Swap dash cluster from 87 BRONCO ii to 88

[Riehlsasy]

Hi all hope someone can answer this question for me. I recently purchased an 88 Bronco ii XL MANUAL 4x4. I was hoping to find an XLT package but I just couldn't pass this truck up. Good news is I have an 87 AUTOMATIC 4x4 with same color XLT package that I basically bought to restore, but mainly because the interior was mint condition and I figured I could use it on another truck if I found one. Since that is now the situation, I have begun to remove the seats, exterior mirrors, and the nice fabric door panels to put on my 88 as the XL package didn't have all the plush finishings. What I realized is that my 88 does not have the nice dash cluster like my 87 with the tachometer and such. I did have another 88 Bronco ii years ago and it was an XLT package and it had the nice dash cluster like my 87 does. CAN I TAKE THE CLUSTER OUT OF MY 87 AND PUT IN MY 88? WILL IT MATTER THAT MY 87 IS AN AUTOMATIC AND MY 88 IS A MANUAL? My thoughts are that most of this stuff was mix and match between 86-88 so I'm hoping that it should be a simple swap. Any thoughts?

Thanks
Karlie

 

[Spott]

The only differences that may affect you are that there may or may not be a Tach in the clusters, and there may be either an ammeter or a battery warning light. All of the options should plug&play, but having a manual without a tach is undesirable.

 

[adsm08]

Plug and play.

 

[JerryC]

Oil pressure gauge and oil pressure warning light use different senders. That's an easy swap and cheap if you have to do it.

 

[adsm08]

Oil pressure gauge and oil pressure warning light use different senders. That's an easy swap and cheap if you have to do it.

There is that. The sender for the gauge will turn the light on when you have pressure.

I got around that by installing a mechanical pressure gauge and leaving the cluster's indicator disconnected completely.

 

[JerryC]

There is that. The sender for the gauge will turn the light on when you have pressure.

I got around that by installing a mechanical pressure gauge and leaving the cluster's indicator disconnected completely.

Mine had the wrong sender when I bought it, I didn't know because it was disconnected I didn't think to look to see if it was hooked up before I bought it.

It runs good without any more than the usual noise.
I bought the correct sender for the warning light in the dash.
I'm afraid to hook it up now

 

[adsm08]

Mine had the wrong sender when I bought it, I didn't know because it was disconnected I didn't think to look to see if it was hooked up before I bought it.

It runs good without any more than the usual noise.
I bought the correct sender for the warning light in the dash.
I'm afraid to hook it up now

Yeah, I forgot about that part. I swapped my tach cluster in at the same time I put in an engine from an 89, and didn't think much of it, when I hooked everything up the light was off until I started the engine, so I unhooked it and left it until I got a mechanical gauge. Much happier with that because I can see what it is really doing, but I know what to expect and to not freak out when the pressure drops off as the engine warms up.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah, I forgot about that part. I swapped my tach cluster in at the same time I put in an engine from an 89, and didn't think much of it, when I hooked everything up the light was off until I started the engine, so I unhooked it and left it until I got a mechanical gauge. Much happier with that because I can see what it is really doing, but I know what to expect and to not freak out when the pressure drops off as the engine warms up.

I have both

The amount of oil pressure it takes for the light to come on is pitiful... but for about $10 it is a good attention getter if I blow a hose or something.

FWIW some 86-88 tach clusters can have the tach signal wired differently. There is a deal in the "submit info for tech library" where Shran touches on it.