How to: Add a tachometer in your dash 1989-94

[The_Ghost]

So, tired of not having a tach in your truck? Well, luckily for you, there's an easy fix here.

As you may know, the entire dash cluster is interchangeable between Explorer, BII, Ranger and B2300 of this vintage. What we'll need today is a donor B2300.
The B2300 seems to have usually been more heavily optioned but often included a manual transmission. You'll need the entire instrument cluster from a B2300.

But what about the odometer reading, you may ask.

Simply remove the 5.5mm screws holding the lens to the cluster. Then, working from the speedometer out, pull each gauge module from the dash housing. The speedo cluster will have a black block off panel to hide the column-shift gear indicator opening. Remove this, and you have access to the odometer gear. Using gentle force, move the odometer to read whatever your current cluster does. It should move fairly easily and does not require much force.

Now, reinsert your gauge modules into the housing.

Remove your 89-94 Small Ford Truck's instrument cluster/radio surround assembly and remove the original instrument cluster. There are two electrical connections and a speedometer cable. Simply squeeze on the white plastic speedometer cable retainer and it should then be easy to slide it out of the instrument cluster. Swap out the clusters, put a dab of grease (reference the speedo cable removal how-to for correct type) on the cable input thing before reconnecting the cable for smoother movement. Now, with everything back together, fire up your engine. Your tach should now be there and read correctly.

It is absolutely imperative that you get the cluster from a B2300 specifically and not any other B-series truck. Whatever you pull the cluster from MUST BE a 4-cylinder equipped model. As far as I know, a B2300 is the only way you will find a 4-cylinder tachometer for the 89-94 year range. Do not just get the tach, as the housing and printed circuit may vary. Using a tach from a 6-cylinder model, while it will work, will only read 2/3 of actual RPM.

Now that everything's all back together, enjoy your new in-dash, factory appearance tachometer and never worry about having to hassle with an ugly, awful pedestal mount tach ever again!!

-Ghost

 

[The purple one]

Now you tell me. I put a cluster from a 91 4X4 2.9 in my 2.3 4X2. It did not work at all

 

[scotts90ranger]

actually the cluster can be from any engine, doesn't matter... the difference is they changed the cluster wiring in mid '92, it'll physically bolt up to any of the '89-94 but is wired different on the back and most things won't work... my cluster was from a 2.9 truck and it worked great until I swapped to the turbo engine, haven't straightened out that issue yet...

 

[The_Ghost]

actually the cluster can be from any engine, doesn't matter... the difference is they changed the cluster wiring in mid '92, it'll physically bolt up to any of the '89-94 but is wired different on the back and most things won't work... my cluster was from a 2.9 truck and it worked great until I swapped to the turbo engine, haven't straightened out that issue yet...

Hm. I have a '94 and was running a 94 'sploder 4.0L cluster and noone had an answer for me as to why it didn't work-- well, for sure, the B2300 cluster solves that problem and it's about the only thing you'll find a tach meant for a 4-cyl in. All other gauges have always worked fine, the tach was where I ran into trouble. Would posting pics here help?

Btw, can I get this added to the FAQ? MODS?
I can add pics...

 

[fastpakr]

Not sure why yours didn't work either. I'm currently running a '94 Exploder cluster in my '94 2.3 Ranger and the tach is accurate.

 

[Bryan22]

same here. i got a cluster from a 94 v8 exploder in my 94 2.3, everything works great. just had to change out the auto assembly at the bottom for the blank plate from mine and it's perfect.