stpenroute

I found a similar thread regarding repinning Firebird instrument clusters, but I couldn't find a thread specific to my needs for a 1989 RS Camaro 5.0 TBI. If there is, forgive me - here goes:

I wanted a 145 mph speedo, so I bought a gauge cluster in nice condition from an '88 IROC on FleaBay. It also had the higher reading tachometer which was a plus as my original 4500 rpm yellow-zone tach idled at 2200 rpm and pegged itself when I gently blipped the throttle!
I installed the cluster, but when I fired up the car, none of the gauges worked with a few either pinning themselves or laying unresponsive and none of the instrument lamps worked. I got the idea of swapping all the gauges into my original white cluster box (gauge holder?) and voila, everything worked fine!

Problem:


Now that the motor is complete and running in the car, I find it's just not running like I thought it would... WOT is kinda' flat. I got a whole bunch of codes which I figured out the problems to one by one such as #13 (my O2 sensor wire grounded out on the header and melted ), #32 (I removed all EGR equip and thought my TBI.com chip would've eliminated that), #42 (I didn't reset the computer by disconnecting the neg terminal after setting the timing by disconnecting the "timing wire"), and a #24 VSS sensor fault... I understand the VSS plays an important part in the idle and off idle running characteristics of the engine. Doesn't it?
...and #24 is the fault I can't seem to figure out. After some thought I now believe I should've used the VSS sensor from the rear of the 145 mph speedo cluster and not the one from my 110 speedometer. Am I headed in the right direction, or are both of those sensors the same? Both are yellow, looked and tasted the same, so.... (just kidding). If they are the same, I see from the wiring diagrams that a 'brown' wire from pin A10 should go the VSS, but where? Is the brown wire in the plug that receives the gauge cluster??? There are 3 wires (green, black, red) from the optical pickup (?) in the speedo head to the small yellow box mounted behind the tach and then onto the printed circuit board via another plug...

Or... can the VSS be eliminated and edited out of the PROM since the speedo is cable driven and idles fine?

Any information/direction would be a blessing.


Here's most of the mild mods:
1989 Chevrolet Camaro RS convertible

'massaged' 187 casting TBI heads on an 880 casting 350 block

Ultimate TBI Mods with Stage 3 TBI chip from Brian Harris and open element filter.

Fuel Pump EP 381

Edelbrock 3704 TBI intake with 1" spacer plate

GMPP cam #14097395

Stock dist. with MSD coil, MSD 6A and timing retard box

WC T5 with Hurst shifter and McLeod clutch

Gears 3.73 with Torsen diff

Hedman shorty headers with entire 3" exhaust and no cat, EGR or air pump

150 shot of N20 with no controller, only retard.