Instrumentation Panel Swap

[RangerFella]

OKAY...

I have a 1997 Ranger Supercab XLT 2.3L I4 5spd 2WD

My current panel has Fuel, Speed, Oil Pressure, Battery/voltage, and Temp...but no Tach.

I want a tach, I don't want to install some "do it yourself" crap in there because all those gauges look cheap to me and it's not stock, I want stock. Is it possible to get a panel that has a tach that's specifically for my truck? Surely not all the 2.3's have the same clusters, right?

Two more questions: 1. What would I have to sacrifice to have a tach...like what do I have now that I'm not going to have if I swap? Oil pressure? battery level? what? 2. How hard is it going to be to do this? Am I right in thinking that everything should just plug right in or am I going to have to modify a bunch of stuff to do this? Like could I do it in a few hours or is this a 'several day' ordeal? I guess I have to pull the entire dash out?

I had bought an aftermarket tach from AutoZone but...it said something about splicing the wiring harness for the PCM and my immediate reaction for that was "no way in hell" and I took it back the next day.

 

[RangerFella]

What I mean by "get a panel" is...could I go to a junkyard and get a panel from another 2.3 that has a tach in it and just plug it right in?

 

[jagar147]

If you can find one from a 95-97 Ranger ,just remove the old plug in the new.If ya get one from a later year 98-on it'll work but you have to change pins for the CEL,and possibly the temp gauge will read high. I just swapped a 99 Ranger instrument panel into a 96 Ranger this week-end.Works fine except for above.Still gotta locate and repin the CEL.It's a pretty simple change.

 

[denialfans]

I put a same year replacement in my 93 for the same reason. Everything works and now I have a tach. When I got the truck, I couldn't believe that a stick shift truck didn't have a tach, but found out it was an option that you had to pay more for.

 

[RangerFella]

Alright...well that answers the question about if I can find one that will fit my truck but...how hard is it to do this? Am I going to have to pull the whole dash out and everything or...? I mean like how long is it probably going to take? Several days? a week?

 

[KELLY88]

No you shouldn't have to pull the whole dash out. The gauge cluster should be able to come out in less than an hour, it won't be a multiple day ordeal. I've seen it done on here a couple times. Here's a thread about this very thing.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20872&highlight=gauge+cluster

 

[RangerFella]

It just occurred to me...if I change the gauges out...isn't my truck going to have different mileage? For instance my truck only has 69k miles on it...if I get a cluster from a junkyard from another ranger...isn't the mileage going to be wrong? Or can I fix this somehow?

And that brings up another question: isn't this a really, really easy way to make your truck have low mileage when you go to sell it?? I mean...you could just take a panel that reads fewer miles and put it in there and no one would be the wiser. Not saying that's something I'd do...but...yeah there's something unsettling about this.

 

[Bob Ayers]

Here is another one with pics:

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18565

 

[RangerFella]

Also...the tach wires and everything are already there...correct? I don't have to wire anything, right? Like I can just plug the things back in and the tachometer will work?

 

[RangerFella]

?

 

[flyingbrick]

Also...the tach wires and everything are already there...correct? I don't have to wire anything, right? Like I can just plug the things back in and the tachometer will work?

correct, no wiring needed.

 

[RangerFella]

OK cool! Thanks you guys!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

It should just plug and play, but it should be a cluster from similar model years and the same engine size (clusters are usually marked to be used with a specific motor), using a 4.0L cluster with a 2.3 and your tach may read incorrectly.

There are a couple methods for adjusting mileage. All of them illegal. Actually, you're even supposed to report a gauge cluster swap.

 

[jagar147]

Just put a cluster from a 99 Ranger 4.0 into my 96 2.3 and the tach is fine.The problems(minimal) are that the temp gauge reads high,probly a difference in resistance required at sensor. The CEL dosen't function but I'm sure it's a wire location problem,just have to change it in the connector.All else is fine.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Just put a cluster from a 99 Ranger 4.0 into my 96 2.3 and the tach is fine.The problems(minimal) are that the temp gauge reads high,probly a difference in resistance required at sensor. The CEL dosen't function but I'm sure it's a wire location problem,just have to change it in the connector.All else is fine.

I didn't say it wouldn't work, I said it may not read correctly. If you've ever looked at aftermarket tachs, many are V-8 specific or have a switch either inside or outside that adjusts for how many cylinders you have so that it can make the correction to read the proper rpms.