non-panther digi cluster retrofit (Raser is the man)

[85crownHPP]

The message center has its own brain and would be a huge task to install. You'd need the brain, all the buttons, all the wiring, Gadget knows what else. If you can get all that in, you could probably find the right sensors to use, but wiring it up would be complex. The fuel level meter requires a special sender to be installed also.
I have a wiring diagram for the speedo and message center around here somwhere, Ill see if i can get some readable pics of it.
I do know what wires do what on the digi speedo itself, and I got it to work as a standalone unit, if that info will help.

[FatNasty]

I figured the message center would be too much of a task for now, especially with all the buttons on the dash. Has gadget done it, is that why he would know? If you could get the diagrams for the speedo that would be great though. If possible i would like to be able to switch it between MPH & KPH, i think the leftmost button on the dash switches that. Would it be possible to install that with it, i plan on going to canada with this car. For the fuel gage would i need to just get the sender and wiring from the tank of the donor car, or is it much more complex than that. Any detailed info on how to do that would be very helpful.

[raser13]

o.k. let me ask to make shure i'm thinking correctly the donner for the digital dash you have was an '85 thunderbird turbo coupe? on coolcoats.net they use tc for them. but if you do, for the fuel to read correctly(iwould assume this to be corret for all ford digi clusters)you will just need the fuel sender out of a digal guaged car. the wiring clip on both cars is the same after that . what changes is the resistance that the sender sends from full to empy. the digis are pretty much backwards from anolog.as for the wiring type the following to go to one of the best sites for cougar or t-bird info this will be the wiring diagram for the tc digi cluster .http://www.coolcats.net/tech/general/digital.html
and this is the link on how to modify the digi speedo to go over the default setting of the max speed of 88 miles per hour to one hundred ninty-nine miles per hour. http://www.foxthundercats.com/199speedomod/
as for the other guages the temp. sender has to be changed from the one wire version to the two wire version. the oil pressure also has to be changed out with the one for the digi cluster.all of these can be gotten off the car that you got the cluster off of. if you get the water temp sender off of the donner car make shure to get the wiring clip and as much of the wire as possible because it is a two wire system instead of the one wire that you have the black goes to ground and the other to the cluster.

[FatNasty]

For TC i meant Town Car. That cluster only has a fuel display, speedo, and a message center which i dont really need. But will just switching out the fuel sender unit work with that cluster.

[raser13]

i would think it would. unfortunately i've only worked with the cougar/t-bird areostar guages. my last car that i did digital to was a ford t-bird and i used the tach/fuel/temp part out of a cougar ful digi cluster and the speedo from a areostar. i've just started messing with this crown vickie but the eltronics still look the same. i'll see what i can dig up on your cluster and car on the resistance facto and get back with you as soon as i can.

[raser13]

o.k. acording to my guys at collcats.net the guage cluster will require a different fuel sender from a digi cluster. the main difference between the two is the anolog has a high resistance signal when full and low when empty, the digital is opposite reading low resistance when full and high when empty.:club:

[raser13]

pics of digi cluster for th '84

this is a picture of pretty much what i'm planning to put in the '84 vicky. i am of course going to mod it to fit where the original fit so let me know what you think.:hacksaw: :welder: :yell: :guns: :chainsaw: :50cal: :morons: :cutit: :cloud9: http://www.supermotors.org/vehicles/....php?id=266517

[Grand Marquis GT]

That would look BADASS in a vic cluster!!!

Doesnt look like it would be too hard, either. I am sure if I messed with it, i could make it work :hacksaw:

[85crownHPP]

Its perfect! Have you taken it apart yet? How thin is it? look like the center speedo part could be standalone??? oooahahahehheeeeee

[gadget73]

You can mod those speedos to read over 85 too.
http://www.coolcats.net/tech/advanced/199speedo.html

[89LincolnTWNcar]

i love the digital tachometers true 80's styling there.

[raser13]

once you take the outer housin off the three different screens are seporate pods. with the tach(the left screen) the circut type film just wraps directly behind itself and plugs into the clip. now the speedo(center) is a little different, the circut tape wraps behind and goes to the right to end up behind the fuel economy pod(right screen).the fuel economy pod gets it's info through the speedo, there is a jumper line between them. i've found the digital speedo out of areostars which has the same exact speedo exept that the circut tape wraps directly behind it to the clip. that makes it so much easyer to mod into different dashes. the speedo mod allows the speedo to go above the stock 88 miles/hour to up to 199 miles/hour and all it takes is to add one wire jumper between two contacts(super easy). i'll post links to the wiring diagrams in a little bit and i'll try to post pics of the inside of the cluster. also you will have to swap out some senders. i'll try to do a write up on the process as soon as i can.

[85crownHPP]

awesome - Id like to do what you said and replace my speedo cable feed with the electronics from the digi donor vehicle, if it will bolt right in place like you said. Speedo would be the only thing I need,
So you think an Aerostar one would work better to put into a different dash?

If you have diagrams for the transmission speed sensor too that would help for winring it up for standalone use in mine.

[raser13]

o.k. guys, here's the basics of this cluster(sorry no pics yet). as for the wiring diagram here is the link. http://www.coolcats.net/tech/general/digital.html this also shows what it looks like lit up. but don't worry about the icky ford green display a few different colored l.e.d.'s and the removal of a peice of green film and the display can be red, or blue, or any color of l.e.d that you can find.(trust me the blue are awsome) as for the 199 mile/hour mod for the speedo here is the link http://www.foxthundercats.com/199speedomod/ .as for the sensor sender changes, when you find a donner car you will want to knabb the fuel sender because if you don't change these out the fuel will be empty after you fill the tank and full when you are about to run out of gas. you will need to drop the tank to change these out. once you drop it(preferably empty) you need to turn the lock ring that holds it in place(:cops: WARNING!!!!!!!if it does'nt turn to easily, as mine didn't,you will have to tap the ring around very carefully as you will have gas fumes present and they can EXPLODE.and with youmost likely laying on top of a 15+gallon gernade you will need to use a brass hammer or a peice of brass between the hammer and the ring. a block of wood will also work you just DO NOTwant steel on steel contact that might cause a spark. you may also want to ground the tank so you don't build up static electrisity.:cops undo the clip and just take one out and put the other in. you will also want to get the temprature sender, the one on your car will have one wire the one for the digital has two. you will want to get the clip and ample amounts of the wires coming off of it(black wire to ground the other to the wire for the cluster). and lastly you will also want to get the oil presure sender. just undo one and put the other in it's place. the one thats a little more involved is the speedo sender, i'ts on the tranny where your spedo cable plugs on. you need the sender itself the clip and as much wire as possible. i went to radioshak and bought a spool of wire to get the length i needed. you will want to trade this out with the speedo cable setup.NOTE: you will want to trade the gear on the end of the speedo cable with the one off the donner car or else the speed will be off!!!! once in the blac goes to ground and the other to the speed input on the speedo on the digi cluster. that should be it if you have any questions please ask i'm currently working on modding this up. as of right now my cameras out so i don't have pics yet as soon as i do they'll be here as well as a better walk through with being more car specific.thanks for your time. oh by the way doner cars are t-birds,cougars, areostars,some tauruses,and some lincolns. your looking for cars between say '85-'88. if you just want to do the speedo any cougar/t-bird of those years had a digital speedo and will work.

[raser13]

oh one more thing don't worry if you can only find these on a six banger you can change the tach from six to four to eight just by grounding a differnt pin. i have to do more digging in my notes to tell you what pins to ground. but give me a day and i'll see what i canturn up.