Stock gauge problems-83

[KansasTwister]

So this 87k mile mint truck of mine is having gauge problems. Oil psi moves, but only to 15. i know it has higher than that (or should), motor runs great and fine, just it doesnt move from fifteen.

Fuel gauge only goes up to 3/8 of the way on a full tank drivers side, and 1/8 of the way for 7 gallons on the right side. it does move slowwwly down.

Volt meter is all the way to the left, i know its charging.

Temp gauge is all the way to the right (means wires ground out somewhere)

But the clock works as do dash lights.


Is there a common ground for the cluster itself? would a blown fuse cause systems like this? any idears of what to check? I have a feeling its something simple, it was parked for a year and a half before i got it in open elements, but all windows up etc.

 

[tRustyK5]

Try swapping guages you know work from another cluster. It's pretty much plug and play. I had the same with my '83...the fuel guage only went up to 1/4 tank when full and would slowly drop to empty. I replaced the actual fuel guage with another one i had that I knew worked and it is fine now.

Sometimes the factory guages just stop working, or start working weirdly.

Rene

 

[KansasTwister]

Ya but I'm not sure they all work lol. How much of a hassle is it to swap gauges in these trucks? Pulling the cluster out from the 82 sucked

 

[tRustyK5]

Pulling a cluster out is a 10 minute job...and swapping guages is about the same. 2 screws on the back and they pull out, reverse to install.

Rene

 

[KansasTwister]

Lol your truck nonac? Then again when I did the 82 I had never done one before. The 82 was already 80% torn down when I pulled the cluster.

 

[tRustyK5]

Nope, same as yours...full load including AC.

Unscrew the bezel and finagle it out of the way. Unscrew the guage cluster, reach up from underneath and detach the speedo, unplug the cluster and you're good to go.

Headlight pull comes out easily, there is a release button on the backside. Knobs come off the radio easily enough (mine still has the factory radio) AC/heat controls stay where they are. AC vents are a non issue...

Rene

 

[KansasTwister]

Dude, these truck gauges are a billion times easier than my camaro. My camaros load from the back (1980) these trucks load from the front, how cool!


Asked another buddy he siad it might be the printed circuit, gonna try swapping the gauges as soon as its nice out (raining and thunderstorming right now, no indoor shop space sadly).


But ya, justlooking the 82 cluster over on my desk here in my room, everythings so simple compared to my camaro, im digging it. Granted, the gauges in my 83 look a little nicer, i may try to swap the needles over if that is the problem to keep them "matching, ammount of color fade wise.

 

[tRustyK5]

That's what I was trying to get across, super easy to pull and swap guages on these trucks. Even if you just use the other guages to confirm the PC is good, or it really is a guage problem...you can always score some new replacement guages from LMC later.

Rene

 

[KansasTwister]

Swapped all gauges individually and everything works. Oil psi gauge reads 60 but I dig that the gas gauge is working