Let's say I get an LS1 and then swap in a gauge cluster from a corvette for example. Besides physically getting it fitted what problems electronically would you run into?

 

stack guages.

 

I like Stack and I'm familiar with Stack, but I'm also familiar with their $1500 price tag. I'm more interested in nice looking GTO or Corvette gauge clusters that are made for the LS1 and can be bought for 100-200 dollars .

 

Nevermind, fawk it. I'll just do it...lol.

 

only reason i mentioned it is because you'll have more info and it would obviously be a whole lot easier to install. i regret buying 10 guages for my vw corrado vr6t and saw the stack guages after. i would rather buy the stack then any other guages (unless the new defi unit works better), that is whats going into my 94 rx7 when i do the swap.

 

You are definitely right about the Stack unit being easier to install as there is more documentation. I just figured since I could get the cluster cheaper. I'll guess I'll have to weigh the pro's and cons before I decide what to do.

I think I've seen the Defi unit you are talking about, but only at pictures at car shows. Do you know any sites where there is documentation on it? I've looked on defi's site, but couldn't find it. You're talking about the Defi gauge with the speedometer and tach and everything right? I'll find a picture when I get home and post it.

 

Found it. Looks like they only have it for the japanese market...of course. They are always so stingy over there...lol.

http://www.nippon-seiki.co.jp/defi/p...dssc_top1.html

 

there is a cheaper option than Stack and similar product as well.
I've seen it on Rx-Ben's car in person and its sweet.
Forgot the brand.... doh...
I think it was under $700 and its a full cluster swap.
They are available thru Summit too.
very nice, but it is a lot more wiring than you need to do, but its sick.
if finances are good, that is what I will end up doing to get a working speedo

 

oh yeah to reply to your original question, thats a LOT of wiring!
blinkers, highbeams, etc.
but hey it might look sweet, there is a guy on torquecentral with a nissan v6 in his FC and he used the nissan cluster, looks nice.

 

Well if you remember, let me know...lol

 

Just curious, but what's the problem with the stock gauges? It's not that hard to get them working.

I replaced the water temp and oil pressure gauges when I did my swap because I feel like those stock gagues were useless.

I'm going to end up ditching my stock dash eventually (swtiching to a standalone fuel computer is going to make the speedometer tricky), and will likely just run a complete Autometer setup (Cobalt anyone?). If Defi made a Speedometer I'd be all over that setup.

 

I really just don't like the look of the stock dash.

 

agreed, the stock cluster is garbage except for the tach, and if it were an easy fix to get the speedo working, it'd be awesome, but the other gauges are useless, the temp/pressure gauges are not accurate and are slow to indicate any changes.

as for my stock setup....
my fuel level gauge doesnt work anymore, I think the sending unit is toast.
my electrical/voltmeter works, whoopdeeedoo.
my tach is hooked up and I like that.
the water temp, oil pressure and speedo are not hooked up.
I do have an autometewr water temp gauge hooked up and its very accurate, I like it.

I need to try the Granny's method of the speedo where you bypass the cable unit and splice into the back of the speedo motor... hopefully it works.

 

Well, that's the one area where havin an FD is easier. It's a piece of cake to get the speedometer to work.

The stock tach does lag a bit though (maybe 400rpm under wot?)

I replaced my cluster oil pressure and water temp with Defi D-gauges. It turned out pretty nice, except that the intensity of the lighting doesn't match that of the old, worn out stock cluster.

 

I have a Racepak Ultra Street dash. It is pretty easy to install because it is programmable and comes with the oil temp, oil pressure, and water temp senders. It'll do warnings on all inputs (and a voltage warning), control a radiator fan and has a shift light output. It initially comes with a speedo, tach, oil press, water temp, oil temp, and fuel though you can add more but it gets expensive. There are also datalogging versions available- the "street" dash is a pretty bare bones version.

It was relatively easy to install on a panel in place of the stock cluster, and visibility is great at night or during the day. The only downside is that it is $700, but it is way cheaper and has much better integration than any alternative (such as the Stack setup or a handful of Autometers).

Ben

 

Haven't seen this on Granny's for a bypass. Are we talking mechanical or electrical.

Where is the info on that?

Tnx Fred

 

Haven't seen this on Granny's for a bypass. Are we talking mechanical or electrical.

Where is the info on that?

Tnx Fred

 

It should work, though the T56 has 17 pulses per internal revolution, but the rear end ratio is 4.1:1, so it'll be off by a regular amount. It is certainly better than nothing.

Ben

http://members.tripod.com/~grannys/rx7electrical.html

Green w/ red stripe...this is the wire from the speed sensor. It is a reed switch, operated by a rotating magnet at the end of the speedo cable inside the dash pod, so the output is a square wave. The switch cycles open and closed a total of 4 times per revolution, which when combined with the 1025 revolutions per mile of the RX-7, makes a 4100 pulse per mile speed signal. The US standard for speedometers is 1000 rev per mile, which makes for a 4000 PPM signal that is often used by computer controlled engines. The difference between 4000 and 4100 PPM is only around 2%, so further correction is often not required. The other leg of the reed switch is grounded internally, and the signal can be used as a vehicle speed input for engines such as the Chevy LT-1.

 

I'm thinking about running HP Tuners on a small laptop core, running to a small 640x480 resolution LCD mounted in place of my gauges. I can read all of the important stuff, and I can have a wireless keyboard/mouse in the bin to pull out for tuning needs. Total cost? ~600 dollars.

 

What about the odometer though? Actually what about the odometer with any guage cluster swap? How would you put the correct miles back on? Has anyone done this? I've seen some equipment out there that does this, but it's like 1500 and must be for dealerships and what not.

 

My odometer works just fine. In the FD it's tied to speedometer function. If your speedo reads twice as high, you're putting on perceived mileage at twice the rate.

It also means that for the week that my speedometer didn't work I didn't put any miles on the car.

Ignore that ^^^^ I missed the "gauge cluster" part of your question.

Oh, and I forgot to add that for a cluster swap, you should document the current mileage, and then the new cluster starts from zero. I've never heard of anyone having any luck getting a new odometer rolled forward. Every car I've seen that has had the odometer replaced gets a sticker in the doorjamb, and a note of "not actual mileage" on the title.

 

I kind of figured that. I do network work for the Delaware Department of Transportation including the DMV so it shouldn't be to hard to find out the procedures for doing it.

Thanks man.

 

::shrug::

I replaced most of my car... so I consider it 0 miles...

I'm not going to be selling the car, and my state could give a rats *** about what I own or it's milage, emissions, etc, so I'm not really worried about it.

If you are... then my idea... well sucks.

 

Nope not worried at...that's a good state and a great state of mind