Insturment panel wiring

[dacstuff]

OK here's the deal. It's driving me nuts, so maybe one of you guys can help. I replaced the cab on my 67 350 with a 72 100. Minor modifications for the fit. The dash in the 72 was had lights not gauges. My engine has senders for the gauges which I would like to keep. As most of you know the 67 cluster id a hard wired cluster. The 72 is a PC. I got a cluster from a 71 with gauges. Cleaned it up and went to put it in only to find that the connector is different. The one on the 72 light cluster is smaller than the one of the 71 gauge cluster. What gives? Is this a function of year or a function of lights vs gauges? Really don't want to go with the lights but it beats spending the time to rewire the dash. Help!!

[Jake11]

There's no easy answer. You have to trace each circuit. The guages
use different sending units than the idiot lights.It can be done. Just gonna
have to dig into it. Get a wiring diagram for each year and compare them
where the colors change. Splice as needed. Solder and use heat shrink
if your gonna keep it.

[dacstuff]

Thanks. Already got the sending unit issue under control. Had to change out the engine wiring harness, so I am good there. I figured that if I got the cluster with the gauges I could just plug it in since the wiring should be the same, but it looks like there is a difference in the wiring harness itself and they changed the plug for the 2 different clusters so that you could not do this. I was just wondering if anyone else ran into this problem and if it is a function of year or lights vs gauges. Rather than go through all the agg of changing the wiring I will just put the light cluster in and hang aftermarket gauges under the dash. Hey, it's a work truck!! Thanks again.

[fordman]

it is a light vs guages problem i'm pretty sure. the smaller plug would be for lights and the larger for the guages. this is a guess since i have never seen a 71-72 cluster of either type.

[FORDification]

No, it's simply a difference in years. The harness connector on '70s is the same for all trucks, regardless of whether it came with idiot lights or gauges, and the same applies for the '71-'72 style. The wire positions in the connector were slightly rearranged, but they used the same connectors.

[fitzwell]

got the pinout of the connector.. just need to know how many pins are in it (12,14 ,18 ) pm me if ya need a copy

[dacstuff]

No, it's simply a difference in years. The harness connector on '70s is the same for all trucks, regardless of whether it came with idiot lights or gauges, and the same applies for the '71-'72 style. The wire positions in the connector were slightly rearranged, but they used the same connectors.

I have a cluster without gauges with a build date of July 1971 this is the one with the smaller connector. I have a cluster with gauges, no build date that I was told was a 71 and it has a large connector. I have looked at other clusters with gauges that were to be either 71 or 72 and they have the large connector. Are you saying that if I find a 71 or 72 cluster with gauges it will have the same small connector that I have on the wiring harness in the truck? That the larger connector was used only in 1970?

[fordman]

no i was wrong he said that each year has it own size.

[dacstuff]

So, to make sure I have this straight in my mind. Each year used a different PC connector to the dash regradless of gauges or lights. All 70's would be the same but it would be different from 71. In order to get the proper cluster with PC I would need to know the year of the truck, or at least the wiring harness. Then I can find the right cluster. Is this correct?

My problem is I bought the truck, for the cab and nose, to replace the ones that rusted out on my 67. I was told it was a 70, but I think it is newer. Other problem is this was someone's project truck so I am finding different parts in different places, like the right fender that has the holes to bolt to my 67 grille and the left one that does not. Door was changed so there goes the vin although I do have an extra vin plate in with a box of parts. I will check the vin but my guess is this cab is a 72 as the PC date on the cluster is July 71. Remind me to write all this down so that next time I need to do something I know what to look for.

[fordman]

the easy way around your problem it sounds like is to change your 67 cab wiring ang cluster over to the new cab. it will all hook up to everything. i swaped a 69 harness into a 67 truck. it works fine.

[dacstuff]

Yea, that was my first idea. Switch over the 67 harness in the 72(?) cab but then I decided that I didn't want to go through all that work. So I decided to keep the 72 harness. Had to change the plug for the steering column since I used the 67 steering column and that was not a problem. The only thing left here is to figure out the dash cluster. If all I need to do is get a 72 cluster with gauges that's great. Other than that I think I will just put the 72 cluster with lights in and hang oil and temp gauges under the dash. Quicker and easier than going though all the wiring and messing up a good harness. Thanks

[dacstuff]

Update. First it would help if I read the information on the site under electrical systems. In that section I found out that there is a difference in the wiring between the gauge and light dashes. So they are not interchangeable by just putting in a gauge dash and changing the sending units. Which would also be the case in reverse, as I am trying to do. It does state that the 70 dash is a one year only dash and connector. My research showed that the cab appears to be a 70 and that's a guess from a vin tag I found with other parts and the fact that I have a 12 pin connector on the dash harness. The door with vin and title I was given with the truck is a 69. The grille is a 72. So looks like the following are my options and solutions.
1. Install the 70 dash with lights and hang mechanical oil and temp gauges.
2. Change the wiring harness to the 67 and use the 67 dash cluster.
3. Change the connector to fit the 71 dash cluster with gauges I have and make the wiring changes that are needed to use it.
4. Install the 70 dash with lights and change the sending units. Then hope that I have good oil pressure and temp.
Probably go with number 1 or 2 at this point.
Lesson learned? Read the information on the site first. Thanks all for your help. Now all I need is the headlight buckets, adjusters and bezels to get it finished, and oh yea, install a relay on the headlight switch to power the marker lights since the breaker will not handle the extra lights on my truck. See what you will learn if you read!!!

[spartman]

As Yoda would say.

"You must unlearn all that you have learned"

So now you are one step closer to being a Ford Master.

[dacstuff]

Yea but that was not my intent when I bought this truck. I now know way more about 67 to 72 Ford Trucks then I ever wanted to know. Good news is that I can identify a lot of the problems and fix them where I would be hard pressed to find an older mechanic that could work on this truck. I am now writing down all the different parts that are on this truck so that I will not have to relearn what parts got put on this thing. It's basically a work truck. Car hauler. If I decide to sell it at some point I can at least give the guy the history and parts list so he can keep up with it. This site has been a world of help and now I know to check and read the informaiton first before I post. Once I get it done I'll have to post a picture.