Installing A equus Tachometer

[ThatLoudRanger]

Hey Guys im new here. I have a 1996 ford ranger with the 2.3 and the five speed manual. im looking to install a tachometer that was given to me by a friend as he didnt need it because he decided to go digital and it was past the return date. he lost the instructions. i was wondering if anyone could tell me how to install it in my ranger

It is An equus from orielies

 

[Blmpkn]

Find the page relating to that specific tach on the manufacturers website.. if it's any sort of decent company they'll probably have a link to download a pdf with the instructions.

 

[cbxer55]

Ranger tach install instructions

 

[ThatLoudRanger]

@cbxer55 so i can hook it to the coil or the computer according to the diagram for the signal wire

 

[scotts90ranger]

Don't tap into the coil wires, it says on that link on '95 and newer there is a spot at the instrument cluster or at the computer, do either of those only... but if it were me I would just get a cluster with tach from a '96-98 Explorer and plop it in, that's what I did and now I have a working factory tach, you can even keep your stock speedo/odo...

 

[ThatLoudRanger]

how much does a diferent cluster cost aproxamatley

 

[scotts90ranger]

I think mine was like $30 from a junkyard but I waited for a sale weekend, I just looked and they're $46 now at my local yard

I don't remember the year range but I think it's '96-00

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Anywhere from $15 at an old-school u-pull-it to $250 from the most insane ebay sellers.

 

[ThatLoudRanger]

so if i go this way with a different cluster it will just be a plug and play pretty much?

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yep, did it on my '97 (and my '90, but that's different than your '96) Ranger with a random Explorer cluster (from the year range above, '95 can be oddball and in '01ish they integrated the cluster into other stuff...). It's a bolt in, to keep your factory speedo/odo it takes a little work but not bad. You have to pull the speedo needle to do it but before jumping in you have to put power from a 1.5V battery across two of the stepper motor pins, I'd have to do some looking to find the pins on the back to do it to but when you do that it jumps to ~70mph then you can pull the needle and do the same when you go to put the needle back on and you know it's in the same spot. I've done more of a step by step before, I can look later...

 

[ThatLoudRanger]

ok I know that its been awhile since this was active but I did find at the junkyard a tach from a Ford ranger of the same era with a tachometer.
planning on going to get it this week
what all tools do I need to have to get it, that way I have everything to do it

 

[scotts90ranger]

Ok, I dug around the interwebs and found a couple pages that are very helpful, one is to keep your original speedo which is HERE

The other is one for removing the cluster, this post goes super in depth HERE

 

[ThatLoudRanger]

out of curiosity why would I want to keep my speedo as the odometer does not work

 

[scotts90ranger]

Ok, well then you wouldn't , I didn't remember that part

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

He hadn't said it yet.

If you want the odo to be "right", you keep the original speedo segment and in your case fix the worm gear, and maybe roll it forward to where it's supposed to be. Depending on how long it's been broken, it'll probably be closer than the replacement cluster.