dmackow

I have a 1988 F150 4x4 automatic with the 5.0 motor:

I just bought a gauge cluster with a tach out of an 89 6cyl car. I wanted the tach in mine since mine doesnt have one from the factory. I was told it was possible to switch it out but i dont know whats involved with hooking the tach up. Any help would be greatly apprecieated.

dewman

Well, not sure how to hook up a tach when there was not one already there. Not sure where you would wire it in to, unless the harness is already there, but not used when the tach is not present.

wesmc3

I just did this on my '91. I just unscrewed the cluster, pulled it out far enough to pop the plastic ring that retains the speedo cable off. Unhook the two big electrical connectors.

The new one snapped right in. Just make sure that you move lights over for 4x4, low range, ect if the donor truck didn't have them.

dmackow

Thanks for the quick response. Im gonna put it in tomorrow night and ill let you know how it goes. The only minor problem i see is that the donor truck was a five speed and mine is an auto so it wont have the gear selection window but i wont mind.

shakeychevy

i was wondering how you made out with this swap ? i did the same thing in my 95 and while the speedo and tach work fine now my other gauges do not. i posted on forum for some help and didnt get much response just guesses.

|SkidRow|

This thread is 3 years old (from 2008) I don't think you will get any responses from the guys in this thread.

southernyankey1

The tach harness is there already...very basic swap. just use your old speedo if you want to keep the mileage correct..

Just call me Sean

iTrader: (1)

I told you what you had to do, you just have to finish the research. I'm not going to do everything for you.

shakeychevy

excuse me but if i had any confidence that you knew what you were talking about i would have taken your advice. you said the difference was in the years which my research has proven to be wrong ...the difference in the clusters is the one with tach from xlt models has a different backing no matter what the year...thanks for your input

shakeychevy

figured it couldnt hurt , there is only a couple post about this swap in this year range