Digital Dash Swap?

[NICE59FORDF100]

how much are they asking for price wise for the clusters. Cheapest i found around me in salvage yard was over 100. If you could find one 90 or older, i would pay you to ship it to me and all
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[geoph1986]

Arco:
That cutting glass with scissors is pretty neat. When will you be able to tell us if the display still works? How do you think using a dremel (out of water of course) would work?

NICE59:
I paid $20 CAD for mine. The U-pull I go to charges $20 for either analog or digital clusters. If I find another one, I will gladly ship it to you...but like I said earlier, they're a bit rare here.

 

[arco777]

The digital cluster I got from a guy who sees me there daily, he and I are cool. $17 after tax/fees. Then I bought an Explorer cluster there from another guy, $32 even after a military discount. I think that's about the range.

I took the white backing off the panel and the black backing, leaving a transparent panel. I see no sign of cracks spreading from the cut edge. In the right light you can just barely see the LCD circuits. If you cut into those I am sure they would fail. Since I didn't touch those and no fluid has leaked out, I think it's fine. I don't really know a good way to test the panel.

I would try my dremel but I don't want to risk glass bits flying at me at high speed when I don't have any safety goggles; also I watched a video of a guy trying to cut a glass bottle in a sink with a scissors, partially submerged. It broke and put a huge gash in his hand requiring stitches. Whether it was fake or because it was a bottle, I dunno, but I do NOT want to mess around with glass. If you try it let me know how it goes.

 

[arco777]

For the facepiece to go in front of the gauges, I am officially giving up on finding suitable lexan (polycarbonate) sheets for purchase in the local area, but I did find a large sheet of .080 clear acrylic that should work. Current plan is to cut two pieces of it to fit the shape of the stock gauge bezel. One gets painted gloss black and cut out in the appropriate places for the gauges to shine through, the other piece stays intact and sits in front to cover the holes and the painted piece. With the paint layer being on the innermost side, it should provide a nice 3D effect.

Then all I have to do is narrow the gauges and the housing a little to fit the curve of the bezel.

I have a spare vent piece assembly (vent/dummy e-t-case panel over radio) that I can cut a square hole into and mount the buttons block.

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

I think we need more photos....

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

NICE59:
I paid $20 CAD for mine. The U-pull I go to charges $20 for either analog or digital clusters. If I find another one, I will gladly ship it to you...but like I said earlier, they're a bit rare here.

Hey bud, I greatly appreciate it...I am not spending over $100 US for the cluster...I already have to get my motor running (again) and install the second gen message center.. But if push comes to shove when the time comes, I might pay that lol.

Guys, these look great! can't wait to see them rockin and rollin in your trucks. I feel bad that I am not actually working on my own at this very moment, hence why I keep throwing wiring diagrams at both of you

Let me know if I can be of any more help!

 

[arco777]

Well I'd post a picture of what I'm working on right now but I don't think a TV dinner would be very photogenic. I will start working with the acrylic tomorrow probably.

If you do decide you want some gauges let me know and I can send you some.

Like Geoph said previously it is really neat to have two people building these right now, it covers a lot of bases on ways to do this and differences between parts. And I know I'd still be pulling my hair over wiring if it wasn't for your help!

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

Arco,

Depending on how much you can pick me up a set for, I would say I want them now. Im just not goin to pay 100 dollar for a set now if I can get a set for cheaper later....but if i can get a set for cheap now that would work!

see what you can find and shoot me a pm with the costs and all that ect. If you can score me one from 89-90, that will work great, but I will gladly accept 92-94 if thats all there is (for the cougar cluster i mean. Ive got plently of explorer clusters already lol )

Thanks bud!

 

[arco777]

Well due to cash situation I don't think I can get one until the 15th and they don't tell you the price until you get it to the counter, but I doubt they'll want much for it and I'm not looking to make any money off you. If you can wait until then I should be able to find one - and by then you'll likely have detailed instructions available from Geoph or me!

I am considering even making a couple of these in future and selling them on the forum as a drop in installation.

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

hey bud i understand the cash issue completly. I wouldn't want you to put yourself out just because i want a pretty gauge cluster. cant wait to see the progress you both make tomorrow. I wont be in much since tomorrow i will be putting my motor back together again and hopefully get it running. Yet another reason why i haven't started on this. But as soon as Blue is back up and around, i will install my message center, do the write up for first gens (ive already got use wiring cheat sheet done for that ) and then i will tackle this monster lol. Take care guys, hollar at me if you need anything!
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

Well Great news everyone! I found one out of a 1990 cougar today in the salvage yard while getting parts for Blue. Sweet talked them into $30 complete for it! I got all the wiring, the cluster itself, and the switch. Now the hard part of making it fit, lol. Anyway, wanted to let you all know. How did yall fair today on yours?

 

[arco777]

Hey, good deal on the cluster. I didn't make any progress today. Still having issues getting stuff to fit; the acrylic I'm using is very brittle compared to the lexan I wanted and it's a trick to fit everything in the way I want.

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

I was thinking about how to change the odometer reading to match your vehicle. It may be the long and time consuming way, but if the digital dash's cluster is below your truck's mileage, can't you just hook up a fake signal for the VSS and just 'run' the speedometer in the the odometer catches up? Or would this not work? Thanks!

 

[geoph1986]

NICE59, that's cool that you've got one too. Now we have three people actually working on this.

I was thinking about how to change the odometer reading to match your vehicle. It may be the long and time consuming way, but if the digital dash's cluster is below your truck's mileage, can't you just hook up a fake signal for the VSS and just 'run' the speedometer in the the odometer catches up? Or would this not work? Thanks!

I was thinking about doing that, but I was wondering if it would work in reverse if the mileage was higher than mine?

I didn't get anything done on this all week. Yesterday was about 30 minutes, and today so far, I've had about 40 minutes. I wired 10 bright white LED's (I stripped an old flashlight with a broken power button) to the light bar, in the same connection pattern that the normal bulbs used, and it seems to provide enough light evenly across the displays, but I'm still having fitment issues with everything. I've decided that today I will get the displays mounted to the new cluster face. My plan is to sandwich the displays between two thin (1/16" thickish) layers of clear plexi type product (I don't know what exactly the material is, as it's just part of my "this will be good for something someday" stuff). Then I will be able to actually "see" how much room I have behind it, since I'm still working with cardboard templates.

I've also been trying different ideas on how to mount bulbs for the new turn signal and high beam indicator locations.

But alas, I need some more help. I currently have the LED's soldered to the light bar WITHOUT any resistors. I have been using three AAA batteries (which is what the flashlight used for power) to power the bar during testing. Now I know that three AAA batteries provide 4.5 volts (but I don't know how many mili-amps), and I know that each LED requires 4.5 volts and I also know the car provides 12-14 volts. Now what is the best way to reduce the 12-14 volts to 4.5 volts? I read that I should use one 470 ohm resistor for each LED, I also read that I should use one 560 ohm resistor for each LED. Is there an easy way to make the power going into the light bar 4.5 volts, so I don't have to have resistors for each LED? I don't know how to calculate resistance. Thanks in advance.

 

[BrooklynBay]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200568

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

Aren't the turn signals in the bottom of the explorer cluster? And with the digital gash wires, are you just going to solder them to the flux board? Will the flex board handle that much heat from soldering?

 

[geoph1986]

Thanks BrooklynBay, I do have a site that I've used many times to make sure I'm using the right resistor (http://www.dannyg.com/examples/res2/resistor.htm), but I don't know how to calculate what resistor will be needed for any given application.

 

[BrooklynBay]

There are resistor calculators for current in the links in that thread. Here is one in post # 7: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1803364&postcount=7

 

[geoph1986]

Aren't the turn signals in the bottom of the explorer cluster? And with the digital gash wires, are you just going to solder them to the flux board? Will the flex board handle that much heat from soldering?

That's my plan exactly. There shouldn't be a problem soldering to the flexi-circuit, I just have to watch the heat. Basically I'll have to make a connection on one part of the flexi-circuit, then make a connection far away from where I just soldered while the connection cools. My thinking is that, if I can solder connections to trace wires on a circuit board (ps2 and wii mods) then the flexi-circuit will be fine.

EDIT: Thanks again BrooklynBay, I obviously didn't scroll down far enough. I guess I will be using a 470 ohm resistor for each LED (based on 13V source, 4.5V LED, 20Ma). This way seem sthe easiest to do connecting to the Cougar's lightbar.

 

[BrooklynBay]

It's a good idea to use this tool while soldering sensitive parts: http://www.jab-tech.com/Clip-On-Heatsink-for-soldering-sensitive-parts-pr-2992.html

Check Radio Shack. They should have them.