bigger f-series gauge cluster

[austin]

okay ive got a question ive seen many people put the gauge cluster out of a bigger f-series ford (with round gauges) so is it a simple as removing the stock on and pluging in the new one?

ive heard that the tach out of the bigger f series dosent work in the smaller ones is this correct?

[mrsnicks]

If your current cluster has wiring and a plug coming from it, and not the printed circuit board it's a matter of plugging it in. You will have to change 2 wires in the plug if I remember correctly to get the blinkers or hazards to work. I forget which it's been so long since I've done mine.. Just compare wire colors on each plug and you can figure it out. IF the f500 cluster has a tach on it more than likely it is mechanically driven by the distributor and if you want to use it grab the distributor and hope you have a 360/390 because more than likely that's what it will be for. Most of the f500/f600 clusters also had a speedo adapter on the back for the low gearing of the truck. If it's still on there you shouldn't need it.

Patrick

[fitzwell]

depends... on my 68, the factory connection for the gauge harness matches my 73 f-600 cluster, literally plug & play. I got lucky. on 72 up trucks the cluster connection is different, for the p.c. board on the back of the dash. I'm awating data on that particular connector, to make a pinout of the 12 pin connector needed to adapt. As for the tach...i don't really know. The mustangs in that era were triggered thru the hot side of the ignition circuit. Don't know about the f-600 stuff. Mine's getting a Sun Super II ...i KNOW how to make it work

[FORDification]

Two points...

1. The F600 panels will fit our pickups, but the ammeter will only work on pickups with gauges, not idiot lights. The underhood and underdash wiring harness for gauge-equipped pickups is different than those with idiot lights.

2. The F600 tachometer is a mechanical-drive gauge, driven off the distributor. The distributor in those FT engines in the F600s will not fit our FEs. You'd have to find a mechanical-drive FE distributor, but even if you did, you'd still only have a 4,000 RPM gauge. Not worth the hassle and expense IMO.

[austin]

alright cool i have 69 f-100 with a 300-6 so what year of f-600 will i need to find? i guess i will buy autometer tach or similar a 4000rpm tach sound about perfect for me though

[MotorDog]

Don't worry about the year of the Cluster or whether or not it has a printed circuit board on back of it. Whether or not your truck has a printed circuit board makes no difference, either. Most '69's don't have a printed circuit board, are hard wired and have a smaller plug than the plugs to the circuit boarded ones. If you get one with a printed circuit board, GET the Plug .. both ends and as much wire as possible hanging off of it! Then it is simple to wire into your harness. The color of the wires on the back of the hard wired panels are EXACTLY the same as the colors of the matching wires for the printed circuit board ones. So, you only need to splice the same color to the same color and the panel works fine. You will have one purple wire left that is different and doesn't have a purple to connect to. It connects to the Black wire and you're in business! Good Luck!