Recently, I picked up a 1985 Z28 TPI Parts Car Roller for $350 that had an 80mph Cluster with all the stock gauges/bells/whistles, and i'm wanting to swap it into my Camaro.
Now, I WISH it was as simple as plugging and playing, but my particular Camaro is a frankenstein of several things, and requires some research to make this work, and I haven't been able to find most of the answers I need.

1. My Camaro was originally either an '82 or '83 Berlinetta V6, and it's been swapped with a carbureted 350 from a 1980 C10 (i've looked up the casting numbers on the block to confirm this)
2. The Dashboard in the Vehicle is from a 1986 V6 Sport Coupe, and has the stock V6 Gauge Cluster with the comically large fuel gauge and idiot lights for the smaller center gauges.
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I've read forums here that say that the sensors on the later Vortec blocks are smaller, and run on different resistance values.

Also, since this engine is from an early 80s Truck, it doesn't have any of the sensors i'd need to make this gauge cluster work.

I read somewhere on here that the cluster wiring was the same for all camaros of this generation (which is probably wrong), and I was going to use my current cluster harness to assist in running the correct wires to the sensors and the cluster using pinouts for the Cluster and Harness.

My biggest questions are 1) Is the wiring between the V6 and V8 harness different, and 2) Where could I find the pinouts for the things I need? (V6 Cluster Harness and 1985 V8 Cluster Pinout)

Overall i'm just trying to swap clusters because the previous owner slapped a giant racing tach on top of the dashboard and wired it to the distributor through the door jamb, and i'm just trying to get rid of it, and the garbage aftermarket gauges that are slapped in the interior too.

Would like to have advice on where to even start with this!

The 1985 Z28 V8 Cluster in Question

The Camaro in Question

 

All you need is a Factory Service Manual for the wire pin connections.
I've done this in a Firebird, and it's a lot easier on a Camaro. You can do it...

 

As far as the gauges, and their differences go, the speedometer, fuel, temperature, and voltmeter are all the same between V6 and V8 cars of the same years. The differences are that the V6 tach will not read correctly connected to a V8 engine (and of course vice versa), and the V6 oil pressure gauge is scaled higher (max 80 psi for the V6, max 60 psi for the V8) .

Now, when the car's years are different, there very well could be differences. I do not know about Camaros, but for instance my 87 T/A had a mechanical speedometer while my 89 base model has the electronic speedo, so I know an 87 speedo wouldn't work for my 89 car.

 

Both clusters are going to be Cable driven, I know that for a fact. I don't have to worry about that. With my Camaro already being swapped to V8, I don't believe i'll have issues with installing a V8 cluster into the vehicle. The only thing "V6" about the vehicle is the harness. There's already an aftermarket tach installed in the car, and it's wired up and works fine. Since the Vehicle has a V8, and already has an functioning aftermarket tach, I was just going to splice the signal output wire from the distributor (HEI unit) to the signal wire in the harness. I've read that the signal wire is a white wire that leads to the cluster harness, it should already be there, I just have to find it and connect it.

Now, about the sensors, i'll have to do some further research. From what i've read here on the forums, post 86 350s use smaller, higher resistance sensors than the pre 86 350s, and with the V8 cluster I have being from an 85 TPI car, it's close to the cutoff point between sensor styles. It's a good thing that the speedo, fuel, and volts all read the same between vehicles though. Confirms to me that the basics should all work if I just plug it straight in

 

**** The cluster in your picture is from a V6 car,... Note the Oil pressure scale and the RPM "Yellow/Red" lines.
**** To be SURE what year the cluster is from search the PN on the printed circuit. ( 85 and 86+ look the same, PN will confirm what you have.)

For CAMARO:

As long as the dash harness and the cluster are from the same (or similar) years than you can install a "gauge" cluster in place of a "base" cluster with no issues. You'd simply need to replace the "switches" on the engine with "sending units" in order for the gauges to work. For differences from V6-to-V8,...... OrangeBird gives you all the relevant details.

The dash wiring and the Cluster changed in 86; the %100 compatibility = 82-85 & 86-89. ( 89 is 1 year with "SECURITY" warning light )

If you plug a 86+ cluster into an 85- ( or Visa/Versa ) there is a conflict that will cause a problem with the EBRAKE warning light and * I think* 1 of the cluster backlighting bulbs. This is due to the EBRAKE warning light moving from the far RIGHT to the far LEFT of the cluster. ( or the other way around ! ) Everything else should work as expected.

 

It baffles me that this could be a V6 cluster because it for sure came out of a V8 chassis. It came out of a 1985 Z28 with a 305 TPI. Perhaps the cluster was swapped out at some point before I bought the car. Very strange. Back to square one with buying a V8 cluster I guess

 

I also ran the PN on the back of the printed circuit (25081605) and it runs as an 86-89 Cluster even though it came from an 85.

Just to check and make sure the vehicle I pulled it out of was a V8 car (it's a roller), I ran the PN on the ECU and it comes back as a 305 ECU

 

A lot of previous owners would swap a cluster to show lower than actual miles on the used car they were trying to sell, or to just swapping clusters to have a full set of working gauges again; it happens all the time with these older cars. There is NO DOUBT that the tachometer in that cluster is from a V6 car. The highest a Camaro V8 Tachometer could ever show the Yellow/Red line is 5000/5500RPM (L69HO and TPI); all other V8's Tachs read 4500/5000RPM

All you NEED is the proper (V8) tachometer. As a matter of fact,... you could also just buy a signal converter to convert the V6 speedo signal to a V8 signal so the tach is accurate. ( That's what I did in my 84. ) ALL the other gauges in ANY 82-89 cluster can be swapped back and forth into ANY other 82-89 cluster,.... ONLY the Tachometer is super specific to V6 or V8. ( Some Tachs have an OP gauge that can be removed / separated /swapped from the TACH, and some are actually a part of the actual Tach and can't be separated.)

The "barrel" type Oil pressure sending unit itself also comes in V6 or V8 types,... so just buy the correct one when you buy the sensors you need. ( Buy the temp and OP sending units for an 84 Camaro V8. )