jiggseob

Just picked up the 98 F150 from my cousin. Cluster does not have tach. I have to take a trip to self serve scrap yard, and was thinking of pickup up a cluster with a tach, clusters are $10 on Mondays.

Being a 98, its pre-PATS, so that shouldn't be a problem. I guess the cutoff for PATS is 99 and up, so my donor vehicle has to be a 97 or 98. If I find an XLT or Lariat donor at the scrapyard, it should have the tach.

Does anyone know if this is a do-able swap? How hard is the cluster to take out?

Are there 99's or 00's or later (such as XL base trim level) that don't have PATS? Or did all 99+ have PATS and are thus incompatible with 97-98?

Thanks, Mathew.

Carcrazygts2

you are stuck with 97-98 because of the mechanical odometer and trip meter.

03f15012

Exactly. They are two completely different types of clusters, so not much doing there. You'll find one with a tach, trust me. Expeditions have a taxh, so you can look there.

jiggseob

Turn light switch to on-position, pull **** out slightly, insert thin probe thing into tiny hole in ****, and then turn **** about a quarter turn farther, then carefully pry light switch out of hole in dash.

I learned this by destroying light switch in donor vehicle.

Then theres a screw under the light switch to remove dash fascia, then the cluster is easy. Getting the gear indicator cable and adjuster is a bit of a trick but doable without destryoing stuff. Unlike that light switch.

The cluster itself seems OK, cost $10.50 with tax, so even if its fried the bulbs are worth almost that.... Hopefully I can take mine apart and swap this one in without any further destruction.

Mathew.

jiggseob

Now I see what I have to do to take this apart. The button comes out and goes in 180 degrees from where it should, then turns to retract the retainer pin things.

With luck, I won't destroy mine taking it out.

Mathew