guage cluster swap

[gravdigr]

Tomorrow I'm bringing home a 77 3/4 ton donor truck to strip for parts for my 79 K5. The PO made sure to point out that he ordered it from the factory with the factory tach in the guage cluster (It was a very big deal to him). Anyway I was thinking that looking at a tach would be nicer than the dinner plate sized fuel guage my 79 has. What would I be getting into swapping the guage clusters? I know the 77 has a mechanical oil pressure guage but what about the rest of the wiring? I'll I need any harness from behind the dash?

 

[dyeager535]

As far as I can tell, the dash wiring is "hardwired" into the fuse panel. Probably don't want to swap the fuse panel I suspect. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Just going to have to compare the backs of the gauge clusters (the printed circuit) and verify that all wires go to the same place. Obviously that can't be right, since the oil pressure is mechanical on the old one, that would be wrong.

I'm not sure on the year splits, do the '77 and '79 share the same "font" for the gauges? If they did, then I'd just look at swapping the tach and small gas gauge. Still would need to re-wire slightly, since the printed circuit will be wrong for the small gas gauge.

Friend of mine took an earlier cluster and put it in a newer truck (can't recall what vintage he tried to put it in, could have been an '83) and fried the older cluster.