Instrument Panel/Wiring Harness Issues

[novaboy009]

I have a '71 Sport Custom and a '71 Ranger XLT parts truck. My '71 sport has the gauge panel with only the fuel/speedo and idiot lights. It has the small plug on it. The XLT has the bigger plug and I understand it is some difficulty to swap the two.

The Sport Custom cluster doesn't have a speedometer needle, as far as I can tell. I can spin the back of the XLT speedometer and the needle bounces around. I've NEVER seen the needle on the Sport Custom cluster, leading me to believe it is bad.

The wiring harness that plugs into the cluster is slightly melted on the Sport Custom (isn't that what fuses are for???). So I imagine that is why the lights aren't working on that cluster. If I just want the fuel gauge and instrument lights, is it easy enough to swap in the XLT cluster? Are the wiring COLORS the same? As far as I can tell, the colors match up between the two clusters so I could just hook up the lights and the fuel gauge and then black out the remaining gauges (I have aftermarkets). Does someone have a diagram for both plugs that could confirm that suspicsion?

Or... Is it possible to swap the speedometer needle or assembly from one cluster to the other? I'd rather not do this because the XLT cluster is in much better shape, but if it's too much of a PITA to do the XLT cluster then maybe I'll go that route.

Thoughts?

[fordman]

you can keep the xlt outer bezel and use it on either cluster. so that means you can keep your old small plug cluster and use the speedometer from the other cluster. there is no way to use a small plug in a hole for the larger plug. it wont plug in. all yo uneed to keep from your old cluster is the white panel and circut board with the small plug. everything else is interchangeable.

[novaboy009]

Excellent! Thanks for the guidance.

I wasn't trying to use the big plug in the small hole. I was going to splice the harnesses by individual wire.

Kev

[Zorm]

not to hijack the thread but does someone make a aftermarket wire harness for our trucks or, has anyone got one of those 6,8, or 12 ckt wire kits of ebay and tried to wire their truck that way? I'm thinking about doing that for my 66 mustang.

[novaboy009]

I haven't personally done the full rewire, but know many people that have. Cars of that era are VERY basic from a wiring prospective, so it wouldn't be that hard. And I'm sure someone makes a "custom" kit for an early Mustang. They make everything for those cars.

I took apart both clusters last night and mixed and matched parts. Now I have a small plug plastic piece, the XLT speedometer, a blacked out water temp gauge (I have an aftermarket) and no alt/oil pressure gauges. The bezel and clear plastic piece are from the XLT. It's a perfect frankenstein cluster - love the interchangability on these trucks!

Kev

[basketcase0302]

does someone make a aftermarket wire harness for our trucks or, has anyone got one of those 6,8, or 12 ckt wire kits of ebay and tried to wire their truck that way?

If you run a search on "Painless wiring" here you'll find a few guys have re-wired their trucks. There's also another source for wiring harnesses for our trucks, (maybe under the vendors section)?

[novaboy009]

Just as a follow up - all lights and gauges work now in the franken-cluster. No issues with swapping the pieces between the XLT and Sport Custom clusters. Success!

[fordamericana]

I used a keep it clean kit I bought on Ebay... It was a basic kit, no harness plugs, just lots of wire. All the wires were labeled, but it still took alot of extra wire I had purchased to complete the job. If I ever (Lord willing I won't have to) rewire another vehicle, I am going to spend the extra money to get a plug and play harness with the connectors like the ron francis wiring set up. I like those, and have heard lots of good things about them. I've heard mixed reviews on the painless set ups, but I have my suspicions that some of the complaints may be due to operator error... LOL