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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Interior & Equipment => Topic started by: 1978 K20 on June 02, 2011, 01:29:44 am

Title: Re-doing dash/crazy idea
Post by: 1978 K20 on June 02, 2011, 01:29:44 am
So I was driving home from work tonight, and I got a crazy idea. But first I  need to know if its even possible.

I have a 78 K20.

My current dash has: Volts, Oil Pressure, Engine Temp, Speedo, and Fuel, And one dummy spot.

My idea:
Remove the fuel gauge (I have a large one... to the right of the speedo) and put in a factory tach out of another truck.
Replace the engine temp with a fuel gauge for the right tank, and put a fuel gauge into the dummy spot for the left tank. (These would be out of a tach dash)

Is this even possible?

Is it as simple as splicing into the correct sending wires and running the senders to the new gauges? or am I getting myself into something I dont want to deal with?

Would I be better of just trying to find a 78 tach dash and replace the one temp gauge to fuel gauge? (Arent tach dash's rare?)

Let me know-

John
Title: Re: Re-doing dash/crazy idea
Post by: Captkaos on June 02, 2011, 05:07:55 pm
All the guages run off of the printed circuit on the back.  So you would have to have one from a cluster with that arrangement to make it work.
Title: Re: Re-doing dash/crazy idea
Post by: Edahall on June 02, 2011, 11:46:56 pm
I did similar to what you were describing.  I actually used an aftermarket tachometer and fit it into where the gas gauge used to be.  I then moved the gas gauge to the dummy spot.  I bought a tachometer that only goes to 4000 rpms since the 6.2 maxes out at 3600 rpm.  I now need to do the same on my 1990 Suburban with the Cummins.  The Cummins maxes out at 2200 rpm so I need a gauge that goes to approximately 2500 rpm's.

Here's a picture.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/rhedahl/P1070091.jpg)
Title: Re: Re-doing dash/crazy idea
Post by: 1978 K20 on June 04, 2011, 01:39:14 am
How did you go about the wiring?
Title: Re: Re-doing dash/crazy idea
Post by: Edahall on June 04, 2011, 07:24:25 am
How did you go about the wiring?

It's been long enough that I can't remember about what I did with the wiring on the fuel gauge but I believe it was pretty simple like 2 wires.  For the tachometer, I mounted it to the location where the gas gauge used to be.  That gauge also required just 2 wires as well.  For the whole project, I don't think I had any more than about 2 hours of time in it.
Title: Re: Re-doing dash/crazy idea
Post by: beastie_3 on June 15, 2011, 10:39:27 pm
Computer speakers?
Title: Re: Re-doing dash/crazy idea
Post by: Edahall on June 15, 2011, 11:36:54 pm
Computer speakers?


Nope...  These speakers are 3 piece home stereo speakers with a 12 in subwoofer that I installed between the seats.  I may be buying a 99 Tahoe this weekend with the plans of putting the diesel drivetrain from this 1982 Suburban into the Tahoe.  The diesel gets better fuel economy and has more towing power.
Title: Re: Re-doing dash/crazy idea
Post by: GUITAR1989 on June 16, 2011, 03:29:39 am
There might be a diagram here with the duel tank set up... http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=11766.0