolts,and while that's setting up,put the floor jack and a piece of wood under the middle of the take.Loosen the two bolts to the straps,and the little 8mm bolt that holds the fill tube to the frame and then lower the tank SLOWLY,and help the fill tube from the tank seal (al little spray lube helps the seal).Just get the tank low enough to pull the sender.Make sure you get the  off the top of the tank so small rocks and dirt don't fall into the tank.Install the new sender and up you go.In a hurry,I've swapped the pump in less than 20 minutes.....thanks to like new bolts everywhere on the car.LOL.The tank strap bolts are long winded little fellows.Spray them from the top of the bolt primarily,not the head side so much.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

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Reply #396 –
Thanks Vinnie! This helps ease my mind when it comes time to actually do this, especially if I have to pull one in a salvage yard to get the donor sender...

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Reply #397 –
Well I found the culprit for the failed odometer in the Mustang cluster I am using. It seems later model Fords (including Mustangs, Crown Vics, etc.) with the mechanical odometers are famous for these main odometer gears decinigrating because of the poor rubber like plastic material they use. I pulled my main gear out and four teeth were gone. I took my fingernail and the rest of the teeth came right off with no effort. So I did some research and discovered it is a common problem and that there is a place in Newport News, VA that manufactures and sells higher quality replacement gears for $25 bucks. After researching prices all over the internet, I was a little shocked that odometer gears are so expensive. One gear costs almost much as an entire used cluster. But at least I do not have to buy a new cluster.

Hopefully I will get the gear tomorrow priority mail so I can get the cluster back together.

Now I am off to get the oil and temp gauges working.

More pictures later this evening...

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Reply #398 –
Picture updates...

I have the cluster trim completely installed in this picture. I am trying out the 85-86 three-spoke standard Mustang wheel. I have mixed feelings about it.

I installed the new oil and temp sender units today and made my wiring connections and presto... fully operable gauges! So now I need to replace the odometer gear and eventually change out the fuel sending unit so the fuel gauge will read correctly.
 

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Reply #399 –
I love that dash!!!!!! Keep up the good work!!
...and there was light!

Completed Front End

Reply #400 –
All the lights are installed now...

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Reply #402 –
I am glad I went with the cleaner LX bumper cover.

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Reply #403 –
looks great!
John

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Reply #404 –
That steering wheel works a lot better with that dash design.Sometimes certain old parts don't mix well (visually) with older parts.Great work so far.Impressive.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..