instrument cluster question

[bulldawg1081]

hello all my question for tonight is i have a '68 f-250 that some wise individual has removed the guages but left the old metal facing but removed all the guages from it..the plug is still in the dash thank goodness my question is i am parting out a '69 ranger that had the plastic faced instrument cluster...so i installed the cluster in my '68 and the guages worked but both idiot lights will come on when i shut the truck off and take the key out,the lights arent on when its running just when i turn it off and i dont understand why its doing that,it doesnt do it in the '69 so i was wondering if anyone might be able to shine some light on this subject....thankyou in advance

[fordman]

this is just a guess. but maybe your truck originally had guages instead of dummy lights. so the wiring is making the guages stay on. other than that i wouldn't know without more info. has the wiring looked like its been messed with anywhere under the hood or under the dash? you know cut and spliced with other misc wires added?

[bulldawg1081]

no...the pigtail going to the guage cluster was hacked up but where the connector is in the dash where you can unplug everything is fine and all the rest of the wires in the dash and under the hood are in great shape and still taped up with the origional wrapping so you may be right about it having guages instead of dummy lights but how could i find out for sure?

[fordman]

the wiring harness is different for guages vs lights. www.fordification.com/wiring.htm

[FLATBEDFORD]

I have a '67 cluster with idiot lights. If you are interested, I will dig it out and post some pictures.

[kaptnkaos]

Did '68's have metal gauge bezels (housing)??? I bought my '68 F250 from the original owner so I know nothing was swapped out, and it has a plastic one..
I am wonder if the PO tried to put a '67 gauge housing in which would have been metal.
If I were to do that, I would have used the original gauge set with the '67 housing... which could explain why the gauge set isn't with the housing.

KaptnKA S

[bulldawg1081]

i couldnt really tell with the diagram what the deal was all i know thats different there is a light blue looking wire with its very own funny looking little plug (keep in mind im color blind so it could be some kind of a green or grey wire) that goes to the guages thats seperate from the main harness on the '68 but on the '69 the same wire is build into the pigtail on the guage cluster maybe that could be something?? yeah id like to see the '67 guages when you have time to post them

[fordman]

that wire is light blue for sure. you need the cluster with guages to make it work right.

[bulldawg1081]

so your sure ill need the cluster with all the guages?...i know where an f 600 is will that work without having to do any wiring?

[fordman]

the f600 guages will work. and idont think you have to do any wiring to make it work.

[FLATBEDFORD]

I misunderstood. You have a cluster with idiot lights, you need the one with the all the gauges. Is that right?

[FORDification]

Did '68's have metal gauge bezels (housing)??? I bought my '68 F250 from the original owner so I know nothing was swapped out, and it has a plastic one..
I am wonder if the PO tried to put a '67 gauge housing in which would have been metal.
If I were to do that, I would have used the original gauge set with the '67 housing... which could explain why the gauge set isn't with the housing.

KaptnKA S

Sure, the metal bezels were available up through '69 on the base-model trucks. Starting in '70 all trim levels had plastic bezels.

[kaptnkaos]

hey Keith... Good to hear from ya...

That's cool... I've only seen them in '67's before.
I think they look better than the plastic ones, especially chromed.
I think it's odd the Ford would use metal gauge housings on base models, and plastic ones on the other models.
wwwwuuuuzzzzuuuupppwwwwwiiiitttdddaaattt???

KaptnKA S

[FORDification]

Because the plastic bezels had more intricate detail and portions of the bezel were trimmed in chrome....and thus fancier. Don't look at your 40-year-old faded and cracked plastic bezel....picture it brand new. They were much prettier.

[FLATBEDFORD]

I replaced the plastic one in my '70 with a steel one from a '68. I think the steel looks much better. I also added the older chrome horn ring to my '70.