Hello.

I want to swap out the instrument cluster (idiot lights and no tach) in an 83 FB 2.8L with manual tranny to a cluster from an 82 T/A for the full set of gauges. Can this be done? Has anyone done this?

If so, do all of the sending units have to be swapped out or will the T/A cluster take inputs from the sensors already in the 2.8L?

Will the speedo gearing need to be changed?

What about input to the tach?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,
Joe

 

If you swap a gauges cluster in place of an indicators cluster, the oil pressure and temperature senders on the motor need to be changed out to gauge type senders. Also, you will need to run a wire from the negative side of the coil (white wire) to the cluster for the tach, however, the tach will not read the correct RPM, as it came from a V8 setup & you will be using it on a V6 - the tach will read 75% low, since there are 3 pulses per revolution of the crank with a V6, instead of 4, with a V8. The tach wire should go to pin 11 of connector C1 (top center pin of the right hand connector behind the cluster). The speedo gearing does not need to be changed, as all third gen speedos are calibrated at 4000 pulses per mile (from the VSS).

Tim

 

Hello Tim.

Forgive me for not having replied sooner to thank you for your reply to my question.

Your reply prompted me to look in the service manual again to see if there was anything mentioned about a difference between the rally gauge cluster for the V6 vs. the V8. I didn't see anything specific in the text, but the diagram for the cluster showed that there was supposed to be a switch on the back of the cluster to set the rally gauge to be used for either V6 or V8.

It makes sense that GM would build this into the cluster. They cut cost by adding a switch that allow the rally cluster to be used with either engine.

I bought a cluster on Ebay for $26 for no other reason than to disect it. I'll post about what I find when I get the time to take it apart.

Thanks again!

Joe

 

Cool! I wish GM would have put a switch on the rear of the digital Berlinetta clusters, as well.....

Tim