temp and oil gauge problems

[67_trickedout]

i have 67 f100 that originally had the light for the temp and oil guages.. now i have a f500 gauge cluster and my temp, oil, and alt gauges doesnt seem to work. i used a test light on them from the back of the gauge cluster. the temp and oil has a charge. the alt doesnt. any idea's on how to fix this?
btw im not too sure its a f500 cluster i just know its the round gauges.

[fordman]

the wiring is different for the dummy lights vs the gauges. i havent studdied the two different setups to know how to tell you to wire them. but here is a link that may help you. temp sould be easy but i am unsure on the alt and how to change the wiring to make the gauge work. this wasnt the link i was looking for. it was something about how kieth father in law explained how to do it. if anyone knows the link im talkign abotu that may help him. http://www.fordification.com/tech/schematics_h.htm

[FORDification]

You cannot install a gauge-type panel in a truck originally equipped with idiot lights (or vice versa) without installing a matching wiring harness, because of differences in wiring for the ammeter in the harness under the dash and hood. The gauge-type wiring harness includes a shunt located between the alternator and the starter solenoid. Two wires come from the shunt to feed the ammeter. Also, with the ammeter, the ignition switch feeds the "S" terminal on the regulator with 12V. With the idiot lights, the regulator "S" terminal gets voltage from the stator.

However, from research I've done, it appears that hooking up a factory ammeter that typically looks like this:



...would be as simple as hooking up the ammeter leads to the battery terminal of the starter relay and the BAT terminal of the alternator. Here are a few links where we've discussed this in the past:

http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... =50&t=4883
http://fordification.com/forum/viewtopi ... =8&t=18108

As for the temp and oil pressure gauges: Gauges take different sending units than idiot lights. In order to use the gauges, you'll have to replace the sending units with the proper gauge-type versions.

[67_trickedout]

well im almost positive i baught the right sending unit for it. i just talked to my cousin(oreillys manager) told him im going to call him tomorrow to look up my name and see if its the right sending unit. just out of curiousity if the sending unit that i have now is the wrong one, would i still be getting a charge with a test light on the oil and temp from directly behind the gauge cluster?

[67_trickedout]

ok well i guess what i had baught was the oil pressure switch w/ gauge is what they had said(went ahead and called them tonight) so with that said it sounds like my oil gauge should work.. but what i didnt buy is a temp sending unit w/ gauge so that may be my problem there.

[70_F100]

All of the trucks used a temp gauge.

That one should be correct. They didn't offer an idiot light for temp, as far as I know.

With a gauge, the sending unit has variable resistance, based on the temperature of the water.

Without a gauge, it's simply on/off.

[Thunderfoot]

Be sure to check the wire colors from the connector on the truck to the connector on the F500 dash that they match up, as I believe that the placement of the wires for the Temp and Oil pressure wires are in different places on the wire harness for Idiot lights compared to the gauge cluster. You want to focus on the White/red stripe for the Oil and Red/white striped for the Temp.

[FORDification]

All of the trucks used a temp gauge.

That one should be correct. They didn't offer an idiot light for temp, as far as I know.

With a gauge, the sending unit has variable resistance, based on the temperature of the water.

Without a gauge, it's simply on/off.

Whoops...you're right. Don't know what I was thinking, must be my pain meds talking. (Threw my back out yesterday.)