Full aftermarket Gauges in a 1st gen???
08-31-2008, 04:25 AM
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Full aftermarket Gauges in a 1st gen???
Has anybody seen or done a full custom gauge cluster in a 1st gen?? I know this can be a bit pricey, and heck were driving 1st gens for a reason right? But as these trucks age their instruments begin to fail, and the restoration/modification potential of these classics becomes apparent.
I am considering going the route of all aftermarket Autometers, Tach, speedo/odo, fuel level, fuel pres, oil pres, oil temp, trans temp, double axle temp, boost, pyro, volts, amps. I would be removing the Fac. cluster, info center, radio, and replacing it with a fabbed up piece of metal. maybe stainless or powder coated or even a whole. Something all steel from a junk yard donor might fit the bill. I am just concerned about communication between the gauges and the various systems. After all I have never done any gauge work besides an oil pres on my 77 Pinto.
How hard is it to get an Aftermarket speedo that will accurately read with large tires?? Do they offer universal kits? I am partial to mechanical units as much as possible any reason not to?
I am considering going the route of all aftermarket Autometers, Tach, speedo/odo, fuel level, fuel pres, oil pres, oil temp, trans temp, double axle temp, boost, pyro, volts, amps. I would be removing the Fac. cluster, info center, radio, and replacing it with a fabbed up piece of metal. maybe stainless or powder coated or even a whole. Something all steel from a junk yard donor might fit the bill. I am just concerned about communication between the gauges and the various systems. After all I have never done any gauge work besides an oil pres on my 77 Pinto.
How hard is it to get an Aftermarket speedo that will accurately read with large tires?? Do they offer universal kits? I am partial to mechanical units as much as possible any reason not to?
08-31-2008, 04:51 AM
#2
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The idiot lights are more complicated than anything else, but it's all pretty simple. You will find that most of the aftermarket speedos are electronic, but you already have a perfectly good VSS on your transfer case. The aftermarket speedos have a very wide calibration range, so no problem on the tires. Adjustments are a simple as turning a screw.
Oil temp closely parallels water temp due to the heat exchanger behind the filter, and the front axle never gets warm enough to worry about. I would not bother with an ammeter if you have a voltmeter. If voltage is over 13v the battery is getting charged. See, I just saved you $150.
Oil temp closely parallels water temp due to the heat exchanger behind the filter, and the front axle never gets warm enough to worry about. I would not bother with an ammeter if you have a voltmeter. If voltage is over 13v the battery is getting charged. See, I just saved you $150.
08-31-2008, 06:42 AM
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The idiot lights are more complicated than anything else, but it's all pretty simple. You will find that most of the aftermarket speedos are electronic, but you already have a perfectly good VSS on your transfer case. The aftermarket speedos have a very wide calibration range, so no problem on the tires. Adjustments are a simple as turning a screw.
Oil temp closely parallels water temp due to the heat exchanger behind the filter, and the front axle never gets warm enough to worry about. I would not bother with an ammeter if you have a voltmeter. If voltage is over 13v the battery is getting charged. See, I just saved you $150.
Oil temp closely parallels water temp due to the heat exchanger behind the filter, and the front axle never gets warm enough to worry about. I would not bother with an ammeter if you have a voltmeter. If voltage is over 13v the battery is getting charged. See, I just saved you $150.
OK so no amp, or oil temp, or front axle. More room for a monster tach!
What about fuel level, is there an accurate after market unit?
So the VSS will talk to an after market speedo??
MY speedo is still non functional, I bought a new VSS but it didn't change the problem, I just kinda of left it at that, didn't have time to chase wires, and break the cluster apart, the shaft is a little round, but it still engages, not sure if the T case slot is good or if the gear reduction unit is any good. Once again a time issue during the last year.
As for the idiot lights, not sure about how to re work them, the only light that works is the oil pres. and I have a gauge anyways, the wait to start and water in fuel only work during cranking, abs and brake are on all the time. 4x4 indicator works good!!
I am just thinking at this stage, since my new new job will mean more time and money. I am still trying to get my plan established for the truck.
08-31-2008, 07:45 AM
#4
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Just buy a fuel level gauge for a Chrysler sender, it will be as accurate as it is now.
Assuming your VSS is working, the aftermarket speedo will talk to it just fine. And you should be able to lose the ratio adapter that's between the VS and the xfer case.
Assuming your VSS is working, the aftermarket speedo will talk to it just fine. And you should be able to lose the ratio adapter that's between the VS and the xfer case.
08-31-2008, 08:40 AM
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Do the factory gauges in our trucks have the voltage step-down like the dodges of the 70's. They ran off of a voltages like 8.9 volts or something stupid like that.
08-31-2008, 10:07 AM
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I grabbed a factory cluster from a '91 or '92 - don't remember...
Gutted the plastic housing and made a plate the fits the inside the housing.
I placed the original triple circle face in the housing and marked the circles.
I'm marking locations for a full digital cluster now, trying to figure what I want and where to place them.
All of the basic functions show up in the connectors and I'm adding things like pyro and boost. I'm adding an ammeter - personal preference - even though it's a little more complicated to add than a voltmeter. I want to see the alternator output change when I turn something on.
The hardest part is I haven't found a speedo and tach that will co-exist in the center. SO, after some digging I found a way to build my own without having to know a lot about circuitry. Some point to point wiring will work, although I'm going a little further. The real hard part is getting an odometer to work
Check Dakota Digital
Gutted the plastic housing and made a plate the fits the inside the housing.
I placed the original triple circle face in the housing and marked the circles.
I'm marking locations for a full digital cluster now, trying to figure what I want and where to place them.
All of the basic functions show up in the connectors and I'm adding things like pyro and boost. I'm adding an ammeter - personal preference - even though it's a little more complicated to add than a voltmeter. I want to see the alternator output change when I turn something on.
The hardest part is I haven't found a speedo and tach that will co-exist in the center. SO, after some digging I found a way to build my own without having to know a lot about circuitry. Some point to point wiring will work, although I'm going a little further. The real hard part is getting an odometer to work
Check Dakota Digital
Last edited by unixcowboy; 08-31-2008 at 10:08 AM. Reason: Additional remark
08-31-2008, 10:10 PM
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I grabbed a factory cluster from a '91 or '92 - don't remember...
Gutted the plastic housing and made a plate the fits the inside the housing.
I placed the original triple circle face in the housing and marked the circles.
I'm marking locations for a full digital cluster now, trying to figure what I want and where to place them.
All of the basic functions show up in the connectors and I'm adding things like pyro and boost. I'm adding an ammeter - personal preference - even though it's a little more complicated to add than a voltmeter. I want to see the alternator output change when I turn something on.
The hardest part is I haven't found a speedo and tach that will co-exist in the center. SO, after some digging I found a way to build my own without having to know a lot about circuitry. Some point to point wiring will work, although I'm going a little further. The real hard part is getting an odometer to work
Check Dakota Digital
Gutted the plastic housing and made a plate the fits the inside the housing.
I placed the original triple circle face in the housing and marked the circles.
I'm marking locations for a full digital cluster now, trying to figure what I want and where to place them.
All of the basic functions show up in the connectors and I'm adding things like pyro and boost. I'm adding an ammeter - personal preference - even though it's a little more complicated to add than a voltmeter. I want to see the alternator output change when I turn something on.
The hardest part is I haven't found a speedo and tach that will co-exist in the center. SO, after some digging I found a way to build my own without having to know a lot about circuitry. Some point to point wiring will work, although I'm going a little further. The real hard part is getting an odometer to work
Check Dakota Digital
I am going to do the same thing this winter to mine.. I've had the idea in my head for awhile now... Show some pics of your progress
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09-01-2008, 04:50 AM
#9
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I would put the trans temp closer to the center. Cluster your vital gauges (oil pressure, pyro, water temp, and trans temp) in one area that is easy to check at a glance. Also, all gauges should be clocked so that "OK" is straight up. That way if all the needles are pointing up there is no reason to read any gauges, a quick glance will tell you that all is well.
If you can find a sheet of something that looks engine turned that would look really cool with the gauges you are using.
edit: A quick google search turned up this stuff.
http://www.hotrodworks.net/decal/dash.html
If you can find a sheet of something that looks engine turned that would look really cool with the gauges you are using.
edit: A quick google search turned up this stuff.
http://www.hotrodworks.net/decal/dash.html
09-01-2008, 11:20 AM
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DNRCustoms -
I started out with just a boost and pyro on the top of the dash, then added a voltmeter, then an oil pressure, then ......
It kinda got crowded on top of the dash so I started cutting holes...
Then I just said the H@#^&$#L with it and bought a junk gauge cluster.
Lets see if I can post some prelim pics.....
Kinda got the pics backward - but -- each pic has the name of what you're seeing if put your mouse on it you'll get the name. I wanted to keep them all in the same 3 ring circus as the orig. If you click on the 'Gauge_support' ( should be #3 ) you can see where I've laid out the gauges...Left side will ALL be 'temps' except the top one which is boost. Right side will be oil and fuel pressure, fuel level, ammeter, voltmeter. the pressure gauges are round but I will probably unsolder the number displays and extend them with wires so I can move the circuitry down into the cluster body and have the displays only on the support. That'll give me room if I want to mount more
I added what I call 'support_braces' because the gauge support kept bending and would not sit flush with the faceplate. Just a couple of scrap pieces of pegboard that were conveniently lying around.
Remember - with the smoke face plate you'll only see the numbers.
I'm going to have to build the speedo and tach but they will have leds racing around the two circles you see in the center hole. There will also be two sets of 'numbers' to show what the speed and rpm's are. I'm moving ALL the warning lights in the dash so I can relocate the radio, heater controls, etc to put in a computer screen for GPS, road info, DVD, whatever.
I've already got another dash face so I can butcher the existing one while I get everything to fit right. Probably the only thing I won't change are headlight switch and the power mirror control, The trailer brake controller that hangs under the dash is going to reside where the OD and Cargo switches are.
Left pod
Boost -top center
Intake Horn temp - below boost and left
Pyro - below boost and right
Water temp - below Intake Horn
Oil temp - below Pyro
Trans temp - Bottom center
Center pod
Speedo leds to 140 mph outside arc
Tach leds to 4900 rpm inside arc
4 squares in center = tach
3 squares below that = speedo
square center bottom = gear selector
Other little circles are warning lights
Quite ambitious - but when you're retired you find things to do - OR YOUR WIFE WILL !!!
I started out with just a boost and pyro on the top of the dash, then added a voltmeter, then an oil pressure, then ......
It kinda got crowded on top of the dash so I started cutting holes...
Then I just said the H@#^&$#L with it and bought a junk gauge cluster.
Lets see if I can post some prelim pics.....
Kinda got the pics backward - but -- each pic has the name of what you're seeing if put your mouse on it you'll get the name. I wanted to keep them all in the same 3 ring circus as the orig. If you click on the 'Gauge_support' ( should be #3 ) you can see where I've laid out the gauges...Left side will ALL be 'temps' except the top one which is boost. Right side will be oil and fuel pressure, fuel level, ammeter, voltmeter. the pressure gauges are round but I will probably unsolder the number displays and extend them with wires so I can move the circuitry down into the cluster body and have the displays only on the support. That'll give me room if I want to mount more
I added what I call 'support_braces' because the gauge support kept bending and would not sit flush with the faceplate. Just a couple of scrap pieces of pegboard that were conveniently lying around.
Remember - with the smoke face plate you'll only see the numbers.
I'm going to have to build the speedo and tach but they will have leds racing around the two circles you see in the center hole. There will also be two sets of 'numbers' to show what the speed and rpm's are. I'm moving ALL the warning lights in the dash so I can relocate the radio, heater controls, etc to put in a computer screen for GPS, road info, DVD, whatever.
I've already got another dash face so I can butcher the existing one while I get everything to fit right. Probably the only thing I won't change are headlight switch and the power mirror control, The trailer brake controller that hangs under the dash is going to reside where the OD and Cargo switches are.
Left pod
Boost -top center
Intake Horn temp - below boost and left
Pyro - below boost and right
Water temp - below Intake Horn
Oil temp - below Pyro
Trans temp - Bottom center
Center pod
Speedo leds to 140 mph outside arc
Tach leds to 4900 rpm inside arc
4 squares in center = tach
3 squares below that = speedo
square center bottom = gear selector
Other little circles are warning lights
Quite ambitious - but when you're retired you find things to do - OR YOUR WIFE WILL !!!
09-01-2008, 05:28 PM
#11
Registered User
DNRCustoms -
I started out with just a boost and pyro on the top of the dash, then added a voltmeter, then an oil pressure, then ......
It kinda got crowded on top of the dash so I started cutting holes...
Then I just said the H@#^&$#L with it and bought a junk gauge cluster.
Lets see if I can post some prelim pics.....
Kinda got the pics backward - but -- each pic has the name of what you're seeing if put your mouse on it you'll get the name. I wanted to keep them all in the same 3 ring circus as the orig. If you click on the 'Gauge_support' ( should be #3 ) you can see where I've laid out the gauges...Left side will ALL be 'temps' except the top one which is boost. Right side will be oil and fuel pressure, fuel level, ammeter, voltmeter. the pressure gauges are round but I will probably unsolder the number displays and extend them with wires so I can move the circuitry down into the cluster body and have the displays only on the support. That'll give me room if I want to mount more
I added what I call 'support_braces' because the gauge support kept bending and would not sit flush with the faceplate. Just a couple of scrap pieces of pegboard that were conveniently lying around.
Remember - with the smoke face plate you'll only see the numbers.
I'm going to have to build the speedo and tach but they will have leds racing around the two circles you see in the center hole. There will also be two sets of 'numbers' to show what the speed and rpm's are. I'm moving ALL the warning lights in the dash so I can relocate the radio, heater controls, etc to put in a computer screen for GPS, road info, DVD, whatever.
I've already got another dash face so I can butcher the existing one while I get everything to fit right. Probably the only thing I won't change are headlight switch and the power mirror control, The trailer brake controller that hangs under the dash is going to reside where the OD and Cargo switches are.
Left pod
Boost -top center
Intake Horn temp - below boost and left
Pyro - below boost and right
Water temp - below Intake Horn
Oil temp - below Pyro
Trans temp - Bottom center
Center pod
Speedo leds to 140 mph outside arc
Tach leds to 4900 rpm inside arc
4 squares in center = tach
3 squares below that = speedo
square center bottom = gear selector
Other little circles are warning lights
Quite ambitious - but when you're retired you find things to do - OR YOUR WIFE WILL !!!
I started out with just a boost and pyro on the top of the dash, then added a voltmeter, then an oil pressure, then ......
It kinda got crowded on top of the dash so I started cutting holes...
Then I just said the H@#^&$#L with it and bought a junk gauge cluster.
Lets see if I can post some prelim pics.....
Kinda got the pics backward - but -- each pic has the name of what you're seeing if put your mouse on it you'll get the name. I wanted to keep them all in the same 3 ring circus as the orig. If you click on the 'Gauge_support' ( should be #3 ) you can see where I've laid out the gauges...Left side will ALL be 'temps' except the top one which is boost. Right side will be oil and fuel pressure, fuel level, ammeter, voltmeter. the pressure gauges are round but I will probably unsolder the number displays and extend them with wires so I can move the circuitry down into the cluster body and have the displays only on the support. That'll give me room if I want to mount more
I added what I call 'support_braces' because the gauge support kept bending and would not sit flush with the faceplate. Just a couple of scrap pieces of pegboard that were conveniently lying around.
Remember - with the smoke face plate you'll only see the numbers.
I'm going to have to build the speedo and tach but they will have leds racing around the two circles you see in the center hole. There will also be two sets of 'numbers' to show what the speed and rpm's are. I'm moving ALL the warning lights in the dash so I can relocate the radio, heater controls, etc to put in a computer screen for GPS, road info, DVD, whatever.
I've already got another dash face so I can butcher the existing one while I get everything to fit right. Probably the only thing I won't change are headlight switch and the power mirror control, The trailer brake controller that hangs under the dash is going to reside where the OD and Cargo switches are.
Left pod
Boost -top center
Intake Horn temp - below boost and left
Pyro - below boost and right
Water temp - below Intake Horn
Oil temp - below Pyro
Trans temp - Bottom center
Center pod
Speedo leds to 140 mph outside arc
Tach leds to 4900 rpm inside arc
4 squares in center = tach
3 squares below that = speedo
square center bottom = gear selector
Other little circles are warning lights
Quite ambitious - but when you're retired you find things to do - OR YOUR WIFE WILL !!!
looks pretty neat, I am probably going to do something more on the lines of the one pictured above.. Anything is better than stock.. I won't have time maybe untill this winter..lol Heck I don't even have mine together yet... But when I get done it will be right.. HEre is a pic of a setup I did in my powerwagon..
09-04-2008, 06:32 PM
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09-09-2008, 04:11 PM
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i kind of against drilling holes in dash so i made over storage thing made of wood and stained to match dash colour but the storage is only thick enough to hold gauges and cb and i didnt hav to drill holes in the roof to hold this i used the same holes that the moldings screw to
what u guys hav looks good tho
what u guys hav looks good tho
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