92 GT Gauge Cluster questions..

[stussy2870]

Hey guys, i wanted to try to get a quick answer about some gauge issues i have:

I have a 92 GT with what i believe to be a "replaced" gauge cluster. Previous owners really had a field day with this poor thing.. Anyway.. Heres there issues and what i want to know:
1) Temp needle never goes past first notch above 130 degrees - i know the car is NOT running at a max of 130 degrees..The needle does move upward but not much at all..
1a) I've replaced the Temp Sending sensor on the Drivers Side of the Intake manifold - prior to that the previous owner used an aftermarket gague..The stock needle used to sit WAY down and pretty much out of sight.

2) The lights inside the cluster are SUPER dim - even when dialing the dimmer switch up they dont really get that much brighter..Infact they completely cut out when i turn the dimmer dial to the "on" position..I plan to replace the bulbs with LED's but was curious about the dimmer switch behavior or if a single dead bulb in the cluster would cause this??

3) The Speedo needle bounces and i think i actually hear the cable as it spins/turns.. i dunno - im a noob at this so im not sure what that cable does internally but i know i hear something...

The other gauges seem to be ok.

My question -
Will replacing my gauge cluster fix any/all of these issues. I've listed them in order of priority - so if i can just get the temp gauge to work properly - that would be enough motivation for me to buy a new cluster..

Thanks!
Paul

 

[Mustang5L5]

Those issues are pretty typical of your average cluster. No guarantee a replacement 30-year old cluster will be much better. Temp gauge issues can be loose solder joints or issues with the circuit board wiring. The bouncing speedo is either cable-related, or a bad speedo head bushing. The dim lights are trypical fox OEM lights that have burned out. This is an easy fix as there are LED retrofit kits available.

 

[91TwighlightGT]

There are shops that rebuild gauge clusters, so keep that in mind - they typically have the ability to test them with their equipment.

Converting to LED lights is probably a good idea anyway, just do some reading before you do it - unless something has changed I believe the charging light being LED presents an issue, and you also have to consider color as well. It has been documented, but I don't have a link handy.

If you have to replace the speedometer cable, pay attention to the routing and make sure that it is shielded from exhaust heat if you have headers - heat will kill the cable.

 

[stussy2870]

Coming back to this b/c i have a few updates and another question or two..

I purchased a second "as is" cluster- got it super cheap so it wasn't a big deal. That cluster has a different issue and i'm trying to decide if my original, this one or a Frankenstein'd version of the 2 should be used. Perhaps someone here can lend an educated/experienced opinion..

Remember from above - original had extremely inaccurate Temp.
New gauge has working temp but as soon as you turn the key to on/start - the tach heads to the 6 o'clock position- like the needle points directly downward. My original tach works fine..Assmuption is wiring is fine..

Question i have is - can i swap the guts of these, the tach or the temp needle - vice versa etc?? I'd like to get one working cluster from the both if possible..

Other updates - the Dimmer Switch was bad (Sorta) - i cleaned it up with electrical parts cleaner and basically a super thin pipe brush and it works as it should. There were a handful of dead bulbs - the 2nd cluster came with some LED's and that did the trick!

No update for the speedo - i think that one will just have to wait..

 

[Mustang5L5]

Yes, you can pull the cluster out and mix and match parts. The cluster is actually broken up in different sections. Tach and speedo are separate, and the two side gauges are paired off. Center strip is also separate

 

[General karthief]

Are the 87-93 individual gauges interchangeable?

 

[Mustang5L5]

Are the 87-93 individual gauges interchangeable?

No

87-89 is one group and 90-93 is another separate parts group