Adding guages

[jdavidsmi]

I’m adding three gauges to my 84, with the 302. Need some help on locations on the motor to mount the sensors. Putting in a coolant, oil pressure, and voltage.

I have the voltage hooked up. But cannot figure out the oil or temp, without loosing the dash gauges.

I’m know a lot of you have already done this. So in your opinion what is the best location?

[Gary Lewis]

On the voltage, and I know you already have it hooked up, there are two schools of thought. Mine is that I want to know what the voltage of the battery is, not what voltage I have in the cab. And there's a big difference. The cab voltage will vary significantly depending on what you have turned on, like the A/C or lights. That's because Ford used fairly small wires to bring the power to the cab, so there's voltage drop when things are on. Anyway, just my thoughts.

On the oil pressure, that's pretty easy. The factory sending unit should be down by the fuel pump and you can put a tee in to run both the factory unit as well as the aftermarket one.

But the water temp is a different story as you shouldn't use a tee. The sending units need to be in the stream of coolant to get an accurate reading, and if you use a tee they are well out of the stream. But, some times you have options. Some engines have a second port on the thermostat housing. Yes, that's after the thermostat so you won't see the true engine temp until after the thermostat opens, but once it opens the two gauges should be seeing the same temperature of coolant.

[Machspeed]

On the voltage, and I know you already have it hooked up, there are two schools of thought. Mine is that I want to know what the voltage of the battery is, not what voltage I have in the cab. And there's a big difference. The cab voltage will vary significantly depending on what you have turned on, like the A/C or lights. That's because Ford used fairly small wires to bring the power to the cab, so there's voltage drop when things are on. Anyway, just my thoughts.

On the oil pressure, that's pretty easy. The factory sending unit should be down by the fuel pump and you can put a tee in to run both the factory unit as well as the aftermarket one.

But the water temp is a different story as you shouldn't use a tee. The sending units need to be in the stream of coolant to get an accurate reading, and if you use a tee they are well out of the stream. But, some times you have options. Some engines have a second port on the thermostat housing. Yes, that's after the thermostat so you won't see the true engine temp until after the thermostat opens, but once it opens the two gauges should be seeing the same temperature of coolant.

I apologize for tapping in here but I have a question along similar lines. My truck is an LX model with no factory tachometer and I wish to add a factory tach. Do I have the available wiring in my truck to make this plug and play?

[1986F150Six]

I apologize for tapping in here but I have a question along similar lines. My truck is an LX model with no factory tachometer and I wish to add a factory tach. Do I have the available wiring in my truck to make this plug and play?

Yes! You will have to replace the printed circuit film behind your gauges with one from the tachometer doner truck.

[Gary Lewis]

I apologize for tapping in here but I have a question along similar lines. My truck is an LX model with no factory tachometer and I wish to add a factory tach. Do I have the available wiring in my truck to make this plug and play?

Maybe. First, tachs weren't installed as part of a trim line like XL or XLT. They were an option that could be had on any trim line. But there were two different clusters from 1980 - 85: with gauges and without gauges. Those w/o gauges can't have the tach added very easily.

Those with gauges have one of two printed circuits: with tach & w/o tach. If yours has the holes in it for the tach then all you need is the tach. If not, then you need the tach and the proper printed circuit.

We have a page on tachs (Documentation/Electrical/Tachometers) but it doesn't really cover this. So I need to upgrade it.

[1986F150Six]

Maybe. First, tachs weren't installed as part of a trim line like XL or XLT. They were an option that could be had on any trim line. But there were two different clusters from 1980 - 85: with gauges and without gauges. Those w/o gauges can't have the tach added very easily.

Those with gauges have one of two printed circuits: with tach & w/o tach. If yours has the holes in it for the tach then all you need is the tach. If not, then you need the tach and the proper printed circuit.

We have a page on tachs (Documentation/Electrical/Tachometers) but it doesn't really cover this. So I need to upgrade it.

I thought that at some point, "idiot" lights were no longer offered. With his truck being a 1986, I "assumed" the truck would have had instruments.

[Gary Lewis]

I thought that at some point, "idiot" lights were no longer offered. With his truck being a 1986, I "assumed" the truck would have had instruments.

You are right, David! I missed that his is an '86.

In '86 Ford did away with the idiot lights and all trucks came with gauges.

As for the printed circuits, as the snippet below shows there were two different ones. And while the catalog clearly shows that -C was for trucks w/o a tach, I've seen many clusters that had that printed circuit but didn't have a tach.

My guess is that at some point Ford realized that it made no sense to have two different printed circuits when they probably cost exactly the same, and dropped the -C. But I can't prove that.

(Note the catalog also shows that the -A is for 1981 through 1986 trucks w/o gauges, but there weren't any such trucks in '86.)

[Machspeed]

You are right, David! I missed that his is an '86.

In '86 Ford did away with the idiot lights and all trucks came with gauges.

As for the printed circuits, as the snippet below shows there were two different ones. And while the catalog clearly shows that -C was for trucks w/o a tach, I've seen many clusters that had that printed circuit but didn't have a tach.

My guess is that at some point Ford realized that it made no sense to have two different printed circuits when they probably cost exactly the same, and dropped the -C. But I can't prove that.

(Note the catalog also shows that the -A is for 1981 through 1986 trucks w/o gauges, but there weren't any such trucks in '86.)

So to be clear, I "may" have the -B in my truck even though it does not have a tach?

Last thing.... in regards to the instrument cluster as a whole, what other Ford vehicles and years might I find a replacement instrument cluster for my truck. I believe the Bronco is of the same, perhaps the same year/years van?

Thanks fellas!

[1986F150Six]

You are right, David! I missed that his is an '86.

In '86 Ford did away with the idiot lights and all trucks came with gauges.

As for the printed circuits, as the snippet below shows there were two different ones. And while the catalog clearly shows that -C was for trucks w/o a tach, I've seen many clusters that had that printed circuit but didn't have a tach.

My guess is that at some point Ford realized that it made no sense to have two different printed circuits when they probably cost exactly the same, and dropped the -C. But I can't prove that.

(Note the catalog also shows that the -A is for 1981 through 1986 trucks w/o gauges, but there weren't any such trucks in '86.)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/80-86-Ford-Truck-Bronco-Printed-Circuit-Board-Tach-Tachometer-1980-1986-Pickup/124234559343?fits=Year%3A1986%7CModel%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&epid=1632442618&hash=item1cecf4ef6f:g:tIUAAOSwlRZe6VSF

https://www.ebay.com/itm/80-86-FORD-TRUCK-BRONCO-GAUGE-INSTRUMENT-PANEL-PRINTED-CIRCUIT-BOARD-TACHOMETER/184329095464?fits=Year%3A1986%7CModel%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&epid=1786871364&hash=item2aeadec928:g:IcEAAOSwsChe5uN-

https://www.ebay.com/itm/80-86-Ford-Truck-Bronco-Printed-Circuit-Board-Tach-Tachometer-1980-1986-Pickup/124195354369?fits=Year%3A1986%7CModel%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&epid=1786871364&hash=item1cea9eb701:g:9nMAAOSwtVde6VQe

https://www.ebay.com/itm/80-86-Ford-Truck-Tach-Tachometer-Gauge-Bronco-F100-F150-250-350-Pickup-1980-1986/124233215709?epid=1964363812&hash=item1cece06edd:g:b-MAAOSwjGte8lDJ

 

[jdavidsmi]

So to be clear, I "may" have the -B in my truck even though it does not have a tach?

Last thing.... in regards to the instrument cluster as a whole, what other Ford vehicles and years might I find a replacement instrument cluster for my truck. I believe the Bronco is of the same, perhaps the same year/years van?

Thanks fellas!

Thanks for the information Gary, I believe I do have a port behind the thermostat . I agree with the voltage at the battery is what I wanted. That’s where I picked it up..

I also would like a tachometer but have not been able to find one, yet. I will keep looking.