Just Got my Nice Cluster, but Wait...

[Blue_Aura]

So, I just got my nice cluster last night. I was stoked, until I realized that it was actually different than the one in my truck. I turned it over and was examining it and realized that the only gauge in the cluster is the gas gauge; everything has an idiot light. On my existing cluster, I have actual gauges for the Generator, Oil Pressure, and Temp.

I went and grabbed the old one that I removed and can't believe I didn't notice it before, but the gauges had been retrofitted into the cluster from some other vehicle. That explains why the PO had duct tape across the back of the cluster. They had massacred the back plates and cut them out to allow the back of the gauges to protrude out the back. I took apart the old cluster and saw how bad they had hacked up the aluminum plate behind the glass in order to get the gauges in. What I had previously thought to be rust of some sort under the paint of the plate for the gauges actually was a warped, hacked up aluminum plate (the original plate in front of the speedo, behind the glass).

So now, I am going to have to make some sort of template where I can cut out perfect circles to mount the gauges through (to cover up the oblong and distorted holes that were made in the original plate in front of the speedo). I also will dremel out the plastic lenses on the gauges since they are behind the factory glass anyways (plus the PO painted the bezels with model paint and dripped black paint onto the lenses).

I will send back the nice black plate and the idiot light tubes and color gels, and the nicely painted back plates with my core. I'm sure that will make the guy I bought the nice one from happy (he will get back half of his work).

I originally was going to just go back to the stock setup, but I don't even know what it would take to re-wire things and find whatever it is that I am missing to make the idiot lights work properly!

Sorry about the upside down pic (the original isn't upside down).