Digital Dash Swap?

[geoph1986]

OK, I think that I've found a digital cluster that will suit my needs. It's in a 1989 Mercury Cougar LS, and looks very similar to this (the one in the pic has been modded w/ blue tint)):

I have to wait for the car to be released for parts (I was told it should be Monday or Tuesday).
Now a quick question, does anyone know how many pulses per rotation the 1989 Cougar VSS produces? According to therangerstation.com, the VSS on the Ranger (Explorer should be the same) "produces 8 pulses per rotation which a stock computer assumes 8000 pulses per mile" (http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/speedometer.htm). If the Cougar is different, does anyone know how I could get the speedometer to be accurate? I don't think it will be very difficult to get the other gauges working accurately, but if I'm wrong in my thinking, please correct me (eg: the fuel gauge works on different ohms). I'm so excited, I feel like Columbus. Sure someone has already discovered this...but it's new to me.

EDIT: I don't think the VSS will be a problem, as Rockauto.com lists the same VSS for both.

 

[geoph1986]

Parts aquired & Some research done

A little update.

The 1989 Mercury Cougar LS parts car was released today, and I was able to get the digital instrument cluster, the button panel, and the wiring harnesses. A little downside to the harnesses is that I was racing against time (wrecker was closing soon), and I wasn't able to trace the origin of the wires, so I was forced to cut the harnesses shorter than I had wanted to.

I don't have a wiring/pinout diagram of the cluster harnesses and would very much like one. If any of you can help me find one I would be extremely grateful for your contribution to this project. There is two harnesses. The first one has a large grey connector, with 18 pins and the second has a smaller black connector with 20 pins.

I wanted to make sure that everything would be compatible before I started so I did a little research and I believe that all the gauges will work without modification. The results thus far are below.

FUEL PUMP SENDING UNIT OHM RANGE

1994 Explorer:
Empty = 15 ohms
Full = 170 ohms

1989 Mercury Cougar LS:
Empty = 16 ohms
Full = 158 ohms

OIL PRESSURE SWITCH
From what I was able to find out, both vehicles use the same one (at least according to Rockauto). I need to figure out if I can still switch out the stock sender with the 300 I6 sender for true oil pressure. Your Thoughts?

TEMP SENDER & TEMP SENSOR
From what I was able to find out, both vehicles use the same one (at least according to Rockauto).

For the speedometer I will have to tap into the VSS signal. and for the fuel consumption stuff I will have to run a lead from pin 34 of the PCM.

If you have info that is contrary to what I have found please let me know. I would rather not fry this display, or have it work backwards or something else stupid. Like I said earlier, I really need a wiring/pinout diagram of the cluster harnesses.

 

[Joe Dirt]

This sounds fun- I'm watching!

Mod to a gen II?

 

[geoph1986]

Mod to a gen II?

Sorry, but no. It's a Gen I.

EDIT:
Could a Moderator could move this thread? I originally posted in the stock forum because I saw an Explorer with a digital instrument cluster at the U-Pull, and I thought they were a stock option.

 

[BrooklynBay]

The thread was moved to the modified 91-94 section.

 

[geoph1986]

The thread was moved to the modified 91-94 section.

Thanks

 

[Joe Dirt]

Sorry, but no. It's a Gen I.

I know- I meant when you're done with yours!

 

[geoph1986]

If I'm successful, I will write a "how to". Then everyone can have a digital cluster, even you Gen II guys.

 

[Yoo-hoo]

Please post on your progress! I'm very interested in doing the same swap you are as I have a 94 xlt and I'm sick of the stock dash. Keep up the good work

 

[mechjames]

that merc dash looks sweet. i'll have to have a look around my local wrecker someday in the near future.

I like the blue tint in that pic. Is there a thread in some other forum somewhere about the blue tint modification?

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

Holy crap I like that cluster! I wonder if the 4.0 also uses a fuel flow signal in the pin 34 point? If so, then that means us first gens (well, anything with EEC-IV) can install a message center....Oh and subscribing!!

 

[mechjames]

http://www.auto-diagnostics.info/ford_eec_iv

Pin 34= PWN data. Looks like its standard for all eec-iv's.

Cool. Now I wanna go to my wrecker. Lots of Tauruses and a few cougars, and I wanna pick up a used dash wiring harness for my 94, and have at it. see If i can get it to work

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

Data output link....I wonder if that has anything to do with the data link connector? ( i know, eec-iv, the one under the hood) PWN....Wonder what that stands for

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

Hmm, found this on an aussie falcon forum:

34 - DOL - Serial Data Output Port (Link) TRIP Comp - green/yellow
(can guess what TRIP Comp means )

34 LB/P (DOL) DATA OUTPUT LINK, USED FOR TRIP/MPG
(found this talking about late 80's turbo t-birds)

Interesting side note:

92-94 FORD RANGER 2.3 PINOUT
34 - NOT USED (well, apparently not all the way)



Trying right now to confirm or not for the 4.0 eec-iv...standby

p.s. I wish I was home right now to look at AllData, lol

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

ok, found this for a 1995 ford explorer OBD-1 4.0 ohv computer NOT 91-94, but interesting none the less:

You'll notice the flow fuel signal is actually on pin 31 for 95 explorers. Then if i remember correctly, it went to pin 43 in OBD-II explorers.

 

[snoranger]

ok, found this for a 1995 ford explorer OBD-1 4.0 ohv computer NOT 91-94, but interesting none the less:

I just checked my '94 4.0l EVTM. There is no LISTED circuit for fuel flow rate output. But pin 31 (fuel flow on the 95 wiring) is not used on the 94. That doesnt mean the computer doesnt have the function, it just means the truck doesnt use it. If I were a bettin' man, my money would be on pin 31 actually working on the 94 computer.

Yes, OBD-II is pin 43

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

well i dont know. Pins 31 through 34 are not used in the 91 to 94 explorers. So im leaning towards 34 since all the others listed use 34. We all know 95 was a strange year for obd since ford was in the middle of the conversion process. I wonder if ford renamed the DOL to fuel flow for our trucks once 95 rolled around. I need to pull the pin numbers for a taurus and a cougar to see what ford did with the DOL, but will look tomorrow and upload what i find.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

also will try and post a pin layout for a 1st gen so we can compare it to a 95 and see if they moved around any other pins.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Get it dude! I have faith you can make it work!

 

[geoph1986]

first off, If you are wanting the same cluster I have, you'll find them in 1989-1993 Cougars & T-Birds, the digi-clusters from 1988 and prior, I don't think will wire in very easily. These clusters are rare around here. There are lots of the Lincoln, Crown Vic, & Marquis clusters available, but they don't have full instrumentation, and that was a MUST for me to attempt this. All reference links (thus far) to this project, will be at the bottom of this post, and now onto the fun.

It's hard to get a few hours of straight work on this at a time due to family, so it's like 30 - 45 min. here and there. Right now I'm trying to fit all the cougar stuff into the the X's cluster. I finally got a cardboard template of the new cluster face (fourth one). I plan to cut the cluster face out of a plexi type product. I haven't decide if I will just use clear and tint it (you can see the inside of the cluster housing through the tint in some places on the Ranger in the inspirational link), or paint the backside and tint the front, I don't know, I want it to look like the one on the X I saw at the wrecker...completely stock. In order to keep all three LED pads and the circuit board for them completely inside the X's cluster housing, I have to place them right at the bottom. This means that I have a bunch of trimming inside the housing to do. Because of the LED pad locations I have to relocate the high beam, brake, and seat belt indicators. I was thinking of putting the seat belt and the brake where the left and right turn signal indicators are, and move the turn signal and high beam indicators to the cluster, centered above the speedometer, in this order <- HB ->. This also means I will also have no shift indicator. I have been taking pictures of my progress, and will post them with a how to when I have completed the cluster.

As far as pin 34 goes (this is the one the Ranger used), I believe it is active in the PCM itself. I will have to run a wire to the cluster (need to run one for the VSS too). Maybe it's pin 31 on the X, I'll have to look.

I have acquired pinout diagrams for the Cougar's cluster plugs, so that will be extremely helpful.

Here's a pic from the net that shows it stock and lit up. The blue one was just modded with colored cellophane, and it looks kinda weak. The blue modded one in the link at the end of this post is done much better.

LINKS

Ranger with Taurus cluster:
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52878

Blue Cluster Mod:
http://forums.tccoa.com/showthread.php?t=104054&highlight=digital

EDIT:
The 91-94 Explorer's MUST have a fuel flow signal, because people have put message centers into them. Also, my plan is to make all wiring connections (except fuel flow & VSS) on the Explorer cluster flexi-circuit board so that the dash harness is completely stock & is plug-n-play.