1994 Ford Ranger Cluster Swap

[wsanfor]

Hello all,
Was looking to swap out my cluster for one with a tach but are running into some issues. I have a 94 ranger 2.3 manual trans and found a donar cluster out of a 92 explorer 3.0. After taking the cluster apart and cleaning everything I trired to install it but the truck runs rough after install and none of the gauges work. I think there may need to be some wire changes on the harness that plugs into the cluster but im not sure where to go about finding that out. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[rumblecloud]

I don't know how to fix your cluster, but I do have one from a 94 ranger that I got from the pull a part yard.
I'll post some pics of it tomorrow if you're interested.

 

[wsanfor]

I don't know how to fix your cluster, but I do have one from a 94 ranger that I got from the pull a part yard.
I'll post some pics of it tomorrow if you're interested.

Sure that would be helpful. Thanks

 

[tinman_72]

From what I recall when researching to do a gauge swap in my '93 ranger, the pinout is not the same from Explorer to Ranger, especially mixing '92 and '94.

 

[wsanfor]

From what I recall when researching to do a gauge swap in my '93 ranger, the pinout is not the same from Explorer to Ranger, especially mixing '92 and '94.

Yea I figured that they are not the same given that the clusters have a different layout.

 

[wsanfor]

Instrument cluster from 89-92 is completely different from 93-94. The yellow gauges in your picture are from 89-92, the green one like in your 94 is the one you need. Look for one from a 93-94 explorer or ranger. It will be a direct swap. No explorer had a 3.0, only a 4.0.

Here is the cluster from my 94 3.0 5spd ranger. This is what you need.

Yea I was aware of what was needed to make it more of a direct swap would have to be 93/94 year model, but whats availible at the local yard is a different story. Wasnt aware of the explorer not having a 3.0, thats just what it was listed on the upullit website v6. I figured they could be interchangeable just with some wire swapping, but couldnt find a good example of the 92 explorer pinout for the cluster.

Then after I posted everything I found out that I was being too smart for my own good, overcomplicating things and realized that I could just compare the traces for all the pins on each one and had the 94 cluster pin diagram.
A full day later was able to get everything laid out un pinned the connections and repinned them to match up from function to layout and extend 1 wire from each side to swap the side they plug into and got it all working. Als
Also had to resolder all the connections on the tach and slosh mod.
Heres some photos

 

[Shran]

I am curious, does your tach read correctly?

 

[Curious Hound]

Yea I was aware of what was needed to make it more of a direct swap would have to be 93/94 year model, but whats availible at the local yard is a different story. Wasnt aware of the explorer not having a 3.0, thats just what it was listed on the upullit website v6. I figured they could be interchangeable just with some wire swapping, but couldnt find a good example of the 92 explorer pinout for the cluster.

Then after I posted everything I found out that I was being too smart for my own good, overcomplicating things and realized that I could just compare the traces for all the pins on each one and had the 94 cluster pin diagram.
A full day later was able to get everything laid out un pinned the connections and repinned them to match up from function to layout and extend 1 wire from each side to swap the side they plug into and got it all working. Als
Also had to resolder all the connections on the tach and slosh mod.
Heres some photos

Glad you worked it out.

Like Shran, I’m curious about the tach reading. The cluster from the 6cylinder vehicle is now only seeing pulses from a 4cylinder engine.

 

[Shran]

I don't recall ever seeing a 4 cylinder truck that had a tach but I haven't seen everything. Curiosity more than anything on my part. I have a 6 cylinder gauge cluster in my V8 swapped truck and it's way off but that is all 1st gen parts.

 

[wsanfor]

I don't recall ever seeing a 4 cylinder truck that had a tach but I haven't seen everything. Curiosity more than anything on my part. I have a 6 cylinder gauge cluster in my V8 swapped truck and it's way off but that is all 1st gen parts.

I do believe the sport versions came with a tach. Since there were so many variations you could most likely get whatever as an option. The wiring is all there just not in use.

Well since all the pieces of the cluster are modular, you can pull the tach out and on the side of the tach are two pots, red one is to adjust the set rpm, and the white adjusts the sensitivity. You can pull the face of your cluster off and pull the tach on the fly, adjust and readjust until you have it set. Ive been working on cars and bikes all sorts of motorized things for forever and a day and you just kinda know around what rpm something is running at by sound. Im sure you could hook up something to tell you the exact and you could set it off of that. Heres a side pic of the tach. You have to be real careful and turn it gently not to break it.

 

[wsanfor]

I don't recall ever seeing a 4 cylinder truck that had a tach but I haven't seen everything. Curiosity more than anything on my part. I have a 6 cylinder gauge cluster in my V8 swapped truck and it's way off but that is all 1st gen parts.

Also on the back of the cluster from the one I installed there is a specific spot on there to select the 8cyl, I think you would use the tach ground wire there or the tach signal wire. Im really not sure. But for the 6cyl you add the other ground on another pin location

 

[wsanfor]

Was going to post a video of it running but guess the files to large‍♂

 

[DRanger024]

Mazda cluster also works if you want a little bit different look.

 

[Curious Hound]

Was going to post a video of it running but guess the files to large

Can't post videos here. Put them on YouTube or some other host. Then put the link here.

 

[wsanfor]

This is great it's working. Removing the wires to repin the plugs is a smart way of doing it. I had a similar issue around 15 years ago. My old friend had a 91 3.0 5spd ranger, some of his gauges were acting up. I went through that truck from front to back and side to side..ranger is mechanically good as I did alot of repairs to it in time he had it.

I did find the gauges were bad, speedometer, tachometer, working great. We couldn't find any 92 and older explorers or rangers in the junkyards..mainly 93-94 rangers and explorers.

Tried the 94 cluster and it didn't work, instead of doing the repin the plugs. I put the 91 cluster housing back in and used the speedometer, tachometer, and all other gauges from the 94 cluster, it all worked great.

Not all the tachometers have those adjustments. I've seen them more on 89-92. Many 93-94's don't have those.

Yea that would work if you started out with a cluster with the tach and swap out other parts mine didnt have one so I opted to find one with one and make it work.

I live in fay arkansas and we have a upullit it here but there are so many people around that if you dont get there the first few days something comes in it gets picked clean of all the usable parts.

Only have so much funds and all the clusters ive found online are 100$+ and not always in that great of shape so finding one at the parts place for like 40$ had to grab it up.

Ive pretty much drove manuals for all the vehicles ive owned over the years and things are so much easier to work on when they have a tach takes out alot of the guess work.

I have a love/hate realationship with my truck there are a bunch of things that are easy to do to it and then things that you think should be simple are way more complicated then they need to be.