Cluster Swap Question

[88mjblue]

I found a "full gauges" cluster with tach to replace my idiot lights:

 

Looks good, but now I am wondering if there's going to be a compatibility issue with the tach. I have the straight-6 242ci in mine, but the donor (1984 XJ) had the GM V6 I believe. Will this be an issue with getting a proper tach reading? It could have had the 2.5L, again I can't remember what engine it had... Can you tell by the rpm range? Was the 4 cylinder also available with a tach package?

[Marine1Texas]

Looks the same as my 1987 4.0 5 speed but mine has the blue case

[HOrnbrod]

That looks like an HO cluster - white case. If so, the speedo, tach, and fuel gauges won't work on a Renix.

[88mjblue]

Not a HO cluster, came off an 84, I saw dates and pieces of paper inside the cluster from the factory stamped with '84.

I don't have the black bezel that came off it, maybe that's throwing you. Here's what it looked like more complete with black trim:

 

[Eagle]

The tach and the speedo have long ticks at intervals of 5 and small ticks at intervals of 1. It's a Type 1 cluster, used from '84 through '86 (or maybe part way through '87). The '88 - '90 Type 2 cluster has a long tick at intervals of 5 and a short tick at intervals of 2-1/2. I much prefer the earlier style.

 

The tach and speedo should be compatible with an '88, but the speedo cable will have to be changed. If the cluster came from a V6, the tach will work -- 6 cylinders is 6 cylinders. If it came from a 4-cylinder, the tach will register but it won't give accurate readings. And I don't think the early tach has the potentiometer to adjust between the 4-cyl and 6-cyl.

 

You will have to replace the temperature sender and the oil pressure sender with senders for gauges. The ones for idiot lights are simple ON-OFF switches that won't work with gauges.

[HOrnbrod]

Not a HO cluster, came off an 84, I saw dates and pieces of paper inside the cluster from the factory stamped with '84.

I don't have the black bezel that came off it, maybe that's throwing you. Here's what it looked like more complete with black trim:

 

 

That's cool then. I know the 86-90 clusters had blue cases, then the 91 and up were white. Didn't know the cases before 1986 were white too. Learned something new.    :thumbsup: 

[88mjblue]

Don, it's a white case, but has a blue film (see first pic) that the illumination lights shine through. Maybe they ditched the blue plastic film and just colored them blue later on? The 84 I got this from looked like one of the very first XJs ever made.

[88mjblue]

Thanks for the info Eagle!

 

I didn't know that about the speedo cable, thanks for letting me know. Is it a different style connector at the rear? Same at T case I'm guessing?

I need a new speedo cable anyways, but I might stick to my old speedo and 88-style cable since the mileage is accurate and the trip odometer on the new one doesn't work.

 

Side note: seems like all trip odometers are broke, is there a way to fix it? I took the speedo apart and tried lubing it, that made it slightly better, but it still skips and doesn't reset to zero properly.

[HOrnbrod]

Don, it's a white case, but has a blue film (see first pic) that the illumination lights shine through. Maybe they ditched the blue plastic film and just colored them blue later on? The 84 I got this from looked like one of the very first XJs ever made.

 

Yes, the 87-90 had blue plastic cases. Probably 86 too.

 

 

Then in 91 and up they were white - again:

 

[88mjblue]

Interesting. Off topic, but I guess the light has a different look when bounced off either white or blue? Or is blue the raw plastic and then they died it white to get better lighting reflection?

 

Different circuitry too on the 91+.

 

The 90- looks very similar to the instrument cluster on my chevy squarebody - has the same gauge mounts, same bulbs and bulb holders, and even the exact same 18-pin electrical connector and similar style circuit board:

 

 

 

And here's the Jeep cluster for comparison:

 

 

Does not surprise me though, I've seen a few other shared GM stuff in the AMC jeeps: same seatbelts, HVAC control, steering column, MAP sensor (to name a few)

[88mjblue]

I found this piece of paper behind the tach, so I think I'm all set!

 

[HOrnbrod]

The Jeep instrument clusters were made by Nippon Seiki in the 80's and 90's, and they probably made them for many other automotive companies too.

[Minuit]

How come everyone is coming across the best gauge cluster these days? I feel left out :(

[Eagle]

Is it a different style connector at the rear? Same at T case I'm guessing?

 

Correct. The transfer case end is the same, but the early speedo cable connects to the speedo head with a metal retainer and a screw. The '88 thru '90 speedo cable connects to the speedo head with a white nylon pinch connector.

[88mjblue]

How come everyone is coming across the best gauge cluster these days? I feel left out :(

 

I saved this one from the crusher, if I find another one I'll let you know!

[Minuit]

Haha thanks man!

[DTA]

Just did mine yesterday! Had to cut a hole in the tach for the gear selector though

[88mjblue]

Nice! That looks good, and on a low-mileage vehicle I see!

[gogmorgo]

348,000 km isn't all that high. Just over 210,000 miles if my quick math checks out.

[DTA]

348,000 km isn't all that high. Just over 210,000 miles if my quick math checks out.

Just breaking in! The donor cluster was over 500,000km before i rolled it back 

[88mjblue]

 

348,000 km isn't all that high. Just over 210,000 miles if my quick math checks out.

Just breaking in! The donor cluster was over 500,000km before i rolled it back 

 

 

Ahhhh, I didn't see it was in kilometers. Interesting that the metric cluster doesn't have the mph equivalent like the US ones have both mph and kph.

[gogmorgo]

It's a bit strange. Might be a Renix thing (?). My '91's speedometer does have mph on it as well (see below), so do both the XJ's ('92 and '93) I've owned.

The picture's a couple years old now, it's up to 508,000 now ;) Another difference I'm noticing is that my 5000rpm mark is white, but DTA's is red. :dunno: