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Wiring up a 1979(?) cluster in a 1990 K5.

I keep meaning to run over to the junk yard in Spalding and see if they have any medium duty trucks left over there with factory tachs. They had a bunch there a few years ago. I have one more factory light duty truck tach dash, and was thinking about doing a more thorough write up on installing it into another one of my rigs.

Martin
 
Also, does anyone know a definite break for the changes in gauges?

I tried to find out the switch to a seven digit odometer, but came up with nothing solid.

I had a 1976 K10 that had a mechanical oil gauge, and parted out a 1977 that had an electric oil gauge, is that a solid break?

1981 is the first year for the change in font, correct? I have a 1980 K5 out in the yard, I guess I could check.

Do the early models (1973?) use an ammeter, or do they all use a voltmeter?

How about when the fuel gauge first had UNLEADED FUEL ONLY written on it? Or is that not a solid year break? I suppose they may have only written that on models equipped with a catalytic converter???

Martin
 
82355 said:
I keep meaning to run over to the junk yard in Spalding and see if they have any medium duty trucks left over there with factory tachs. They had a bunch there a few years ago. I have one more factory light duty truck tach dash, and was thinking about doing a more thorough write up on installing it into another one of my rigs.

Martin
Click to expand...

Do it.

The cluster I posted elsewhere is either 76 or 77, is mechanical oil.
The cluster in my 79 is original as far as I know and says nothing about unleaded fuel only. It had a cat equipped when I bought it. It is also electric.

I THINK 81 was first year for the font change. And I believe ammeters were 73-75 but I am not positive.

No idea about the odometer.
 
Brief internet search on another message board.

"73-75 have ammeters and capillary tube oil pressure.
In 76 GM changed from the ammeter to a volt gauge and added more idiot lights to the bottom of the fuel guage and speedo.
GM made a bunch of other changes so if the 74 is stock you may need to re-pin the instrument cluster plug.

If you're swapping because you have some dead gauges you can pull the dead individual gauges from the 76 pod and swap in the working units you need.

Idiot lights to gauges is a bit more involved."
 
In addition to that, and I don't know how accurate this is, LMC lists 2 oil pressure gauges. One 73-77 and one 78-87. Ammeter is listed 73-75.
 
I'm thinking about doing a similar swap in my 1975 K5, and I want to replace the ammeter with a volt meter. I assume there will be no charging if I unhook the ammeter? Can I just splice the two ammeter wires together, or does the ammeter act as the required resistance in a system with no volt meter?

Martin
 
I was thinking the amnmeter gauge acted as some sort of resistance to excite the alternator much like the charging light on the newer voltmeter trucks, I have been wrong in the past though.
 
82355 said:
I tried to find out the switch to a seven digit odometer, but came up with nothing solid.
Martin
Click to expand...

My 86 had a 6 digit one.
Bought an Nos one on ebay and it is a 7 digit one. It is the same part# my parts book showed. So not sure what year they changed. The reproduction one i got for Classic Industries is also a 7 digit one, I bought the one off ebay thinking it would be a 6 digit, looked at the part # an never counted the digits. Here is a pic of the NOS one.
$_57.JPG

$_57.JPG
 
The OER from Classic Ind. I put in mine has 6 digits and the Nos ac delco (matching part # for an 86) I got on eBay also has 6 not 5 digits. Wonder if they change 6 at some time and just stopped making them with 5.
 
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