RiceEater

I just got a new gauge cluster for my car and I have a few questions about installing it. First, I have an 86 firebird with nothing but an 85MPH speedo and a huge gas gauge plus tons of idiot lights. I just bought a new cluster out of an 86 Trans Am with all the Gauges and a 140mph speedo. It also has a smaller gas gauge. I was just wondering what other parts I would need to make all the gauges work and read accurately?
Thanks,
Mike

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1986 Firebird
2.8l V6 MPFI
Cold Air Intake
K&N Filters

johns84bird

I think since your car is a v6, the gauge cluster from the v8 T/A won't work in your car. I think the reason for this is because of the tach. If you had one out of another v6 car, the only thing you would need to do to get it to work would be to swap them. They are both electronic clusters and plug right into the dash. I think you should get a second opinion though, I am just learning this stuff too. Anyone else?
John

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84 Firebird with Trans am ground effects- 350 4bbl GM crate motor (LM1), T-Tops, automatic, K&N filter, 180* thermostat, ram-air hood scoop, flowmaster muffler, Accel cap & rotor, MSD Super Conductor Wires. Coming soon: new interior (grey), rear end work, subframe connectors, polyurethane bushings

Tim Burgess

John is correct about the tach. If the cluster came out of a V8 car, it is expecting 4 pulses per revolution of the crank shaft & a V6 will only give it 3 pulses per revolution of the crank shaft. So, a V8 tach will read 3/4 = 0.75, or 75% low on a V6. The only other changes you will have to make are changing the "idiot light" oil pressure and temperature switches to a gauge type oil pressure sender and a gauge type temperature sender.

Tim

Tim Burgess

Forgot to mention one thing. Pin 11 of connector C1 is the tach input for the gauges cluster. This wire is not present in the indicators cluster, so if you want the tach to work, you will have to run a wire from the coil to pin 11 of connector C1. It should not be difficult to find a V8 tach. The 5000 rpm red line tachs are easier to come by than the 5500 rpm red line tachs. Post an ad in the "wanted" classifieds & search the for sale classifieds.

Tim

fastgta

I swapped out the idiot lights on a 85 firebird I owned. You're right about the tach wire, it's not there and you have to run one to the engine compartment. On my 85 I also had to rewire both C1 and C2. It was not a direct bolt in. Using a manual with the wiring diagram for the guages and tell-tale lights made the swap much easier. Also, I'm not sure what I did wrong, but my battery went dead after the swap. I ended up wiring in the old "battery light" to the up-shift indicator on the dash. I'm not sure if not having the light in the circuit originally was the charging problem (can't imagine a light causing such a problem), but never had problems with the battery charging afterwards. Good Luck !

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88GTA 5.7 (was 5.0)
Ported plenum, MAF Screens removed
AFPR, K&N Airfilter, Airfoil
TB bypass
Free-flowing CAT,
Mufflex 3" Cat-back w/SLP muffler